BY TRUMAN BARTMAN ON JUNE 30TH, 2024. THE MAVERICKS.CA

It’s been a minute since the Mavericks played a home game as they return to Athletic Park after a three-game road trip. The Mavericks also had their longest off days, with three in the past six days. 

The Edmonton Prospects came into town for the first time since their rebirth in the WCBL. It hasn’t been a clean transition for the prospects, as they currently occupy the second-worst record in the West Division at 8-16. 

The good news is that they have won two straight games heading into Sunday’s match and look to keep adding to their small streak.

Keys for Medicine Hat

After what was a promising start to the season for the Mavericks, their production as of late has continued to dwindle. It’s not that their hitting numbers are terrible, as they do have Tyler Vanneste, who leads the league with a .429 batting average. But they haven’t been able to keep pace with the number of runs that their opposition has generated. 

The Mavericks’s pitching has been tested since June and hasn’t been able to keep teams at bay. They have walked the second-most batters in the league, only behind the team they are facing in Edmonton. Their team ERA has risen to 6.02, which is above the league average but compared to the three teams ahead of them. 

If the Mavericks want to contend with teams like the Red Sox, Dawgs, and Gulls, they will have to work towards bringing that total down.

As for what is looking up for Medicine Hat, the Mavericks battled courageously against the Okotoks over their two-game series. They were victorious in game one, winning a barnburner 9-8. 

In game two, the Mavericks kept things tight and forced extra innings by scoring the tying run in the 9th. The Back to Back champs were just able to outlast the runner-up Mavs via a Connor Crowson base hit in the bottom of the 12th. 

Overall, the Mavs proved that they can compete with the kings of the WCBL and have shown that they’re legitimate title threats. Everything points towards Medicine Hat taking over against the Prospects; this one doesn’t quite have the theme of a trap game.

Keys for Edmonton

The Prospects are currently playing their best baseball of the season, as they’ve scored .500 in their last 10 games. They have pulled themselves into the West playoff picture as well, which didn’t look like a possibility weeks ago. 

They sit two games back of the Fort McMurray Giants, who are favoured in both of their next two games vs. Brooks. This is a big stretch for the prospects, and claiming a win against the Mavericks would boost their confidence and continue their postseason push.

Even with their recent success, the Prospects sit rock bottom in both team batting averages and hits. Their team ERA is also a substandard 8.82, with no true ace within their core group. But there is still some time left in the season for the Prospects to figure things out and hopefully find gold.

Bottom Line

This report may not even be needed as there is a high chance of rain all afternoon and questions are looming as to how many innings will be played or if there will be a game at all. As of 11:05 am, all systems are going for another round of Sunday baseball from Athletic Park. 

It is also Bark the Park Day, so there will be plenty of dogs around the diamond and howlers to be heard.