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CTV News
2 days ago
- Sport
- CTV News
‘Saving our best for the final': Red Sox ready for toughest challenge yet in WCBL Championship
The Regina Red Sox are the Western Canadian Baseball League's (WCBL) East Division Champions for the first time since 2019 and are now ready to take on their toughest challenge yet this season. 'It feels pretty good,' manager Rye Pothakos told CTV News. 'I'm so happy for the guys. All their hard work throughout the summer has come to fruition.' Regina finished the regular season with a 29-27 record, just two games above the .500 mark, forcing them to go through Medicine Hat in round one and Saskatoon in round two. To get to the league championship series, the Red Sox never had home field advantage, winning three of their four playoffs on the road, losing just one game all postseason. They capped off their already Cinderella-type run through the East Division, defeating the record-breaking Saskatoon Berries in a winner-take-all Game 3 Tuesday night to win the east. 'We played them well all year,' Pothakos said. 'We thought we were right there with them and we matched up well with them. It all came together at the right time and it had to [in order] to beat a real good team like the Berries.' 'It gives us confidence,' outfielder Rafael Jackson added. 'We knew Saskatoon had the best record in WCBL history and it would be a tough fight. We feel confident the rest of the series.' Bye leading hometown Sox Regina-product Brady Bye grew up loving the team he now plays for. He says he has vivid memories of watching the Red Sox as a kid make championship runs. 'I remember thinking those guys were like pros out there,' Bye recalled. 'I remember chasing around the baseballs all that one and all the autographs. It's super cool to be a part of it now.' The catcher has been a big piece of the Red Sox offense throughout the season, but has taken another step in the playoffs. In five games, Bye leads the team in average (.391), hits (9), RBIs (8) and is fourth in OPS (.826). He also drove in three runs in that 6-2 Game 3 win against the Berries to get to the championship final. 'I'm with my best friends every day playing the game we love,' Bye said. 'It's been awesome to go out there and contribute to what we got going on.' For Regina's last home game at Currie Field on Monday night, more than 1,700 fans attended the playoff matchup. Bye expected even more Thursday. 'I hope it's loud,' he said with a big smile. 'It was an awesome atmosphere [Monday] and everyone was loud, so I'm hoping to see that again.' Teammates say Bye has been a leader in the clubhouse and has been preparing them for what the atmosphere may be at Currie for Game 1 of the league championship. 'We just got to live in the moment,' Jackson said. 'We hope its loud – it should be loud.' Page dominating out of the pen Regina reliever Ayden Page has been the source of the Red Sox confidence on the mound this postseason. 'He throws strikes,' Pothakos said about Page. 'When he gets on the bump, he doesn't hear or feel anything – it is just pure adrenaline. We feel very confident when he gets the ball, he wants the ball and he gives us great performances every time.' Page, the southwestern Oklahoma senior who has played the past two seasons with the Red Sox, has appeared in three games out of the bullpen during this playoff run. In 10.1 innings, he has a 1-0 record and two saves. He has yet to give up a run, striking out 11 batters, giving up just two walks and nine hits. 'I'm just controlling what I can control,' Page said about his dominant pitching. 'The things out of my hands, I can't really do much about. So it's just about staying on us and doing what I can do.' The reliever says the pressure of the playoffs allows him to dial in his focus. 'The intensity is high,' Page said. 'We want it a little more. Around this time [of year], you have to give it your all and play like it's your last game.' Championship preview Regina's underdog story is one chapter away from completion, with one more hill to climb: the Sylvan Lake Gulls. 'We just have to maintain the energy,' Pothakos said. 'Pitching is always big in the playoffs. We've got guys [who] are going to keep us in the game and to give us an opportunity to score some runs.' The Gulls defeated the defending WCBL champion Okotoks Dawgs in the West Division Final two games to none. In fact, Sylvan Lake is yet to lose a game this postseason, sweeping both their series en route to their first league championship appearance since joining the league in 2021. 'We just need to stay on [our game],' Bye said. 'Everyone needs to do their own job, stay on us and just go and have some fun and go and compete and we'll be in good shape.' '[We're] playing the most consistent baseball on a daily basis,' Jackson added. 'Our offense, pitchers and defense are all doing the same thing. We just need to stay consistent for these next couple games.' Regina hosted Sylvan Lake earlier this season for a two-game series at Currie Field. The Red Sox won both games, giving up just three runs in the double header. Since that series, the Gulls have won 30 of their 39 games, including the playoffs. For Regina, three of the four pitchers who appeared in those games are no longer with the club. 'We believe in our guys,' Pothakos stressed. 'I believe we can [beat them] 100 per cent.' This year's finals appearance is the seventh for the Red Sox since 2010. In their previous six attempts at a title, Regina is 2-4, not claiming the Harry Hallis Memorial Trophy since winning back-to-back championships in 2011 and 2012. 'We're starting to play our best baseball right now,' Pothakos added. 'The sky's the limit for these guys. They're determined have great character, a lot of talent and the best is yet to come.' 'We're saving the best for the finals,' Bye said. 'Everything's kind of slowly started to click a little later. But better late than never.' Game 1 of the best-of-3 championship series is slated for Thursday night at Currie Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Games 2, and if necessary, Game 3, will be held in Sylvan Lake, Alta.
CBC
3 days ago
- Sport
- CBC
'A little bit of magic': Regina Red Sox advance to WCBL championships
It was a joyful bus ride home from Saskatoon on Tuesday night for the Regina Red Sox baseball team. "Lots of singing. The music was going pretty good. That two and a half hour ride seemed like half an hour — we were having a lot of fun," Regina Red Sox head coach Rye Pothakos said. The team was celebrating its 6-2 win over the Saskatoon Berries in the deciding Game 3 of the Western Canadian Baseball League's East Division Final. "The boys played outstanding baseball," Rye said. "Our pitching was superb and there was timely hitting." Rye said the Red Sox planned to have starting pitcher Chris Spry, who he described as a "workhorse," go as deep as he could before Ayden Page closed out the game. The plan worked to a T, Rye said, adding the team has had a strong playoff run so far. "It's turned into a little bit of magic. The boys are playing for each other and we have great culture, great character and great leadership," Rye said. The team will get a rest day before facing Alberta's Sylvan Lake Gulls on Thursday night at 7 p.m. CST at Regina's Currie Field. "We're excited about the championship series," Rye said. 'Disappointing night' for Berries After a record-breaking regular season and several come-from-behind victories, the Saskatoon Berries' playoff run has come to an end. "In our second year of being in this league, it's a great accomplishment to break the league record for most wins in a season," Saskatoon Berries president Steve Hildebrand said. "But obviously at the end of the day, we also are about winning championships and we fell short, unfortunately, last night." Hildebrand said the players were disappointed, but did a great job. "We'll take a step back, we'll go over things we feel we need to improve on and get better," he said. "We have a really good ball team." Hildebrand said the Berries' Carter Beck hitting a walk-off grand slam against Moose Jaw in the first round of the playoffs was a stand-out memory from the season. "It was a great moment," Hildebrand said. "It's something that I'm fairly certain will be talked about for many years."
CTV News
06-08-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
‘A fresh start': Red Sox, Miller Express embracing underdog mentality heading into WCBL postseason
Regina Red Sox infielder Justin Simard swings at a ptch during the team's game against the Saskatoon Berries on July 30, 2025. The Regina Red Sox and Moose Jaw Miller Express are hoping to put aside regular seasons where they failed to meet their own expectations heading into the playoffs. Both teams are embracing a perceived underdog status, sitting third and fourth in the standings respectively, and facing higher-seeded teams in the first round of the playoffs. 'We got a six or seven-game heater and then we never put big streaks together,' Red Sox manager Rye Pothakos told CTV News Monday night. 'We'd win two or three wins, then lose two or three or five.' 'We learned a lot along the way,' he added. 'We got into the playoffs again for the fourth year in a row,' Millers' manager Eric Marriott said. 'We're excited to make another run on this thing again.' Round one of the 2025 Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) playoffs begins Wednesday night. Red Sox vs. Mavericks Regina (29-27) will go against the second place in the east Medicine Hat Mavericks (34-21) in the first round. 'Their crowd is crazy,' Pothakos said about his opponent. 'We'll have to battle that a little bit as well and jump out in front to keep the crowd quiet. And then it'll be a nice night.' The Red Sox and Mavs played eight times in the regular season – splitting the season series four games apiece. However, Medicine Hat has won the last three games, which were all at Athletic Park. Pothakos says experience is his team's biggest asset. 'We can score runs and we have a lot of experience,' he said. 'We've got a lot of older players. Our pitching staff has come together nicely here now, so we're ready to go.' Despite not rising to their expectations, the team feels their best baseball is ahead of them. Winning three of the last four games to finish the year, including two walk-off wins. 'Momentum is great,' said infielder Jalen Meyers. 'Winning three in a row and coming out here scrapping hard towards the end showed the fight this team has and I'm excited to get into the playoffs.' In 2024, Regina was the number one seed heading into the playoffs, but they would go on to be swept by Moose Jaw in the first round. Meyers is one of the eight returning players from last season. 'We're a new team,' he said. '[Each player] does their thing and they do the right thing and we win ballgames still.' 'I love this group of guys that we got right here,' he added. The Red Sox have lost eight-straight playoff games dating back to 2019, when they were swept by Okotoks in the WCBL championship final. 'We have got to play clean baseball in the playoffs,' Pothakos reinforced. '[We] can't give good teams four outs in an inning. The teams that do play clean baseball usually come out on top.' Game 1 is slated for Wednesday night in Medicine Hat. Game 2 will be back at Currie Field Thursday. If necessary, the teams will return to Athletic Park for Game 3 on Friday night. Miller Express vs. Berries Moose Jaw is hoping to defend their 2024 East Division title, but they'll have to go through the top seed Saskatoon Berries to do it. 'All four teams that got in are capable of winning and moving on,' Marriott said 'It's just a matter of who wants it more and who doesn't want to go home.' The Millers (27-29) are fourth place in the division. In order to complete their defense and move to the next round, they'll have to beat the Berries who set a new WCBL record for wins in a season at 46. Saskatoon had just nine loses all year. 'We respect the Berries more than anything in the world with the record they just put up,' Marriott added. 'They're a great team but we're going to give them all they got.' 'The playoffs are a time to reset,' he said. Moose Jaw is no stranger to the underdog role. Last season, they were also the four seed when they swept a 38-win Red Sox club. Fourth-year infielder Austin Gurney feels the Millers have the team to do it again. 'It gives us confidence if anything,' he said, 'We're very well prepared for these situations and it's just kind of our team's culture over the last four years, we grind it out.' Moose Jaw will travel to Cairns Field for Game 1 Wednesday, with the series turning to Ross Wells Park for Game 2 on Thursday night. If the series is tied, Game 3 returns to Saskatoon Friday.
CTV News
28-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
‘A bad taste in your mouth': Experienced Regina Red Sox hope to flip the script in 2025
This year's iteration of the Regina Red Sox is hoping to change the narrative heading into the 2025 Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) season. Regina dominated the league's East Division last season, finishing with a 38-18 record, five games better than the second place Medicine Hat Mavericks. However, come playoff time, the Sox were swept in the best-of-3 first round series by the four-seed Moose Jaw Miller Express – a bitter defeat fresh in the mind of Regina product Zander Oudie-Senger. 'I always watched the Moose Jaw and Regina rivalry,' the pitcher said. 'Losing to them last year did hurt.' 'But it is baseball at the end of the day. I know if we stick to our game, we'll make it far this season,' Oudie-Senger added. Oudie-Senger is one of 15 returning players from last year's roster that includes 2024 Most Outstanding Pitcher and All-Star Colton Anderson, as well as All-Star Outfielder Jackson Syring. Infielder Matthew Fox also believes there is extra motivation coming into 2025. 'It felt like we were supposed to win and we just didn't play as good as we should have,' Fox said. 'There's a bad taste in your mouth,' Head Coach Rye Pothakos told CTV News. 'We had a very nice ball club last year; we had a great regular season, and I think a lot of returners want to even the score a little bit.' Rye Pothakos Regina Red Sox Head Coach Rye Pothakos watches as his team practices at Currie Field on May 27, 2025. (Donovan Maess) Regina has made the WCBL's postseason consistently since 2010, but have just two championships in the last 14 years – last winning it all in 2012. Despite all their regular season success, earning the top spot of its division seven times in that time span, the Red Sox have been swept in four-straight playoff series – including the 2019 league final. 'It is great motivation,' Pothakos said. 'We have a real nice club this year. And for the new guys, they can follow the lead and get them comfortable.' 'We had a team good enough to take it all [last year], and we've got a lot of those main parts back,' Fox said. 'We've got everything we need to win it all [this year].' 'You can tell over time [this team] is going to win a championship here,' Oudie-Senger said. Regina gets their regular season started Thursday night against the Swift Current 57's. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Currie Field. Regina Red Sox Regina Red Sox infielder Matthew Fox takes swings at batting practice ahead of the team's 2025 season. (Donovan Maess) Moose Jaw Miller Express Standing in the way of success for Regina is the team which eliminated them in last year's playoffs – the Moose Jaw Miller Express. The Millers finished fourth place in the East Division in 2024 with a 29-26 record. Although each series presented a steep uphill battle, Moose Jaw defeated Regina and Saskatoon enroute to the league championship series. 'We were kind of up and down after finishing first in the division [in 2023],' Miller Express skipper Eric Marriott said, 'We squeaked into the playoffs and got hot at the right time.' The Millers would go on to lose the league final 2-1 to Okotoks on a walk-off homerun in the 9th inning of Game 3. 'That could have been a one swing from us,' Marriott said. 'And we could have been holding the trophy. If we do what we do continuously this summer, we should be right there at the end of the season.' Marriott says there are at least seven players returning from the East Division pennant winning team. 'When we recruit players coming in, we let everyone know we want to defend the East and we want to make another run and win a ring,' the coach said. '[Other teams] know what we bring to the table.' 'We have made a name for ourselves and it's a good game whenever the Miller Express are in town,' Marriott added. The Millers open their season Thursday night on the road in Medicine Hat against the Mavericks. Elsewhere in Southern Sask. Meanwhile, the Weyburn Beavers and Swift Current 57's will also be looking for different results in 2025 after both teams missed the playoffs in 2024. For the Beavers, last season marked the third-straight campaign since the league resumed play post COVID-19 pandemic in which the team failed to make the postseason. Prior to the 2020 and 2021 season suspensions, Weyburn had made three-straight playoff appearances from 2017 to 2019. It is a similar story for Swift Current who missed the playoffs for the first time in 14 years, according to WCBL records which go back to 2010. The 57s have 10 returning players, three of whom are seniors. Weyburn gets their season started Thursday when they host the Saskatoon Berries. Swift Current is on the road in Regina.
