The Westlock Red Lions of the North Central Alberta Baseball League (NCABL) are readying to take the field for the 2015 season.
At this point in the spring the Red Lions are starting to limber up after a long winter as they prepare for opening day on Sunday, May 10.
“We’re just starting to get together and throw the ball around, do a little running, and shake some of that winter weight,” said Red Lions manager Adam Sawatzky.
“That’s probably more for myself than the rest of the guys on the team, we have quite a few younger guys that are in fairly decent shape.”
Sawatzky said players will likely start meeting up to train together as the weather slowly continues to improve.
“The weather is kind of holding us back. We’ll be getting together at the curling rink in the Spirit Centre shortly,” he said.
“We’re starting to get back into the groove, a lot of veteran guys on our teams, so I don’t think we’ll need a whole bunch of spring training.”
After an early exit from the playoffs in 2014 at the hands of the Camrose Axemen, the Red Lions are looking to rebound. Sawatzky said expectations will continue to be high in 2015.
“With an 18-game schedule we’re looking at being one of the Top 4 teams in the league again,” he said. “We’re aiming for 14 wins. I think that’s a realistic goal for the group.”
The Red Lions were able to pick up an extra pitcher at the expense of the Edmonton Warriors, which folded after 14 seasons in the league.
Sawatzky said his roster is pretty-well cemented and is pleased with his core group of players.
“We’ve got a large group of guys in that mid-20s range that are really the core of our team and are ready to take the next step,” he said. “It’s a very similar team, no major subtractions, I don’t think.”
While the roster is largely set for the season, Sawatzky said he’s always looking for more players to provide as much depth as possible.
“It is a men’s league so there’s always families, vacations, work, things that do pop up for guys, so the more guys we have on our roster we can have out the better,” he said.
Any players interested in suiting up for the Red Lions this season can visit the NCABL website, www.ncabl.ab.ca to get in touch with Sawatzky.
