The Weyburn Iron Pigs, a senior baseball team that plays as part of the QVBL, have announced their decision not to return for the upcoming season.
"We started the team back in 2013," said Mike Onstad, team manager. "Since then, the majority of our roster, including myself, has remained consistent for over a decade, with some additions and reductions along the way."
He noted that over the decade they played, many on the team saw big changes off the field.
"As the years went on, many of us started families and took on other commitments, making it increasingly difficult to stay involved," he said. "Over the past few seasons, it became a real challenge just to field a full team. Late game times in Regina—often starting at 8:45 p.m.—also made things harder, especially for players who needed to be at work by 6:00 a.m."
He also noted that those challenges were made more noticeable in recent years due to the layout of the QVBL.
"The QVBL is split into two divisions: the ‘A’ division (Art Berard), which traditionally had 5-7 teams, and the ‘B’ division (Jack Bateman), which usually has 12–15 teams," Onstad said. "Over time, the Art Berard division struggled to retain teams. As the skill gap between the two divisions grew, many teams opted to move down to B, leaving only 4 or 5 teams in A. This led to a repetitive schedule against the same opponents, which became less exciting and harder to stay motivated for."
Despite all that, the Iron Pigs saw a lot of success while they played, with consistent near-top finishes in the A division, many playoff runs, including five trips to the finals, and a league championship win in 2016. In the end, though, they decided it was time to call it quits for the Weyburn Iron Pigs.
"Perhaps all our kids can form a team in 18-20 years," he laughed. "That said, it’s great to see another senior team—the Sun Devils—forming in Weyburn. It’s encouraging to know that senior baseball will continue in the community."
He added personal thanks to Brad Weisgerber, who split the management role with Onstad over the years and added a special message for supporters in the community.
"We want to thank all the fans and members of the community who cheered us on and helped us for many years," he said. "Thanks to the umpires, family members, Matt on the microphone, the City of Weyburn, Garnet and Jordan with the Beavers, the QVBL, and all our sponsors throughout the years. It wouldn’t have been possible without your support."