The Boissevain Centennials won the South West Baseball League championship, claiming their fourth championship in a row, and are quickly preparing to keep the good times rolling into provincials.
Championship clinching game
Coach Jay Pringle details the final game, and says his group showed a lot of heart throughout the run. "We got a couple in the third inning, they hung around with us the whole game, but we got one more in the seventh, which gave us one more to play with, which is always nice. Zane Sawyer threw incredibly well, gave us a chance to win. We had some big defensive plays throughout, which helped as well."
Growing through staring down adversity
Like every year, the Centennials faced adversity, but Pringle says the group stayed bonded, and battled through it all to get to the top of the mountain. "Wawanesa gave us a very good scare in the first round," the coach says. "They played very well, and we beat them by a couple or one the first night, then a couple the next night. They were a tough test, for sure. That prepared us for the Cardinals, where we played really well throughout the series, had three really good starts from our pitchers. Oak River beat us in game two of this series, and that will obviously wakes you up. I thought we got better as it went along. Some tight games that are not always comfortable, or the way you want, but we came out on the right end."
Being the hunted
Coming in with a reputation of being the top dogs, Pringle says he and the team were well aware they were going to be getting everyone's best every time out, something he says the group really thrived on. "I kind of feel the whole year we had that target, same as the last couple, but that's the way we like to play. We like to have everyone's best game against us, it brings out the best in us. If we ever have an off night, there's someone there to beat you, so you have to make sure you're sharp night in and night out, play well all throughout, or you have a good chance to be beaten on any given night."
Not done yet
Winning the championship is great, but for Pringle, the real highlight is getting to continue on with this group as they head to provincials, which start right away. "Quick turnaround, (today) we head to Winnipeg for provincials. We'll hopefully have a good showing there, play well there, and give ourselves a chance to win. That's kind of where you benchmark yourself with the rest of Manitoba. Last year, we made it to the final four, so hopefully we can play well, and get some results there this weekend."
Crack of the bats
The Centennials have used a deep, hard hitting lineup to find success throughout the year, and Pringle says that is something they plan to lean on throughout the weekend. "We have got some really timely hitting all throughout the lineup. There are guys pushing for spots that are not playing right now. Our arms have been very good throughout the playoffs, every time we send someone to the mound, they give us a good shot to get out of an inning or get out of a game. If we take care of ourselves with our bats, we believe the pitching will be just fine."
No rest, no problem
Pringle says he has no problem with such a quick turnaround, and he believes the positive vibes will be a boost for his team as they've had enough rest. "We were going to play Tuesday night, but it got rained out. We got up to Oak River, and it just poured. It would have been nice to have an extra day, but between games three and four, we had about a week off. As much as you want a break, it's nice to get right back into it on a high, and hopefully pick up where we left off."
"We try and keep it the same," Pringle says about the coaching strategy heading into the weekend. "Obviously, the results have worked in the league, so we hope to stick with it. If things don't go our way, we'll figure it out. We do plan to stick with our game plan, and we'll adapt as needed."
All for one community
"It's crazy, even at road games, we get more fans than the home teams," Pringle says with a smile. "That's something we take with us, for sure. We're incredibly lucky to have the support we have. Night in and night out, even on ugly, rainy day, we still get big crowds in town. We wouldn't be where we are without the community, that's for sure."
Schedule
Boissevain starts their provincials against Morden on Friday, at 2:30 p.m.
Full schedule is here: Baseball Manitoba : Website by RAMP InterActive