The Regina Red Sox are humming in every aspect of the game this season.
The team is now ready to make a run in their first Western Canadian Baseball League championship since 2012.
“We expect to win, no matter who we play,” first baseman Kody Hanna said. “Every line-up we put out there gives its best and competes every game.”
Starting pitcher Colton Anderson has the highest earned run rate in the league this year, with less than three runs allowed per game.
Better yet, the Red Sox also have depth at the position.
“We’ve got Daniel Crabtree, we’ve added Ayden Page, we’ve got Tyler Fortin, we’ve got some people that can support each other in different situations,” Anderson said of the team’s bullpen.
“We have starting pitching and if the starting pitching isn’t going well, we have relievers that can come in and cover for them. Then we have some lockdown closers.”
The latest news from Canada and around the world happens to be sent to your email.
Receive the latest national news
For news affecting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts sent directly to you as they happen.
The Red Sox are no slouch when it comes to hitting either.
Hanna led the WCBL in runs batted in this season, with a total of 64.
That balanced attack led to a 38-18 record in the regular season, good for first place in the Eastern Division and home field advantage through at least the first two rounds of the playoffs.
Anderson admitted that playing in front of a packed house of a thousand Red Sox fans was intimidating at first, but he now embraces the support.
“It’s pretty cool, I’m playing in front of 900 to 1,000 fans, and most of them are supporting you. I think that’s huge, especially when you get to the playoffs and that many fans are rooting for your team,” Anderson said.
The Sox haven’t hoisted the WCBL’s Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy in more than a decade, but there is a belief within the team that this year’s group has the tools to go all out.
“It would be great to have that as a reminder of this work for Regina,” Hanna said.
Game One of the Sox best-of-three series against the Moose Jaw Express takes place tonight, with Game Two in Moose Jaw on Thursday. Game Three will take place Friday in Regina if necessary.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
