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It was a special weekend for the U15 Wildcats as the group captured first place in a big tournament and head coach Russ Kihn couldn't be prouder of his group.
"We went out to Saskatoon, they have their annual Presidents Tournament, that's Saskatoon Minor Softball," the coach explains. "We ended up having a fantastic weekend. We played our four round robin games and we won all of those, we went through the semifinals and we won the championship, 5-1 against the St. Albert Angels out of Edmonton."
There was a lot for Kihn and the coaches to like about the teams play, especially throughout a dominant round robin. "Throughout those four games, we hit the ball really well and scored some runs, but the key was our defense. We played great. I think we made one error in four games, we only allowed one run, our defense was amazing and our pitchers were spectacular, they struck out a bunch of players when we needed it. The whole defensive side of our game was brilliant."
Something that stood out to Kihn was how strong the group was mentally, not putting too much on themselves as they played near perfect ball. "The fact they kept plugging away and working hard no matter what. They took care of the offense when they needed and they never gave the opponent anything. They kept their foot on the gas."
Kihn says getting to the championship game was great but they really had to dig in to pull out that final win. "The championship game was a little tougher, it was already late in the day and we had a delay, so we were a little bit tired. They got a one run lead but we were able to chip away and come out with a 5-1 win. Hannah Skrabek, our pitcher, she threw seven complete innings and struck out 13 batters in that game. Our defense was stellar, the outfields made plays even though it was a windier day. They group came together, battled and pulled out the win, it was fantastic."
The U15 Wildcats are a close group and Kihn says it was very rewarding to see the group celebrate after the win. "It's so awesome, the smiles they have when they win something like that, it's awesome to see the hard work pay off. You're proud for them and happy for them to have success after all the work they do."
Winning the tournament is a big boost for the team but also the program, according to Kihn. "Yeah, it's big, it kind of puts you on the map a little bit. It also puts a target on your back. The fact we can go out and be competitive, it's really a feather in the cap of the coaches and the people behind the scenes that make our team go. That tournament has teams from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Last year, there was four or five of the 12 teams were at the National Championship in Quebec, so the level of talent is something else."
As a coach, Kihn couldn't be prouder of how the team put everything together on the field throughout the weekend. "That's the best part, you get a little satisfaction that all the hard work that they've put in and you've helped them put in, bring results. They put in all this work through the winter, in the batting cages, all the little details, it all paid off."
The Wildcats played very well but Kihn knows this group has another level they can get to, which is scary for any team they go up against. "We're going to try and see if we can get a little bit better yet. I mean, I'm hoping we can sustain this at minimum, but we believe there is always room to improve. If you're not looking to get better, you might go backwards a bit. We're going to continue to work hard, work on some small things and come back even better next tournament."
Lookin forward, Kihn has a few things circled on the calendar. "We have a league game coming up but the first weekend of June, we're off to Brandon for the Wheat City Classic. We'll face eight teams, four from Saskatchewan, one from North Dakota and three from Manitoba will be there."
Safe to say those teams will be very aware of when they're going up against the Wildcats.