Latest news with #MasonRoell
CTV News
6 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Saskatoon Berries ready for playoffs after record breaking season
WATCH: The Saskatoon Berries have enjoyed an impressive regular season that will go down in the history books. WATCH: The Saskatoon Berries have enjoyed an impressive regular season that will go down in the history books. The Saskatoon Berries are feeling confident as they head into playoffs after their record-breaking regular season. 'It was a little bit of a struggle leading up to it, lost two games and that one was getting close to coming down to the wire. But standing there kind of gave me the opportunity to walk it off and took that opportunity and broke a record,' Mason Roell told CTV regarding his grand slam walk off on Sunday. Roell's impressive hit puts the Berries at 46 regular season wins, which is a new record for the Western Canadian Baseball League. 'What's great about this team is that all the guys are really close and we're good friends with each other, so we're always happy when anyone else succeeds [we] get to cheer each other on and I think that's kind of just a sentiment to the team,' Roell said. The Berries have been on a roll for most of the season, only slowing down towards the end of the regular season after two consecutive losses to the Regina Red Sox. 'It was almost like a monkey off the shoulders. We tied and then lost a couple games like 'oh, we need to go get this win'. And then, when we did it, it was kind of a relief. And then just focus on playoffs now instead of the regular season,' first baseman Cory Wouters said. Playoffs begin on Wednesday, with the Berries hosting the Moose Jaw Miller Express. The team's assistant coach Chance Wheatley shared that while the team is remaining focused and expecting a tough battle against Moose Jaw, he is feeling good going into playoffs. 'We got a ton of confidence. And we're set up pretty well for the playoffs here, health wise and all that. So I think we're where we want to be, and we're excited to get rolling with it,' Wheatley said. This 46-9 season comes only two years after the Berries' inception. Outfielder Ethan Murdoch credits much of the team's success to an enthusiastic and supportive community. 'The organization is really well run, top to take great care of us. And at the end of the day, the fans support, too, is just a huge, positive, we love playing here. We love playing at home. We played really well at home this year,' Murdoch said. Murdoch says the fan turnouts have been a huge contributor to the team's success. With home field advantage going into playoffs, the Berries are ready to give their fans all they've got in the hopes of bringing the Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy home to Saskatoon. 'Two-thousand people out here and it's really loud and it makes for a fun environment. When you play every day in the summer, [it] gets a little long. But it makes it feel a little easier when you have all these people out here and it's loud,' Murdoch said.
Global News
7 days ago
- Sport
- Global News
Record-breaking Saskatoon Berries set to kick off WCBL playoffs as top seed
As they've done all season long, the Saskatoon Berries have been finding ways to win baseball games. Even if that includes a dramatic grand slam in extra innings on Sunday afternoon at Cairns Field, a walk-off moment courtesy of infielder Mason Roell that has set the table for the Western Canadian Baseball League playoffs for Saskatoon. 'We're ready to go,' Berries outfielder Jalen Freeman said following a 7-5 victory in the team's regular-season finale on Monday against the Medicine Hat Mavericks. 'We've trained all season, we've worked all season, we've shown it and we're the team for it.' Roell's walk-off home run on Sunday not only gave the Berries a standout moment from the 2025 WCBL regular season, but it also helped vault the team into the league's single-season record books. After back-to-back losses to the Regina Red Sox, Roell's grand slam brought the Berries to a final mark of 46 wins, passing the previous record for most in WCBL history, held by the Sylvan Lake Gulls. Story continues below advertisement 'I've never broken a record myself,' Freeman said. 'It's a blessing to be a part of it and do it for the last of my college career, so it's pretty cool to do that.' The Berries finished off the regular season with a 46-9 record, with a game in Medicine Hat on July 14 ultimately being cancelled following several rainouts. Comfortably earning the top seed in the league's East Division, Saskatoon's playoff run begins on Wednesday night as the Berries will kick off a best-of-three divisional semi-final series against the Moose Jaw Miller Express. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Despite the Berries winning seven of eight meetings this year against Moose Jaw, head coach Joe Carnahan said it's a toss-up once the post-season arrives, with teams only needing two victories to advance. 'They have a good team,' Carnahan said. 'They're scrappy, they play hard, it's going to be a good series. Like we've seen last year, they're a good club and they leave it all out on the field. 'It will be a fun series.' No decision has been formally announced with regard to a Game 1 starter on the mound for Saskatoon, however, likely candidates to get the ball include starting pitchers Matthew Whitney, Merek Yeager, Diego Quinonez and Michael Sall. 2:00 Saskatoon Berries approaching WCBL wins record with playoffs looming Showcasing remarkable consistency over 55 regular-season games, that commitment to both sides of the ball will be key for the Berries entering their series with Moose Jaw, according to infielder Cooper Wesslund. Story continues below advertisement 'It's about moving runners when you have to, being solid defensively, throwing strikes, sticking to the basics of baseball and not worrying about too much else,' Wesslund said. For the Berries' group of returning players, of which Freeman is one, there is a level of unfinished business against the Miller Express. Saskatoon's East Division final series loss from last summer is still fresh in their minds, as the Berries were unable to eliminate Moose Jaw after taking a 1-0 series lead and would see their inaugural season come to an end with a 5-3 loss in Game 3. 'I mean, if somebody gets me, I want to get back at them,' Freeman said. 'They got us last year. I'm going to have to get my revenge somehow, someway.' While acknowledging a desire in the dressing room to make good from last year's defeat, Carnahan said the focus is on matching up against whatever opponent they'll face in these playoffs. 'I'm sure the guys are excited to play them,' Carnahan said. 'I'm just ready to get going with the playoffs here, it doesn't really matter who we face. We just want to get some wins and keep them advancing.' Saskatoon will look to deal with a two-headed monster in the lineup for Moose Jaw in William Edwards and Austin Gurney, who are able to break games open despite the team's run-of-the-mill 27-29 record. Story continues below advertisement Counting the Miller Express out will be a mistake, according to Wesslund, however, and the Berries will have to carry over their dominance from the regular season for a shot at competing for the Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy in a few weeks' time. 'It's going to take a whole team effort,' Wesslund said. 'We're just going to have to keep playing together, just trust each other and trust what we've built here.' Game 1 between the Berries and Miller Express is set for 7 p.m. at Cairns Field on Wednesday, with the series shifting south to Moose Jaw on Thursday with a 7 p.m. opening pitch for Game 2. If necessary, a winner-take-all Game 3 will be held on Friday night in Saskatoon to decide who will advance to the East Division final.
