The Yorkton Cardinal's Western Major Baseball League season starts Saturday with the Regina Red Sox, defending league champs visiting Jubilee Park in the city.
As always the Cardinals have been busy recruiting players and this year's roster includes Nicholas Gallipeau and Kody Rock.
Rock, born in Saskatoon, is practically a local player having grown up in Canora, and having played minor ball in Saskatoon, Canora, and Yorkton.
Rock said playing for the Cards was really a natural for him.
"I decided to join the WMBL and Cardinals because it is a great league and I saw playing in Yorkton as a great opportunity to be living at home while playing competitive baseball," he said.
As a pitcher, the WMBL is also a good training ground, offered Rock.
"I am hoping to gain maturity on the mound throwing against good hitters throughout all of the other teams lineups," he said.
Gallipeau is from Ocoee, Fl., where he said baseball became a passion early.
"I've been playing since I was two," he said.
Gallipeau said he decided to come north because the league fit with his desire to play summer ball.
"I wanted to play colligate ball this summer. I heard of the team and got a recommendation," he offered, adding he wants the extra innings to improve. " I want to get more consistent in every aspect of my game."
At present Rock is playing ball out west.
"I am currently playing college ball for the Okanagan College Coyotes in Kelowna, B.C.," he said. "The past season went well, threw a lot of innings for my team and had pretty good success in most of my outings."
Gallipeau has been playing college ball.
"I played my past year at Selma University," he said. "I only played in 17 games due to a gun related incident. It was out of my control I had to go home. I was batting .490 and leading the team in RBIs. I also had eight home runs."
In terms of how he plays the game, Rock found it hard to describe himself.
"I don't really know how to describe myself as a player, but my strengths are that I can get ahead of guys early and use all of my pitches to get them out. Also I have a lot of stamina and can throw a lot of innings," he said.
Gallipeau said he likes to play hard.
"I am an all-out player that believes in being relaxed. I try to slow the game down," he said.
