(Photo by Colton McKee, coltonmckeephotography.com)
TRUMAN BARTMAN | themavericks.ca
Two age-old rivals collide for the first time this season as the Moose Jaw Miller Express and Medicine Hat Mavericks prepare to duke it out this evening.
After an up-and-down start to 2026, the Mavericks have caught fire over their last two games, taking both of their contests in Saskatchewan with wins against Swift Current and Regina.
Going back to their roots, the Mavs found a similar offensive swagger to the one they showcased in 2025. A big part of Medicine Hat’s success has come from the strong play of Carter Roth. Finding his footing over the last couple of games, the Doane University product has taken his play up a notch, carrying a .355 average into the weekend.
The Mavs’ pitching staff also found their groove, with both Brandt Spencer and Derek Archer grabbing wins in their starts. Archer made life miserable for Swift Current, sitting down 8 batters, while only allowing 3 hits. In Spencer’s first start of the season, he tallied 7 strikeouts over his 5 innings of action, keeping Regina’s bats at bay as well.
Moose Jaw knows all too well what it feels like to be put in a chokehold by the opposition’s pitchers. For a team that has had some of the WCBL’s top run producers over the past few seasons in Thomas Soto, Ben Waliczek, and William Edwards, it may come as a surprise that their squad has only scored 30 runs in 2026.
One part of the Millers’ game that has carried over from this past season is their ability to cause chaos on the base path. Thomas Soto, who is always atop the league’s stolen base standings and Ben Waliczek, who led the WCBL in stolen bases in 2025, have both proved that their speed hasn’t gone anywhere, with the duo combining for 7 stolen bases already.
On top of their speed, There are plenty of big names that the Millers could deploy on the mound this weekend, with both Westin Walls and Nathan Pisio rejoining their squad. Walls has made a name for himself as a high-volume strike-throwing giant. Originally a bullpen piece in his early days with the Miller, Walls became a full-time starter a season ago, featuring as the Millers’ ace.
For Pisio, he found himself in rare air, being selected to the All-Star team in 2025 while also being an affiliate player. There aren’t many relievers in the WCBL who are more trusted than Pisio, and in tight games, he’s become a saving grace for Moose Jaw.
Game 1 of 3 between the Moose Jaw Miller Express and Medicine Hat Mavericks commences tonight at 6:45 PM from Athletic Park. These two teams may be seeing a lot of each other over the next few days, but don’t get it twisted, they’re anything but friends.