It鈥檚 been a tough season for the Parkland Expos 鈥楢AA鈥� baseball team in their first go-around at the 鈥楢AA鈥� level as the team has struggled at times with offence, defence and pitching.
However for one member of the team, the 2015 season has been one of personal success.
Tyson Black, a second year midget pitcher, has put together quite the impressive SPBL 鈥楢AA鈥� season, going 5-4 over eight starts and one relief appearance on the mound, posting an ERA of 3.26 while striking out 56 and allowing just 19 walks over 49.1 innings of work.
The five wins (all complete game efforts) put Black in a six-way tie for the league lead and gives him over half of his team鈥檚 total wins (Parkland had eight all season) while his 56 strikeouts place him third overall behind Nolan Legien (Regina Athletics) and Jerad Coghill (Northwest Prairie Pirates) who have 66 and 60 strikeouts respectively.
Black鈥檚 ERA of 3.26 ranks him 15th overall, however his 49.1 innings of work means he has also pitched more than anyone else in the league all while having the worst defence in the league behind him (the Expos gave up 259 runs over the season, 29 more than the next closest team the 麻豆传媒AVeast Legacy Twins).
Add his strong 2015 campaign to his previous seasons 鈥� all equally as impressive 鈥� and one can see why Baseball Saskatchewan chose the ace of the Parkland Expos鈥� pitching staff to once again be a part of the provincial team heading to the Canada Cup from August 5-9 in Saskatoon; a tournament that Black has prior experience in. 鈥淚 was on Team Sask last year for this tournament, but I didn鈥檛 play a lot although it was really nice to see the high calibre baseball that is played there and it was nice to see how I measured up against some of the better players in Canada,鈥� Black told Yorkton This Week on Saturday afternoon, adding his experience last year will prepare him for what鈥檚 to come at this year鈥檚 tournament. 鈥淏ecause of that experience, this year I鈥檒l know what to expect and know what I have to do to succeed and that experience last year helps to get me ready for this year.鈥�
Last years鈥� experience at the Canada Cup will also mean that Team Saskatchewan will be looking towards Black for some veteran leadership, meaning he鈥檒l most likely get a couple of the tougher starts in the tournament. 鈥淚 think I鈥檒l be one of the main starters this year, unlike last year,鈥� offered Black. 鈥淚 started a couple of games in Arizona this year for our camps, so I think I鈥檒l end up as a starter.
鈥淚f not though, then I鈥檒l pitch wherever they want me to.鈥�
Black and Team Saskatchewan open the 2015 Baseball Canada Cup up on Wednesday, August 5 against their prairie rivals, Team Manitoba, at 8:00p.m. at Saskatoon鈥檚 Cairns Field.
Team Saskatchewan will then play Newfoundland and Labrador (Thursday, August 6), Nova Scotia (Thursday, August 6) and Prince Edward Island (Friday, August 7) before wrapping round-robin play up on Saturday, August 8 against New Brunswick.
