Despite a rough start in the first round of their midget AA baseball season, the Athabasca Trappers are shrugging it off and looking ahead to round two, according to head coach Doug Steffes.
The team lost their first six games in round one, going against the now undefeated Slave Lake team, as well as teams from Whitecourt, North Peace and Barrhead.
“It’s a rough start, but we’ve been in every game except for one, really,” Steffes said.
The team has shown their ability to win games having led in four of the six games they’ve played; however, Steffes said that consistency has become an issue.
“It just happened to be where we couldn’t get that last little out, or guys weren’t supporting their pitchers very well … the outs were there — we just didn’t finish,” Steffes said.
“It’s growing pains … it’s going to take a little bit of an adjustment, but it’s coming,” he added.
Steffes explained several of his players haven’t played baseball in a few years and most of them are new to the midget level. The fact that the Athabasca team didn’t play at the AA level last year, playing a lower level instead, is also a contributing factor.
However, Steffes is optimistic going into the second round.
“They have the ability … we’ve been in every game, so I’m pretty happy,” he said.
Round two is set to begin around June 15. The Trappers will next have games over the June 7–8 weekend, though as of press time, the schedule has not been made to determine who they will be up against.
