Another season of the Western Major Baseball League is about to start, and the Yorkton Cardinals have a roster that second-year head coach Bryn Biancalana is happy with.
With four returning players including Justin Johnston and Caden Rosholt, Biancalana said their goal is to be competing for the championship at the end of the season.
鈥淲e have a little more speed and athleticism in this year鈥檚 roster. I feel we have about nine guys who could probably steal us 15 bases a piece,鈥� said Biancalana. 鈥淥ne thing I thought we lacked last year was speed off the bench. That鈥檚 something that I tried to address while building the roster this year.鈥�
One key trait that Biancalana said he looks for in players is flexibility 鈥� guys who can play different positions.
鈥淯nless you鈥檙e going to hit 20 homeruns and drive in 90 runs, you鈥檝e got to be able to play different positions now in the game. You see guys in the big leagues play four or five different positions, and play them well. That鈥檚 something I try to preach,鈥� he added.
With players like Johnston and Rosholt returning, Biancalana feels they鈥檙e starting off with a good foundation.
鈥淲e returned our short stop Caden Rosholt 鈥� he鈥檒l be a good player for us. He鈥檚 got a lot of spunk and a lot of swagger to him. And really played well in this league as a young guy last year. We鈥檙e counting on him pretty hard for us.鈥�
He鈥檚 also very happy with the return of pitcher Justin Johnston. 聽
鈥淛ohnston won eight games for us last year,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 know that a lot of people, even higher up, are intrigued by him.鈥�
Filling up the roster was Biancalana鈥檚 job for the summer. The late Bill Sobkow, long time Cardinals manager and head coach, used to play a big role in that task. Biancalana said his first season without Sobkow has been tough.
鈥淚 miss Bill every single day. I think of him all the time in recruiting. He鈥檇 be someone who I鈥檇 sit there and throw ideas off of and have conversations with,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 miss that.鈥�
Biancalana said one hardship he faces when recruiting is differentiating Yorkton from the bigger markets like Edmonton or Regina. But still, he was able to fill up a roster with players from all over. Guys are coming to Yorkton from California, Georgia, Texas, British Columbia and more.
Also new to this year鈥檚 team is assistant coach Zach Kayser. He comes from a community college in Oregon, and Biancalana said he was highly recommended by his head coach.
鈥淗e鈥檚 got a good strength and conditioning background. That鈥檚 a dynamic we want to provide to these guys, too. We鈥檙e not forceful with what we have them do, but we want to be able to provide whatever we can. It鈥檚 just about getting the players here and making them better,鈥� said Biancalana.
Although the season starts on Thursday, most of the players only arrived in Yorkton at the beginning of this week. Biancalana said they鈥檒l have one workout together on May 31, and then get right into game action.
鈥淲e鈥檙e looking forward to it. I really like our roster. Our pitching will be a work in progress early, but we鈥檒l definitely come together late,鈥� said Biancalana about the upcoming season.
鈥淚 sense us becoming a better team throughout the season. We want to win - it鈥檚 our goal. We want to compete for a championship. We got very close last year and when you taste it, you want it more.鈥�
The 2017 Yorkton Cardinals will play for the first time on Thursday, June 1 at Jubilee Park. They鈥檒l face Regina at 7:05 p.m.
Their second game will be on Saturday, June 3 against Weyburn. They鈥檒l play at Jubilee Park at 7:05 p.m.
