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 – a narrow 2-1 defeat in Willowbrook – ended the Yankees’ two year reign as SESBL champions and left a sour taste in their mouths; a taste that has lasted the entire off-season. “Losing after you’ve won it all a few times doesn’t feel good, especially after you’ve had the taste of winning,” Yankees assistant manager/player-coach Mark Jacobs told Yorkton This Week. “You go into every year hoping to win your last playoff game and unfortunately last year Willowbrook was able to beat us, but we’re bringing back a lot of the guys that lost last year and I think they’ll want to redeem themselves.”
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. “Dylan Johnson looked really good in practice,” said Jacobs of the 6’4”, 220-pound Johnson. “He’s had a year back in baseball after a couple of years off so this year I’m looking for a pretty big year from him.
“He’s big, he’s a good athlete. You can tell that by watching him on the ice all year and I expect him to build on last years’ experience.”
Johnson’s experience last season was gained during one of the SESBL’s 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. “It’s going to be fun again this year. Every team will be roughly the same so we’ll all be familiar with each other so the games should be pretty exciting and close,” mentioned Jacobs, adding that a few teams might eventually pull away and fight for first place towards the end of the season. “I think Willowbrook is going to be there again with us. Langenburg has been getting better every single year and I think they’ll be a team to keep an eye on.
“Even Canora, because they always have guys that can play ball and they’ve got a really good core.”
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. “It’s definitely going to motivate us a little bit more,” offered the Yorkton Yankee assistant manager. “Hopefully we’ll come out on top and regain our title.”
The Yankees’ road to redemption started last night at Melville’s Pirie Field against the Melville Bison. Unfortunately results were unavailable at press time.
The Yorkton Yankees’ home opener will be tomorrow (Thursday) when they welcome the Langenburg Indians to town. Game time is set for 8:00p.m. at Yorkton’s Jubilee Field.
