The Westlock Red Lions had their first outdoor practice last Saturday, and are looking to claim the North Central Alberta Baseball League title this year.
After being knocked out in the semi-final round by the Edmonton Blackhawks to finish the 2011 season, the Lions are gunning for the championship this year.
The Red Lions finished in second place at the end of the regular season, behind only the Parkland White Sox, who took the championship as well.
“The leading team from the league moved on into AAA, so I guess that de facto puts us into first from last year,” coach Adam Sawatzky said. “That’s where we are and that’s where we want to be. We want to challenge for the Championship.”
Having lost just two players from last year, who have already been replaced, he said the team is well poised to come out of the gate with a win at the May 9 home opener against the Blackhawks.
“We had our two new guys here today, and they fit right in with everybody,” he said after Saturday’s practice. “It’s like they’ve been here for years.”
Sawatzky said while the team is confident going into this season, they’re not taking anything for granted and are working diligently to make sure their skills are polished for the season.
“We’re always looking at pitching. We want our pitching to be on par early, because we’ve got four games in the first eight days of the season,” he said.
Sawatzky is taking over at the helm from last year’s coach/manager Ryan Rau, who said his experience on the diamond this season will be focused more on T-Ball.
“It’ll be a little different drill at that level,” he laughed.
His family is growing, he said, and he has less time to dedicate to a men’s team this year.
“I wanted to retire on top,” he said. “Even though we lost in the playoffs … I don’t know how on top that is, but it’s on top enough I guess.”
He said he has every confidence that Sawatzky can step up to the plate to lead the team, since he filled in whenever Rau was away last season.
Sawatzky said he doesn’t expect to be able to fully live up to the example Rau set over the past few seasons, especially since Rau won back-to-back manager of the year awards from the league.
“We owe Ryan lots, he did a lot of good things for us,” he said. “I’m not looking to fill his shoes, just go on with what we had.”
