The 2019 season for the Yorkton Cardinals of the Western Canadian Baseball League gets under way tonight with the team in Regina to face the Red Sox.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had workouts the last couple of days which have been a good start,鈥� said Robbie Dombrowski the new head coach of the Cardinals. A 2018 graduate from St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, Dombrowski was a two-time captain for the St. Norbert baseball team. He spent three seasons as the starting catcher for the Green Knights, leading them to a Midwest Conference championship and NCAA Tournament berth in 2017.
Currently, Dombrowski is in his first season on the Belhaven University coaching staff in Jackson. MS.. Dombrowski serves as the hitting coach and catching coach for the Blazers.
As for the current edition of the Cardinals Dombrowski said the team is still waiting on several players to arrive. He called the situation 鈥渂oth a blessing and a curse.鈥�
The blessing comes from the fact several players are on teams going deep into the playoffs at college, which bodes well for the talent.
The curse is of course being short-staffed as the season gets under way, said Dombrowski. He added that will not be an excuse, even as the team starts out playing five games in five days.
鈥淭here鈥檚 still plenty of guys here,鈥� he said, adding those in the dug-out as the season starts, including the home opener Friday evening at Jubilee Park will have opportunities to get off the a good start.
So what sort of team is Dombrowski expecting the Cardinals to be in 2019?
鈥淚 think we鈥檝e got a couple of good power hitters in the middle of the line-up. We just have to find a way to get guys on base ahead of them,鈥� he said.
While Dombrowski thinks the offence will be fine; 鈥淚鈥檓 pretty confident in the bats we have,鈥� the pitching may lag, especially until the last of the team arrive over the next couple of weeks.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not alone in that,鈥� he said, adding pitching is 鈥渁 process.鈥�
So, as the season starts Dombrowski said he expects to have a lot of different players toeing the rubber.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e not going to see many complete games ... It will be an opportunity to get a lot of different arms into games.鈥�
Game time for the home opener Friday will be 7:05 with Melville in the city.
