Sean Lynch: Merced College's phone going to ring

Now that the excitement of national signing day has come and gone, Merced College head football coach Mark Kaanapu can really get to work moving his players on.

Over the next couple months, schools whose rosters weren't completely filled out will begin scouring community college campuses.

A number of Blue Devil sophomores were already garnering attention. Now they can expect that to increase.

"We're looking at about eight to 10 more guys probably moving on," Kaanapu said. "A lot of guys didn't take care of business in high school like Kyle (McMillin), so they're waiting to see where they qualify before they make a decision.

"We already had 40 college coaches come to our campus and see what we and our players are about.

"As usual it's all going to come down to where the guys are academically.

McMillin signed to play at Portland State on Wednesday and offensive linemen Ben Nachampassack and Michael Chambers are already enrolled at Southwestern College and Texas State, respectively.

Merced College had 17 sophomores on its 2009 roster.

Some have elected to stay at MC, get their associate degree and then see what options are available to them.

Others, like safety Dion Bland and defensive tackle Leon Washington are waiting to see how high a division they qualify for academically.

"Kids have had some pressure from schools wanting them to make a decision, but we've got a number of guys that are waiting for their best option," Kaanapu said. "It's a bit of a gamble, but often patience pays off in these situations."

Also Moving On

MC wasn't the only school with players in demand on national signing day. Former Los Banos High and Modesto Junior College bruising back Casey Cotta signed his letter accepting a scholarship to Division II Northern Michigan.

Cotta rushed for 420 yards and six touchdowns in his sophomore season at MJC.

Home Opener

Despite heading to a four-year school in West Virginia, Amber and Daniella Vineyard will start their Davis & Elkins College season in familiar surroundings for the second straight year.

The former Atwater stars will be showcasing their skills this weekend at the Cal State Stanislaus Best of the West Softball Tournament. The action begins today and runs through Sunday.

Both Vineyards are in their second season with the Senators.

Amber played two years at Merced College before transferring and Daniella joined the team straight out of high school.

The tournament features some of the top Division II teams in the Western Region, including No. 15 Stanislaus State.

Davis & Elkins will open the tournament today against Cal State Dominguez Hills at 10:45 a.m.

Spring is in the Air

Merced College's Spring sports season kicks off today for a couple teams.

The Merced College softball team is set to host a doubleheader against Hartnell College beginning at 4 p.m.

The MC men's and women's swim teams will be headed to Santa Rosa for a quad meet.

The MC baseball team will get under way on Feb. 11 when it travels down South to take on Rio Hondo.

Sean Lynch is a Sun-Star sports writer. He can be reached at 385-2476 or via e-mail at slynch@mercedsun-star.com.