The Giants and Brewers in a game in July (Nipawin Giants/Facebook)

By Derek Craddock

THIS IS IT!

Nipawin and Birch Hills ready to square off in Highway 3 Baseball League finals

Aug 6, 2023 | 12:00 PM

After two months of play and countless kilometres travelled, it’s down to the final two teams for the 2023 Highway 3 Baseball League.

The Championship series starts Monday night in Nipawin as the Giants play the two-time defending champions, the Birch Hills Brewers.

Nipawin was one of two new teams to join the league this year along with the Hudson Bay Nationals. For the Giants to reach the finals in their first year of competition is quite the feat according to co-manager Anson Kroeker.

“I couldn’t have imagined the season going this way, so to be in this position is a pretty good feeling for sure,” he said.

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Kroeker said they averaged about 250 spectators at their home games with some matches reaching more than 300 fans.

For league board member Adam Morrison, this shows how hungry the community was for senior baseball to return.

“They were off to a little bit of a slow start at the beginning of the season, but (with) growing pains, new teams and everything, they’ve definitely figured it out.”

Morrison is also a member of the Brewers who are vying for their third straight league title. They only played the Giants once this season in a very tight 5-3 decision, setting up what Morrison believes will be one heck of a series.

“I think you’re going to get two or three very fun ball games,” he said.

Both teams’ journeys to the big dance came with several tough games, some of which went down to the wire. The Brewers came back to win game two of the semi finals against the Pasquia Angels 6-5. Nipawin beat Humboldt in its deciding game also by a score of 6-5.

READ MORE: Highway 3 Baseball League welcomes new additions as 2023 season gets underway

Both teams are ready for the series to start with Kroeker believing they have agood chance of winning it all.

“We’re on a hot streak right now so the boys are feeling really confident,” he said. “We know we’re facing a good team in Birch Hills and definitely an established team. We’re going to have to play good to win, but we feel like we’re definitely in the position to get ourselves that league championship.”

Both teams said that the support of their communities was a cherry on top of their successful campaigns and they look forward to continuing those relationships.

“We’re all in the stands talking after the games and even among the league, going to different places, you get to know different guys that you’re playing against,” said Kroeker. “It’s a really cool community that’s been built. We’ve had fantastic community support with like volunteers and sponsors and just so many people have stepped up.”

Game One of the Highway 3 Baseball League Finals is on Aug. 7 at 6 p.m. with Game Two on Aug. 8 in Birch Hills and, if necessary, Game Three returns to Birch Hills on Aug. 10.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @princealbertnow