Prospects gunning for playoffs entering last stand on home turf
Coach says young squad fully prepared to deal with pressure-packed contests
The Edmonton Prospects have worked hard to get to this point in their Western Major Baseball League season. They still have a chance to grab a playoff spot heading into their final homestand.
Following their critical game on the road against the Fort Mcmurray Giants on Wednesday night, the Prospects return to RE/MAX Field for a five-game homestand to conclude the regular season.
The Prospects are locked in a battle with the Giants for the final playoff spot in the Western Division. The teams were separated by just a half-game heading into Wednesday’s contest.
“There’s no sense for us to get all wound up and tight. The game is about executing, and at times we’ve done that, and other times we haven’t,” said Prospects head coach Jordan Blundell prior to Wednesday’s game. “That’s not about the talent of our team. Sometimes that’s an indication of experience, and we have some younger kids, but we have some really good kids who want to be successful.
“We had a lot of fun when we got to the field (on Wednesday). We were pretty loose and we appreciate that approach from our guys.”
The Prospects open their final homestand on Thursday (7:05 p.m.) against the Yorkton Cardinals in the first of a two-game set. They then host the Brooks Bombers for two games starting Saturday, and conclude the regular season against Yorkton on Monday.
Yorkton and Brooks are both last in their respective divisions and have been eliminated from playoff contention.
“I think playing in these big games is really good for us,” Blundell said. “There are some guys here that may have a chance to continue playing once their college careers are over and whenever you can get into games that are magnified like that, it’s special, it’s why you play baseball.”
Throughout the season, the Prospects have played in their share of high-pressure games, which should help them down the stretch. They may need to win all five games on the homestand to finish ahead of Fort Mcmurray for fourth place in the standings.
“We’ve had an opening night of 3,000 fans and our guys have never played in front of 3,000 fans, that makes it special and that’s a big night, and that night is full of nerves and anxiety,” Blundell said. “And Canada Day, when we have 5,500 fans there and they have to go through that again, and you go to some other parks where they’ve never played and the fans are hostile. The whole season and the whole year is chock full of those kinds of experiences.”
Heading into the season, the Prospects were hoping to contend for a league title. If they manage to get into the playoffs, then anything is possible in a short series.
“Playoffs were an important part of the recruiting process and the message that we sent to the players and their (college) programs and coaches when we recruited and signed them,” Blundell said.
“Seasons unfold as they might throughout the year, there are ups and downs. You deal with some injuries and some good performances and bad performances, and you try to figure out a way to overcome the obstacles and get to the end goal, which is to make the playoffs.
“We put ourselves in a position to fight for it and really, at the end of the day, that’s all you can ask for. That’s where we wanted to be and we’re happy about it.”
The Prospects couldn’t have scripted a better ending to the regular season, playing two lastplace teams at home. If the weather co-operates, it should be an exciting finish to the season.
“It’s always fun to play at RE/ MAX Field in Edmonton,” Blundell said. “The guys love to play in front of our fans and in our ballpark, and to be in our clubhouse preparing for a game. I like our team on the road, too.
“It’s a great group of kids who have enjoyed their time together, so whether we’re at home or on the road, for us I don’t think it really matters.”
Regardless of whether the Prospects manage to qualify for the playoffs, Blundell said he’s proud of his team and all they have accomplished this season.
“It’s a long season, they’ve gone through the grind, up late and getting home late and all those things that are part of what baseball seasons are all about,” he said.
“It’s time for them to play together, play for each other, enjoy the last few days and weeks we have together. Every kid that’s ever been on a long sports road trip, it may seem long at the start, but when it comes to an end, to a man, everyone would say they wish they could do it all over again.
“That’s what we’re doing now. We don’t want this to end. We’re going to play for each other and let the chips fall where they may.”