Excited Sterling XPress first up for Kansas Stars

When J.J. Bissell, the .462 hitting, 15-home run smashing slugger for the Sterling (Colo.) XPress, steps into the batter’s box Saturday night against Brad Penny, Josh Beckett or whomever is pitching for the Kansas Stars in the National Baseball Congress World Series, he’s going to try to keep his knees from wobbling.

“It’s always been one of my dreams to play against professional baseball players and now I actually get to do it,” said Bissell, who recently finished his senior season at Oklahoma City University by batting .369 with 16 homers. “I’ll probably be a little nervous with all the fans there and all of that. But I’m going to try to be nice and relaxed and soak it all in and have as much fun as I can.”

When it was announced that the Stars, made up almost exclusively of former big leaguers including Roger Clemens, J.D. Drew, Beckett, Tim Hudson, Adam LaRoche and others, I wondered how the teams, coaches and players that made up the NBC’s foundation would receive the news.

There was some balking. For the most part, though, the curiosity and excitement outweighs any reluctance. The third-year team from Sterling, Colo., 33-9 and winner of the Rocky Mountain Baseball League, has no qualms. These guys couldn’t have more anticipation.

“I hope I get to pitch against them,” said Russell Rockwell, a Canadian who plays at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling. “With all of those former big leaguers, it would be an incredible experience. Once in a lifetime, no doubt about it.”

The XPress’ roster is made up of junior college and small-college players whose names are known only to their friends and to a sprinkling of fans.

“Our biggest crowd this year was 100, 150 maybe,” said Tom Kiel, the team’s owner and Sterling native. “We have about 12,000 people in Sterling and a state prison out here.”

Kiel formed the team after getting tired of driving his son, Jay, all over Colorado to play against other teams and other leagues.

“When we saw the draw of who we play in the first game — it’s extremely, extremely exciting,” Tom Kiel said. “Just making it to the tournament was huge for us, it’s the first time. But then getting play against these guys, it just takes everything over the top.”

Lawrence-Dumont Stadium will be packed Saturday night for the Stars’ first appearance, as it likely will be again for their pool-play games Monday and Wednesday night. That means 7,000 or more fans clamoring to get a glimpse of a former big leaguer and, no doubt, rooting for the Kansas Stars to win.

Sterling, though, isn’t in that group. XPress coach Matt Sena is trying to come up with a game plan that will give Sterling a chance and that could mean pitching around a guy like LaRoche, who was in spring training this year for the Chicago White Sox before deciding to retire after a dispute with the front office.

“He’s the hitter on the (Stars) we feel like is the most prepared,” Sena said. “One thing about this is that we can Google every one of their players and get a scouting report. Their pitchers probably aren’t going to be throwing 95 to 100 mph anymore, but they’re still ex-major leaguers. We’re hoping for a competitive matchup.”

Years is what Sterling has in its favor. The XPress players are almost all 21 or younger; the guys on the Stars have trouble remembering 21.

The best guess is that the Stars will still be able to hit. But what about the arms? What about the legs? What about the eyes?

As for brains, give the Stars a huge advantage. There will be around 200 years of MLB experience in that dugout and you can’t teach that.

“They’re going to have a lot of pride on the line and a lot of experience under their belts,” Sena said. “And the big stage with all the people in the stadium isn’t going to faze them at all.”

Sena said so many of Sterling’s pitchers want a chance to pitch to the Stars that he might use one per inning.

“We want to win,” he said, “but we’re here for the experience.”

As the XPress, any anyone else who gets a chance to play the Stars, should be.

Competition isn’t diminished because they’re in the tournament mostly because nobody is quite sure just how good the former big leaguers will be. But it’s likely they’re going to be (A) really good and far better than anyone else in the tournament; or (B) pretty good and a strong threat to win it all.

(C) “Way past their primes and lousy” isn’t an option.

Rockwell remembers throwing in front of a huge number of fans — he guesses 7,000 — during a Canada Day game back home when he was in high school.

“I was with the Edmonton Prospects and we were playing at Pelus Field, which goes by a different name now,” Rockwell said. “It was a pretty special experience but I blew it. I didn’t even record an out.”

Rockwell would like another chance in a game with a big-time feel.

And that’s exactly what Saturday’s game will have — a big-time feel.

“Just going to Wichita has been my goal for a few years now,” Sterling pitcher Jay Kiel, who pitches at Hastings (Neb.), said. “To find out we get to play a team full of former MLB players? I was ecstatic. Playing in the majors for so long, you know they all have a strong competitive side and that it’s bound to come out at some point.

“We’re not really sure what to expect.”

This story was originally published August 5, 2016 at 4:33 PM with the headline "Excited Sterling XPress first up for Kansas Stars."