The U18 AAA Red Deer CarStar Braves have high expectations this season.
With a week until the regular season in the Baseball Alberta Elite League (BAEL) starts, the Braves have already begun exhibition play.
Most recently they played the Webber Wildcats and lost in extra innings 6-5 but head coach Josh Zanolli said they played a strong game.
He believes they’ll have a competitive squad once again, especially on the pitcher’s mound.
“We’ll have a solid pitching group again and I think the team will be in the mix to win it again this year,” Zanolli said.
“I think we’ll be very competitive and I’d be disappointed if we weren’t involved late in provincials again.”
Although he couldn’t say exactly how many were returning from last year’s team, Zanolli said they have a strong veteran group.
They’re returning key players from last year including Jake Brooks, Dominic Skjonsberg, Nathan Flewelling, and Sawyer Marshall.
However, they lost some important players who will be tough to replace, including Ryley Doig and Matthew Murray.
“We’ve added some pitching this year and are a little bit deeper on the mound than we were last year so we’re very excited about what we can do,” Zanolli said.
They’ve also added three Grade 10s this year that he said will be important players for them including Owen Coumont, Zach MacDonald, and Nathan Vennard.
“They’re all going to play regular innings and contribute right away so we’re looking forward to seeing what they can do,” he added.
Last season the Braves hosted the U18 AAA BAEL Provincial Championship at Great Chief Park. They made it to the semifinals before falling to the Calgary Bisons 6-4 falling short of the provincial finals.
This year their goal is to make it back and this time come out on top.
“I think we’ve put ourselves in a good position to win that tournament again and I think we will. We’ve just got to go in with a positive mindset that we’re there to win and that we’re good enough to win,” he said.
“Hopefully things go better than they have the last couple of years but all we can do is keep putting ourselves back there.”
The Braves officially open the BAEL regular season on Saturday, May 4, and Sunday, May 5 with four straight games against the Parkland Twins.
Their home opener is set for Saturday, May 11 and 12 against the Midwest Prairie Pirates at Great Chief Park. They’ll play two on Saturday at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. before playing on Sunday at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
“We play a lot of games and they don’t get much time off. We pretty much play from here until August long weekend,” he said.
“We’re going to have ups and downs but I think in the long run the guys are ready for the challenge and I think they’re ready for a big summer. It seems like they’re enjoying each other’s company which is a big deal at this age. We’re excited to get going.”