For the Caps, it’s all about timing

St. John’s would like to change its fortunes at baseball nationals; Caps hitters will have to be quicker against mainland pitching

The St. John’s Capitals have served notice they can play and compete in the Canadian senior baseball championship.

The Caps went 2-2 in Dartmouth, N.S. before dropping an 8-2 semifinal game to Alberta. And St. John’s just missed out on a medal, losing a 1-0 heartbreaker to Ontario.

And then there was the tournament in Miramichi, N.B., when the Caps again went 2-2, reached the quarter-finals where they were dispatched 7-0 by B.C.

That’s the good news. Bad news is those tournaments were a long time ago, in 2009 and 2011.

In the past four nationals in which the Caps have participated (they took a pass on attending the 2012 nationals in Prince George, B.C., and last year in Victoria, B.C.), St. John’s has a combined record of 1-15.

And it won’t get any easier this year. The schedule-markers certainly weren’t doing any Newfoundland and Labrador any favours. The Caps open the tournament 1:30 p.m. today (NL time) against Quebec. Friday night at 7:30, St. John’s tangles with Alberta followed by a pair of games Saturday, 12:30 p.m. against Ontario 2 and 6:30 p.m. against B.C.

“The years the Caps were playing .500 ball and in the playoffs,” coach Sean Gulliver said, “our pitching and defence was very, very good and we were getting a few key hits here and there.

“And I don’t think our pitching and defence will look out of place this year.

“The thing with the hitting is a lot of pitchers up here have college experience, and they’re throwing in the mid to high 80s. It’s much quicker, so it will take us four to six at-bats to adjust.

“The quicker we can make the adjustment, the better. You almost to take each at-bat like it’s a two-strike count … shorten up on the bat, take the ball the other way (opposite field). We should be able to do that because we have a bunch of contact hitters.”

It’s a bit of a new-look Caps team in Victoria this year, and why not. What’s happened in the past — recently, at least — hasn’t been working.

Gulliver will be relying on a number of young faces this week, youngsters like Danny Rice, Redmond Hunt, John Cribb and Parker Gulliver.

Andrew Paul, the MVP of the all-newfoundland final in which the Caps dispatched the Corner Brook Barons in seven games, is just out of junior, and Riley King and Matt Colbourne, an addition to the St. John’s lineup from the Barons, played in the junior nationals earlier this summer.

“They’re good, young players, with national experience in Canada Games, Canada Cup, U15,” Gulliver said. “But regardless, you need veterans to steer the ship, to lay the foundation.”

While aging vets Mike O’neil and Troy Croft are in the Caps’ fold this week, one player who isn’t there and will be sorely missed is pitcher Scott Goosney, perhaps the best in the local St. John’s senior circuit.

Goosney and his wife just had their first child, so he won’t be making the trip. Gulliver said cagey southpaw Greg Barry and hard-throwing Dan Connors will start the first two games. Gulliver isn’t sure who he will go with today.

The nationals were also held in Victoria last season, but the Caps opted not to attend, with the Canadian championship on Vancouver Island again this summer.

The Gonzaga Vikings from the city’s senior loop, however, did attend as a club team in 2017 with a few additions. However, the Vikes didn’t fare too well, going 0-4 and getting outscored 52-12.

Ten teams are entered in this year’s tournament

“The thing with the hitting is a lot of pitchers up here have college experience, and they’re throwing in the mid to high 80s. It’s much quicker, so it will take us four to six at-bats to adjust. The quicker we can make the adjustment, the better.”

St. John’s Capitals coach Sean Gulliver