(Photo by Colton McKee, coltonmckeephotography.com)
Truman Bartman | themavericks.ca
On the final day before the WCBL’s All-Star break, the Medicine Hat Mavericks and Saskatoon Berries close out the first half of the 2026 season at Athletic Park. Heading into tonight, the Berries carry a commanding 4-0 season series lead over the Mavericks, extending their perfect record last night.
Thursday’s match was a tightly contested affair with each side getting quality starts on the mound. Owen Stempel went 5.2 innings for the Berries, allowing only 4 hits in his appearance. Colin Plain and Brooks Jones would follow up Stempel’s solid start with a couple of shutdown innings of their own, putting the Berries over the top.
On the Medicine Hat side of things, ace and first-time all-star Derek Archer found another level against Saskatoon in his last start before the break. Archer didn’t allow a hit through his first 5 innings of work, and even after his no-hit bid came to an end, the Mavs marksman kept the game close through eight innings.
It wasn’t until Nick Stinson found gold with a two-run home run in the 9th that the Berries took command of the game. Stinson’s home run would end up being the difference, dashing the Mavs’ hopes of snapping their losing streak.
Dropping four of their last five games, Medicine Hat is desperate for a victory as they look to get back on track late in the year. There’s nothing pretty about the Mavericks’ recent stretch of games, and outside of a few solo performances, it’s hard to feel good about this past week. What softens the blow is the Mavs having most of their reliable relievers available for this evening. If the Mavericks find themselves in another tight one, they will have both Jax Graham and Levi Tibbetts as options out of their bullpen.
Hoping to send the Mavericks to their bullpen earlier than a night ago will be the Berries’ potent offence, anchored by All-Star counterparts Gael Salinas and Gavin Panks. Salinas played a pivotal role in helping the Berries take game 1 of the series yesterday, cashing in a key hit down the stretch. As for Panks, despite an underwhelming night, he remains one of the league’s top first basemen and left-handed batters.
A game back of first place in the East division, the Saskatoon Berries clash with the third-place Medicine Hat Mavericks, looking to extend their lengthy win streak, which dates back to 2025. First pitch is set for 6:45 PM from Medicine Hat as the Berries and Mavs close out the first half of the 2026 WCBL season with an Eastern Division tilt.