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It's been a strong start to the season for the Winkler Whips as they've gotten off to a 5-2 start and player TJ Matuszewski believes things will keep going up from here.
"It's been a lot of fun," Matuszewski says about the early season success. "We started off a little slow, a couple of rain delays, we maybe didn't get as many wins early as we would have liked, but we're starting to come around. It's been a lot of fun, bit of a different group but it's been nice to get know some of the guys that haven't been here in the past."
Atop the East Division, Matuszewski says there are a lot of positives so far. "Our defense has been really good," he says proudly. "Not a lot of errors, our hitting and getting on base. It's been really helpful though that when the other team puts the ball in play, you're not going to be making many mistakes. Details like that get better as we go. Guys get more comfortable, get more reps, you see improvement as the year goes on."
Matuszewski says this years team has a nice mix of familiar faces and new blood. "We still have a decent amount of guys from the year we won, a couple years ago. A few guys moved on from last year so we have some guys who maybe had their first year last year, they're getting more reps now and looking more comfortable. As well, we have some new guys getting the hang of things. In general, guys just feel a better fit after being here a couple of years."
Something Matuszewski believes in is being a close group and that's something he's instilled for this year. "It's pretty cool, a couple of years ago when we won, that was my first year and seeing how some of the older guys, guys that have been here a while supported each other. It made the year really enjoyable and I want to follow in those footsteps."
Representing Winkler on the ball field is something Matuszewski and his teammates take a lot of pride in. "It's really cool, seeing some fans who I maybe didn't know personally before, we see them on the sidelines now and we get to talk with them. They really care and it's great to play for them. There's a deep passion for ball here and it's cool to represent that. I remember growing up watching senior baseball and now to see kids watching us, it makes it very enjoyable and for a cool experience."
Communities around Winkler also care about ball and that makes the rivalries a lot of fun to play in. "Those are the games that are the most fun," Matuszewski says with a smile. "Playing Altona the last two years in the playoffs and hearing stories about games from years past, those are the games you get most excited for. You think about it all week and you're ready to play. Winning those games, there are no better games to win."
The Whips are at home on Friday and Matuszewski says fans should come on down and see some great ball. "We're a team that prides ourselves in a good clean game," Matuszewski says. "Lots of hits, lots of fun."