Winnipeg South Wolves boast new blood

St. James

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This article was published 21/06/2023 (935 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The 15U AAA South Winnipeg Wolves baseball team is young, spry, and bouncing ahead.

Following an undefeated run at the annual St. James A’s Tournament, held June 10 and 11 at Optimist Fields, coach Jeff Bouchard credited the team’s healthy dynamic with pushing its fresh-faced roster forward.

The Wolves finished the tournament with five straight wins, beating the host A’s in the final, capping a strong start to the season. As of June 17, the theam as in first place in Zone 1 standings with a record of 10 wins and four losses.

“Our pitching was very good,” Bouchard said. “(We) kept the other team’s scoring down, which it makes it a lot easier for our hitters, because when we don’t fall behind by too many runs, there’s less pressure.

“So with pitching so well and keeping the other teams run totals down, it makes it a lot easier.”

Eight of the boys on this year’s Wolves squad are 13 and playing in the 15U age group for the first time, with five 14-year-olds in their second years.

“We are a very young team so to have the success we have so far is very gratifying,” Bouchard said.

There are some challenges that come with the new age group, such as larger diamonds and more distance to run, but the younger players have adapted well, he said.

There are new roles for returning players, too.

“I‘m an older age,” said starting shortstop and pitcher Logan Patterson. “So I’m trying to be a bit of a leader on the team. We have a really good group so I’m just trying to show how to be a good teammate.”

He said that the team had lost a game right before the A’s tournament, but all aimed to work harder going in.

“I mean, we all we have our fun,” he said. “But we’re all super-competitive, hate losing … I think our competitiveness kind of takes over during the games.”

The team aims to keep up its morale going forward, said Bouchard, who believes the season ahead looks exciting overall.

“(The tournament was) a good stepping stone for us in our season,” he said. “We started out the season a little slow, but we’ve been progressing over the past few weeks and I think it ended up with that win on the weekend … The boys are playing really well now, so that gives them a lot of confidence going forward into the rest of the season.”

The 15U AAA provincials are set for Aug. 4-6, and the winning team will then head out to the Western Canadian Baseball Association Championships, taking place in Chilliwack, B.C., August 18-20.

More information can be found online: www.baseballmanitoba.ca