BY TRUMAN BARTMAN ON JULY 12TH, 2024. THE MAVERICKS.CA

After a long Thursday night match in which the Mavericks beat up the Edmonton Prospects, they’re back at Athletic Park for night 2 of their 4-game home stand. They will face off against The Moose Jaw Miller Express, who sit just 2 games behind them in the East Standings.

It was a pool party in Medicine Hat last night as the Mavs splashed three home runs over the fence and ended the night with 25 runs on the board. They limited Edmonton to just six over that span, three of which were scored in the first inning. 

It’s unlikely that the Mavericks replicate yesterday’s offensive output, but a performance like that should put the league on notice.

The Miller Express came into town, dropping three straight, including one against the Weyburn Beavers on Thursday. 

With Medicine Hat catching fire, this is the worst possible time for the Millers to go cold. If they want home-field advantage during the playoffs, this game and series are super important. 

With less than half of the season to go, this is the most crucial series for both teams, and it all kicks off tonight.

Keys for Medicine Hat

There’s not a whole lot to critique about the Mavericks lately. Outside of the hot stretch in which they have won eight over their last 10, the Mavericks have had the privilege of being able to play all of their stars at the same time. A few of those stars—Jordan Phillips, Nick Thibodeau, Marshall Burke, and Tyler Vanneste—were all named stars. 

That list doesn’t include Brady Bean and Brody Gardner, who are both top-end talents.

Add Landon Mokris’s tear to the mix, and you have a 7-batter stack that is among the league’s best. Moose Jaw may have the firepower to follow the Mavericks, but can they keep up in the long run? 

Moose Jaw is catching the Mavericks at their best, and the Mavs have a chance to pull far ahead if their run-scoring parade continues.

Keys for Moose Jaw

It has been an up-and-down season for Moose Jaw, who had the best regular season record in the East Division last year. 

Key role players like Nate Mensik and Austin Gurney have gotten hot for stretches but haven’t been able to keep their dominance up over time.

That can’t be said for Nathan Houston, who has kept his name in MVP talks all season long. He’s currently batting.383 with 24 RBIs, and although he hasn’t been a power threat, his placement as a hitter has continued to impress.

The big guns will have to shine in the gas city tonight and for the rest of the weekend. We’ve seen Austin Gurney and Thomas Soto take flight in Athletic Park time after time, but they need to do it again more than ever before.

If Matt Vazquez sees the mound at any point, the Mavericks will have a real challenge on their hands. For the second year in a row, Vazquez has been an elite arm in the WCBL and the head of Moose Jaw’s rotation. He gave the Mavericks fits last year when he threw a 6-inning gem at Athletic Park, guiding Moose Jaw to victory.

There’s a lot that will have to go right for the Millers this weekend, but they’re perfectly capable of pulling off a few wins and creeping closer to the 2nd seed in the East.

Bottom Line

It’s a little bit cooler in Medicine Hat tonight, with a gentle breeze in the wings. Speaking of wings, many players from the Mavericks 2014 WMBL Championship squad have flown in to attend tonight’s game. If the Mavericks are looking for some inspiration, they should look no further than the men in the stands who have claimed the title they’re pursuing.