Mariners well-armed for run at the title
Duncan Brens-Knight wasted little time getting into the spirit of the young baseball season.
The Victoria Mariners right-hander tossed a no-hitter in a win over the Edmonton Prospects at the Okanagan Classic tournament last weekend, taking a perfect game into the seventh inning before allowing a walk to the leadoff hitter.
“He’s good and he’s young, with another season to go yet. Last year he really came into his own. He might have lost twice all year,” Mariners head coach Mike Chewpoy said of his pitcher.
Chewpoy has a wealth of starters to turn to as well with Brens-Knight, Liam Kruse and Fynn Chester — who moved over from the Victoria Eagles — as an incredible starting trio.
“Between Chester and Liam Kruse, they are arguably two of the best pitchers in the league,” added Chewpoy. “We return all our pitchers from last year and then you add someone like Chester and Jake Potter, who also came over, and our team looks pretty good — especially on the hill.
“Kruse and Brens-Knight, and now Chester, those are guys we’re really looking at to do some things on the hill for us this year, for sure.”
Brens-Knight was 7-2 last year behind Kruse’s 8-2 log. Chester was 7-3 for the Eagles.
After a 30-14 regular-season last year and a runner-up finish in the championship final, the Mariners are looking to take their place once again as a top B.C. Premier Baseball League club. They start their season tonight at 6 at Serauxman Field in Nanaimo against the newly-named Mid Island Pirates.
“We’re just trying to get a home berth and finish in the top four,” said Chewpoy. “Ultimately, you play 44 games and 30 [wins] is our benchmark. We definitely want to get back to the Final 4.”
Offensively, Chester has also led off the Mariners in preseason, with Luke Seginowich (who also came over from the Eagles) in the No. 2 spot. Veteran Jason Willow bats third ahead of cleanup man Chris Niketas, who can wield a mighty bat. Dylan Price and Caleb Piechnik have also hit well in the preseason for the Mariners, who made it to the final of the Okanagan tournament, only to lose 19-10 to Okotoks of Alberta. The Mariners battled back from a 12-0 deficit to cut it to 12-10, only to have some costly errors haunt them in the end.
Willow is expected to have another strong year and was ranked by Baseball America among the top 50 high school players in the world.
The Mariners did lose the speed of Jesse Mycock, one of several graduates.
The goal for the team is the Final 4 tournament which, coincidentally, is in Coquitlam this season where Chewpoy led the Mariners to a league win in his first season with the club back in 2004.