OC Coyotes in Kamloops for playoffs
The Okanagan College Coyotes settled for second place in the regular-season standings, but will be looking to come out on top at this week’s Canadian College Baseball Conference Championships in Kamloops.
The playoff tournament starts Thursday, with the second-seeded Coyotes matched up against the University of Fraser Valley at 10 a.m., then the top-seeded Prairie Baseball Academy Dawgs of Lethbridge at 1 p.m.
On Friday, Okanagan College will face Vancouver Island University at 10 a.m. and host Thompson Rivers University at 7 p.m., before wrapping up the round robin against University of Calgary on Saturday at noon.
The semifinal and final will take place on Sunday, while the CCBC awards banquet is slated for tonight.
The Coyotes are expected to bring home some hardware since their pitching staff led the league in earned run average (ERA) and gave up the least amount of hits, while OC’s offence led the league in triples and home runs as well as slugging percentage, walks and on-base percentage.
The Coyotes also set a new team record for stolen bases with 66.
Okanagan College is coming off a split of a four-game set with the Calgary Dinos on the final weekend of the regular season to finish with a record of 20-8.
With first place on the line at Kelowna’s Elks Stadium, the Coyotes won two of the four games in prevailing 10-9 on Saturday and 10-0 on Sunday, while also falling 4-1 in Friday’s series opener and 15-10 in the second half of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Those results left OC one game behind PBA in the standings.
In Game 1, OC’s offence couldn’t get anything going as the Dinos’ starter was throwing a no-hitter through six innings until Jake Fischer (junior, Edmonton) led off the bottom of the seventh with a single for the Coyotes.
There would be no rally, however. The Coyotes only managed one more hit, coming off the bat of Trevor Mlait (freshman, West Kelowna), who came around to score OC’s lone run in the game.
It was a pitching duel as OC starter Chris Wyslobocki (freshman, Toronto) also tossed eight strong innings, allowing just three earned runs on six hits in the 4-1 loss.
In Game 2, the Coyotes rebounded offensively and got back to their hitting ways in reaching double digits for the 10-9 victory.
The Coyotes were led by Noah Wood Jolivet (sophomore, Mississauga, Ont.), who had four RBI, while Fischer and Eric Junnola (junior, Okotoks, Alta.) had two hits each.
OC starter Cole Parussini (senior, Vancouver) struggled with consistency in the high-scoring affair and only lasted four innings — surrendering eight earned runs on seven hits, while striking out five.
OC jumped out to an early lead — 4-2 in after two innings — but the Dinos replied with three runs in the top of the third to take the lead. Calgary added three more runs in the fifth.
In relief, Jesse Poniewozik (freshman, Edmonton) threw four impressive innings — allowing just one earned run on three hits, with four strikeouts.
His efforts allowed OC’s offence to battle back, scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth to pull even at 8-8.
OC added a run in each of the next two innings to go ahead 10-8.
Wyatt Hummel (junior, West Kelowna) came on for the ninth and successfully recorded the save, allowing one run before shutting the door.
In Game 3, the Coyotes weren’t able to overcome an early deficit in dropping the 15-10 decision.
The Dinos capitalized on their opportunities, scoring seven times in the top of the second inning.
OC starter Zac Yandeau (senior, Plumas, Man.) was tagged for nine earned runs in 4 1/3 innings before giving the ball to Alex Dawson (freshman, Richmond), who didn’t fare much better in tossing 2 1/3 innings with four more earned runs against despite giving up only two hits.
Brandon Becking (senior, Coquitlam) and Hummel rounded out the relief efforts.
The Coyotes’ offence chipped away at the lead, but OC’s pitchers and defence just could not shut down the Dinos.
Wood-Jolivet had another big game at the plate in going 3-for-6, and Davis Todosichuk (senior, Kelowna) drove in three runs on two hits, while Jared Frew (senior, Calgary) and Junnola both had two hits and two RBI.
In Game 4, the Coyotes delivered on the mound and at the plate to blank the Dinos 10-0 in seven innings in their finale.
Starting pitcher Trevor Brigden (senior, Toronto) — who is normally OC’s closer — struck out 11 batters over 6 1/3 innings of dominance, giving up just two hits.
Frew enjoyed another two-hit game — driving in three runs — while Brandon Graham (senior, Prince George) drove in two runs on two hits, and OC’s offence also capitalized on 12 walks.