Last season the Yorkton Yankees came out strong, winning four of their first five games before sputtering towards the end of a rain-shortened regular season, going 3-2-1 in their final six contests to finish the 2014 SESBL season with a 7-3-1 record.
However they quickly regained their form at the beginning of the playoffs, dismantling both the Melville Bison and Langenburg Indians before falling to the Willowbrook Royals 3-games-to-1 in the best-of-five SESBL Final series.
The final loss 鈥� a narrow 2-1 defeat in Willowbrook 鈥� ended the Yankees鈥� two year reign as SESBL champions and left a sour taste in their mouths; a taste that has lasted the entire off-season. 鈥淟osing after you鈥檝e won it all a few times doesn鈥檛 feel good, especially after you鈥檝e had the taste of winning,鈥� Yankees assistant manager/player-coach Mark Jacobs told Yorkton This Week. 鈥淵ou go into every year hoping to win your last playoff game and unfortunately last year Willowbrook was able to beat us, but we鈥檙e bringing back a lot of the guys that lost last year and I think they鈥檒l want to redeem themselves.鈥�
Returning to the team will be dominant pitchers Logan Calanchie and Dave Morari, both of whom can also hold their own at the plate, as well as talented ball players Matt Poier and Jeremy Johnson.
In addition to his four key players Jacobs also expects big things from the biggest man on the team, 21-year-old Dylan Johnson, who Jacobs believes is going to have a breakout campaign. 鈥淒ylan Johnson looked really good in practice,鈥� said Jacobs of the 6鈥�4鈥�, 220-pound Johnson. 鈥淗e鈥檚 had a year back in baseball after a couple of years off so this year I鈥檓 looking for a pretty big year from him.
鈥淗e鈥檚 big, he鈥檚 a good athlete. You can tell that by watching him on the ice all year and I expect him to build on last years鈥� experience.鈥�
Johnson鈥檚 experience last season was gained during one of the SESBL鈥檚 closest ones to date, with the top four teams being separated by just three points while seven of the eight full-time SESBL clubs finished with at least a .500 record.
This season looks to be much the same as the last in terms of parity, as each and every team will look almost the same as last year with the exception of some key additions. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be fun again this year. Every team will be roughly the same so we鈥檒l all be familiar with each other so the games should be pretty exciting and close,鈥� mentioned Jacobs, adding that a few teams might eventually pull away and fight for first place towards the end of the season. 鈥淚 think Willowbrook is going to be there again with us. Langenburg has been getting better every single year and I think they鈥檒l be a team to keep an eye on.
鈥淓ven Canora, because they always have guys that can play ball and they鈥檝e got a really good core.鈥�
However Jacobs also believes that his Yankees will have an advantage that the other top clubs might not have.
That advantage: the knowledge that Willowbrook stole the title away from them; something that Jacobs expects will power his team throughout the season. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely going to motivate us a little bit more,鈥� offered the Yorkton Yankee assistant manager. 鈥淗opefully we鈥檒l come out on top and regain our title.鈥�
The Yankees鈥� road to redemption started last night at Melville鈥檚 Pirie Field against the Melville Bison. Unfortunately results were unavailable at press time.
The Yorkton Yankees鈥� home opener will be tomorrow (Thursday) when they welcome the Langenburg Indians to town. Game time is set for 8:00p.m. at Yorkton鈥檚 Jubilee Field.
