Baseball back in full swing as city welcomes second U18 AA team

The Padres played their first ever game on May 12 in North Battleford, where the Beavers won handily via a 15-3 score. Markus Exner went 1-for-1 with a double and an RBI in the loss as Nash Noble went 1-for-2 with an RBI single. Noble also started the game on the mound and was pulled in the third inning after allowing nine runs, one earned, on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts in 2.2 innings of work.

“We were kind of our own worst enemy,” Van Otterloo said reflecting on the loss. “We had a few too many walks, had a few too many hit-by-pitches with the pitching. We went into that game last week with only one field practice. I think more than anything it showed how much the weather has affected baseball this year.”

Compared to the Royals, the Padres are made up of mostly first-year players, while the Royals are mostly third years. That was not a coincidence, but rather intentional, according to Van Otterloo.

“It allows the guys who have always played together to stick together and then carry on once the older guys are gone. That was one of the talking points when we were putting these teams together is that the younger guys get broken up. But by keeping them together, they’ll form a bond, and they’ll play for the next two, three years altogether.”

The Padres next gameday will be on Saturday as they gear-up to host a doubleheader against the defending Tier 1 provincial champion Weyburn Beavers. Either game will be played at Andy Zwack Field in Prime Ministers Park, where first pitch for game one is set for 3 p.m. while game two will start at 6 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Royals have three games already under their belts this season, which were used to help shake off the rust, according to Manager Troy Semenchuk.

P.A. embarked on the season on Mother’s Day in Regina where the Royals dropped back-to-back games to the Blue Jays, falling 15-3 and 3-1. They then suffered a narrow 12-11 loss in Saskatoon to the Phillies on May 12, before the snow made an unwelcome return and kept the team sidelined.

Semenchuk said the last week-and-a-half has been used to help players hone their communication and defence skills, while also giving their pitchers some time in the bullpen and their batters some swings at the plate.

“Our first game was realistically the first time we were able to get outside. That first [game] got away from us a little bit, but our second and third games were one and two run games that really could have gone either way. We’re okay with our start.”

The Royals have nearly the same squad as last season with Ronan Marion being the lone new face to the team this summer.

The focus for the team now shifts to this weekend as they have a pair of doubleheaders on the schedule. On Saturday, the Royals will make the trek down south to Lumsden where they will battle the Cubs, before returning home on Sunday afternoon to face the Weyburn Beavers at Andy Zwack Field.

“It’s very much like a AA hockey schedule,” Semenchuk explained.

“The late spring, or whatever you want to call it, has really created some issues as well. There’s lots of rescheduled games and that’s without any rain outs or smoke outs or anything yet. It’s going to be an interesting summer, but we’re used to the travel and that’s not an issue for us.”

Each team will play 28 games this summer, with 14 at home and 14 on the road. Two of those games will be between the Royals and Padres in the form of a doubleheader, which is slated for Canada Day at Andy Zwack Field. Game one is at 1 p.m. and game two is set for 5 p.m.

More information about the league, including standings and a full schedule, can be found here.

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loganc.lehmann@pattisonmedia.com

by Logan Lehmann

Baseball back in full swing as city welcomes second U18 AA team

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