Lethbridge Bulls open playoffs on the road
Brett Browne- 0
- 3 minutes read
The Lethbridge Bulls open their first-round playoff series on the road tonight. The Bulls finished third in the highly competitive west division of Western Canadian Baseball League and will take on the defending champion Okotoks Dawgs in the best of three series.
Despite winning a team record 36 games this season, the Lethbridge Bulls have to be considered underdogs heading into their first-round match-up. Okotoks Dawgs are a perennial powerhouse, but the Bulls did have some success against their southern Alberta rivals this season winning three of the eight games they played head-to head. Bulls pitching coach Josh Burgmann says the Bulls are a solid, well-rounded group that has the potential to challenge for a championship.
“We’re excited about that challenge, that challenge to go in there and take Game one and come back here up one in the series and be able to potentially end a series in the first round here at home would be something that would be really exciting for us and really exciting for our fans,” he says.
Bulls first baseman and outfielder Carlin Dick says the team is proud of everything they have accomplished during the team’s 25th anniversary season. However, he says this veteran group wants to take things a step further.
“I think we’re just a really tight knit group. Every guy gets along with one another and I think that definitely helps us. But the biggest thing is we have a lot of older guys and guys that want to win and for some guys that this is their last chance at it. And so we want to keep playing as long as we can and have that will to win,” he says.
Still, pitcher Shea McTavish says it is always difficult opening up a series on the road, especially against the defending champs who will be playing in front of a packed home stadium.
“I think it’s going to be a challenge for us in Okotoks. They got a big crowd, but I think that we’re well prepared for it. We’ve got the hitting staff to win and we’ve got the pitching staff as well behind us to back us up if we need them,” he states.
Game two of the series takes at Spitz Stadium in Lethbridge at 7:00 pm on Thursday. A third game, if necessary, will be back in Okotoks on Friday. The winner will advance to the Division final against either the Sylvan Lake Gulls or the Brooks Bombers.
