UNITY — It appears, other than the Meadow Lake Sox, it’s stuttered steps for area teams in the North Saskatchewan River Baseball League season.
The Wilkie Brewers, as of June 1 are at a 2-2 record, losing to North Battleford Beavers then winning their next two games against Macklin Lakers and St. Walburg Reds. The Brew Crew took it on the chin when hosting Kindersley Stallions June 1, losing 13-4. The Brewers will host another home game against top spot ML Sox in a 5 p.m. match June 5. A seven-game road stretch will follow for a good portion of the regular season schedule.
The last regular season game is set in Unity against the Junior Cardinals; however, Wilkie has a makeup game against the Cards from previously postponed matchups.
The Unity Jr. Cardinals are discovering the value of experience in a men’s league. The Cards are without a win and scoring runs has been elusive. The first three losses all show 10-run deficits, except for Lloyd Twins where the juniors knocked in three runs in eventual defeat. They hosted the North Battleford Beavers June 2 giving the fans an exciting game, eventually losing by only one run by a score of 9-8.
The Cards travel to St. Walburg for June 7, then host three at home between June 9-15. Starting June 16, the Cardinals have three road and two home games to play at their peak in hopes of sitting in a good position for upcoming league playoffs.
The Macklin Lakers are sitting with a two-loss and one-win start. The team plays two games at home June 5 hosting both Meadow Lake and North Battleford. They will hit the road for four straight games until they return home June 21 to host the Wilkie Brewers, have two more road games then host Standard Hill Lakers June 28 in their last regular season game.
All 10 teams in the NSRBL will make the playoffs, with the numbers seven through 10 seeds playing wildcard games to open the post-season schedule July 7. From there, teams will then be seeded in standard fashion of one through eight, with the top teams playing the lower seeds.
Players and coaches affirmed that losses don’t necessarily equate to poor play but rather a testament to the calibre of senior men’s ball in the 2022 season.
The Unity Junior Cardinals are the youngest team in the NSRBL and are slugging it out on the downside of experience in the men’s league.
Coach Dan Feser says, “We faced some really strong pitching the first week of the season against the powerhouse Twins and the defending champion Stallions. Tough arms to cut your teeth against.”
Feser says the team knows they have to get better in the batter’s box, and he is confident they will.
“The good news is, we have lots of time to catch up,” adds Feser
You can find the full schedule and results on the NSRBL website
