Baseball team is prepared to play in NWAACC
By Courtnie Martin, Sports Reporter
The men’s baseball squad is prepared for yet another challenging year playing in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWACC) based out of Washington State. After falling only one game shy of the regional tournament last year, the more than 40-man team is full of returnees and hungry to compete at the American-level again. The Royals are the only Canadian college in the league.
Pre-season training has been difficult due to the ever-so-lovely winter. “The guys have been working that much harder in the weight room [because of the weather] so we are hoping that translates to on-field success,” said head coach Cavanagh Whitely.
While the Royals acknowledge that certain aspects of their game need to tighten up, they are extremely enthusiastic about the upcoming season. With a solid group of pitchers, the team has a right to be confident. Returning pitcher Quinn Allen and University of British Columbia transfer Matt Trimble will be expected to throw a solid six to seven innings to lead the way.
Other strong names on the roster include Logan Wedgewood, Second Team All-American Tanner Robertson, Jackson Temple, Brayden Munro, Jared Frew, Jordan Kornberger, and Colby Rossi. The team maintains a tight-knit sense of chemistry both on and off the field, and their relationships make their goal that much more achievable.
“The coaches are optimistic and expect the best in us, as we expect it of ourselves. With the season approaching it’s evident they are starting to switch out from coaching mode and allowing mistakes as part of growth, but at this point I think it needs to be [that way]. They’ve started expecting results and contributions, cutting down errors, both mentally and physically, and are pushing us forward as a unit to achieve what we all want collectively: the NWAACC championship,” said sophomore Wedgewood.
Because the Royals are in the American league they are limited to just two years of eligibility; this means that this is many of the players’ last year at Douglas. “Our team chemistry is good. Everyone gets along and bonds well. I believe this is very important because it helps us on the field when we are all on the same page. It should be an interesting season,” remarks Allen.