Tom Copeland is happy his Southeast Legacy Twins won their first two games of the season on Saturday, but he won't be planning a party anytime soon.
The Twins opened the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League season by defeating the Regina Angels 14-7 and 11-7 in a doubleheader in Regina.
Copeland said the sad-sack Angels (0-4) didn't give his club much of a challenge, particularly in the first game.
"They're the worst team in our league. They're not very strong at all," said the Twins' head coach.
The visitors didn't see much to hit in the first game, with the Angels' pitchers dishing out walks left and right.
"We might have had three or four hits," Copeland said. "They walked us around the bases, basically."
The total damage amounted to 14 walks for the Twins (2-0) in the first game. But Copeland said the strike zone was wildly inconsistent and his pitchers had some trouble throwing strikes as well.
"In the second game, they came out a bit stronger. They brought in a guy who could hit the strike zone, and that kind of surprised our guys because they had gotten used to having the bat on their shoulder in the first game," said Copeland, adding that the Twins hit the ball a little better in the second contest.
Estevan product Tanner Odgers led the way for the Twins, using his speed to steal three bases and score five runs on the day, along with a triple.
"Odgers had a really good day. We were able to take advantage of things they don't do very well. They don't throw very well; their battery is weak, so we stole a lot of bases," Copeland said.
He said Weyburn catcher Garrett Walbaum was also a standout. Estevan's Tanner Orsted and Roche Percee's Austin Halladay also turned in solid outings.
Justin Chuckry and Mackenzie Lamontagne started the two games for the Twins, who were able to get six pitchers on the hill.
Copeland said he wanted to get the young pitching staff as much experience as possible against the weak opponent, which was the main reason the Angels got some runs across the plate.
He said Nathan Koszman, in particular, was impressive in relief.
"For our team, it's about getting the experience and the exposure and understanding they have to get better.
"We had 10 kids playing their first midget ball game, so it's a good way for them to cut their teeth."
The Twins have two more road doubleheaders on the slate this weekend. They play the Saskatoon Cubs (0-2-1) on Saturday night and the Humboldt Dodgers, who have not played yet, on Sunday afternoon.
"This weekend will be a bigger test of what we have," Copeland said.
