Club adds local arm to mound staff

LEFT-HANDER Anthony Friesen of Somerset, Man., and right-hander Dustin Northcott have been added to the roster.

Friesen, who played the past two seasons at Minot State University, is a former member of the Manitoba Junior Baseball League's Pembina Valley Orioles. In 2010, Friesen set a single-season MJBL strikeout record with 116 K's (66 innings), breaking the 30-year-old record of 115 set by Carey Candy of the Elmwood Giants.

Friesen was named the MVP and top pitcher at the 2010 Canadian National Junior Championship, where he helped Manitoba win the national title.

"You look at Max (Poulin) and what he turned his tryout camp opportunity into and what Donnie Smith turned himself into," said manger Rick Forney. "When the Northern League started, it was the original independent baseball, that's what it was all about, giving guys opportunities to play professional baseball. You never know where it ends up."

Smith (1998-2006), a Winnipeg native and pitcher who holds the Goldeyes record for most career appearances with 206, and Poulin (2001-2008), a Quebec native known as the best shortstop in team history, were both walk-ons whose numbers have been retired by the Goldeyes.

Exhibition game tonight

THE Goldeyes will host the St. Paul Saints tonight and Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Shaw Park, where fans can expect to see plenty of the Goldeyes' young players take the field.

"You'll see a lot of them," Forney said. "Not sure what kind of calibre baseball game you're going to see, but hopefully they all play well and we'll see a high-calibre game."

Right field will be the most hotly contested position with Josh Mazzola, Ridge Carpenter, Kyle Day and Dan Barbero as the contenders.

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 7, 2012 C4