'Everybody does their part': Regina Red Sox heading into playoffs top of East Division

The Regina Red Sox are heading into playoffs as the team to beat in the Western Canadian Baseball League’s (WCBL) East Division.

A 7-3 stretch over the final 10 games of the season helped the Red Sox clinch top spot in the division with a 38-18 record.

Regina clinched the number one seed and home field advantage for the first two rounds of the playoffs following Friday’s win in Medicine Hat and closed the season off with three-straight wins.

“It was good to get that feeling off our back,” said second baseman Justin Carinci. “Now it’s just about making sure everybody is ready to go for playoffs.”

Regina will open the post season against the Moose Jaw Miller Express.

The Red Sox went 6-2 against the Miller Express in the regular season including a 14-1 win on July 16.

The best of three opening round series will get underway Wednesday at Currie Field in Regina with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m.

Game two will be Thursday night in Moose Jaw and if necessary game three will be back at Currie Field on Friday night.

The other East Division semi final will see the Saskatoon Berries take on the Medicine Hat Mavericks.

The West Division semis has Brooks against Sylvan Lake and Lethbridge facing Okotoks.

Championship mentality

Offensively, the Red Sox got production throughout the lineup in the regular season.

Five players were in the top-25 in the WCBL for average including the usual 9-hole hitter, Matthew Fox.

On the mound, Red Sox pitchers gave up the fourth-fewest runs the entire season, led by Colton Anderson who had a league-best earned run average of 2.94.

Red Sox head coach Rye Pathakos believes the team has what it takes to win a championship.

“The guys play for each other,” he said. “We have an older team this year and the veterans really lead the way.”

During the course of the season, the Red Sox never lost more than three games in a row and went on a team-record winning streak of 12 games in June.

Thirteen times the Red Sox scored the winning or go-ahead run in the final three innings.

“They refuse to lose,” Pathakos said.

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Despite the short summer season, players say the tight knit team has contributed to the their success.

“I love coming to the field,” said pitcher Zander Oudie-Senger. “We have a lot of camaraderie on this team and everybody just does their part day in and day out.”

“Everybody feeds off each other,” Carinci said. “One person’s not going to win the game. We need everybody to be close together, supporting each other.”

“It helps us win,” he added.

Championship drought

It’s the third time in four seasons the Red Sox have won the East Division regular season title.

However, Reigna has not won a WCBL championship since 2012 when the league was called the Western Premier Baseball League.

Oudie-Senger, who is from Regina, remembered 2012 vividly.

His family billeted players when he was younger.

“It meant the world watching [those] guys win,” Oudie-Senger said. “I want one of those rings.”

“It would be the greatest thing to me,” he added.

Oudie-Senger says being one of just two players from Regina, he feels a little extra responsibility to lead team.

“It means a lot to represent this great city,” he said. “I really want to be that guy the guys can lean on when they need it.”

-- With files from Drew Postey.