Lacombe’s Midget Dodgers are well on their way to a championship.
After a very successful weekend where the Dodgers won three consecutive games at home, the Dodgers now prepare for another weekend of baseball in Edmonton where they will play teams from Edmonton, St. Albert and South Jasper Place.
This should be an interesting weekend for the Dodgers, as they have only played against one of the teams, South Jasper Place, before.
However, Manager Denny Pannenbecker said that he is confident the Dodgers will do well.
“As long as we play the way we can, then we should be competitive,” said Pannenbecker.
This past weekend, Lacombe dominated their opponents in all three of their games.
They crushed Slave Lake 12 – 4, Camrose 9 – 2 and Bonnyville 16 – 6.
As has been the trend all season, Pannenbecker said it was strong batting and pitching on the Dodgers’ side that made the difference in those games.
He added that many of the Lacombe pitchers were able to pitch late into games, with one player pitching a whole game, which always helps the team out.
“The pitchers that closed just worked an inning or two,” said Pannenbecker.
He added that of the 11 pitchers on the team, only five of them saw action over the weekend.
Another of the strengths that has and will continue to serve the Dodgers well this season is the balance of the team, said Pannenbecker.
He said that all the players on the team are fairly equally talented and that the team does not have to rely on any particular players.
“I think it gives the coaches confidence, in all the players, that they can put them in any situation and know that they should be able to perform,” said Pannenbecker. “We’ve been pretty lucky this year; we haven’t had too many players struggle.”
This second round of playoff games will determine seeding for the Dodgers.
They will then travel to Kelowna next weekend for a tournament and have a weekend off before provincials take place on the July 26-28 weekend.
Pannenbecker said that it is important for the team to keep fresh in between seeding and provincials.
Keeping the fundamental skills and plays which have served them well all season will be imperative for the Dodgers, he said. He added that the tournament in Kelowna will help the team stay sharp and not get soft in the break before provincials.
“Just keep the momentum going I guess,” said Pannenbecker. He added that a provincial title is not the only goal in mind for the Dodgers, but that the team has their eyes on the western championship in August as well.
“I think that’s a goal pretty much of anyone that has played,” said Pannenbecker. “I think we definitely have a chance at it. But, having said that, anything can happen.”