The St. Albert Cardinals take flight this weekend as the front-runners to repeat at provincials.
“Guys are going to be coming for us since we’re on top and we’ve got to keep doing everything we did last year,” said Ryan Marples, one of 10 returnees from the Baseball Alberta Tier 1 champions and fourth-place finishers at nationals.
Today’s season opener for the U18 AAA Cardinals in the Norwest league starts at 12 noon against Calgary Dinos Yellow at Legion Memorial Park.
The Cardinals also host Sunday’s doubleheader at 10 a.m. against the Northern Lights and 4 p.m. against the East Central Bulls.
“It’s very exciting to get going because we’re defending the championship,” Marples said. “We’ve got a good solid group from last year that knows how the program runs here and they will lead the way for the guys coming in.”
Head coach Cam Houston described the 20-man roster as a balanced mix of veterans and newcomers.
“We’ve got a good core coming back and we’ve got some young guys that came up and some guys from out of town that will piece together really well with what we’re doing here,” Houston said.
“Offensively, we’re going to swing the bat really well. We’ve got some returning starters in Ryan Marples, Brady Kobitowich, Josh Ironside and Liam Froment that are going to help carry the staff. Defensively, we’re really strong too.
“If we do the little things right again then we’ll be in the same situation as last year at the end of the year.”
Houston is confident the Cardinals can do it again.
“The guys know what to do and this group has kind of won all the way through (the St. Albert rep program) so we’re looking for the same big things. We don’t expect anything less than a championship,” said the Spruce Grove product.
The Cardinals finished 44-18 overall as the first St. Albert Minor Baseball Association team to represent Alberta at the U18 nationals since the 2014 silver medallists with Houston at the helm.
“Any time a club wins a lot it definitely helps them out year to year. It’s kind of the culture of winning in St. Albert,” said Houston, the dugout boss for the U18 silver medallists at the 2015 provincials and western championships. “Wearing the Cardinal red and being part of St. Albert you know there is good history in this organization and it’s been really good for a real long time. They take care of their business here and it’s a great place to be.”
Houston estimated 95 per cent of the Cardinals participate in the Prospects Baseball Academy year-round program that has developed a tight relationship with St. Albert Minor Baseball Association.
“It helps a lot when you’re working together all year and you’re competing all year together. It really develops good team chemistry,” said the director of baseball operations for the Prospects. “I can come out here (for practice) and really just roll into some things that we do as an organization on both sides, SAMBA and the Prospects, and it really works out well for us.”
Last year’s Cardinals fell short by the slimmest of margins of playing for gold at nationals in Fort McMurray. The only run in the semifinal against the London (Ont. 1) Badgers was scored in the top of the sixth inning as the lead-off batter reached first base on an error and with one out was driven home from third base on a sacrifice fly to left field.
“That was a cool experience being one run away from going to the final. We were that close,” Marples said. “It was a tough loss and I know guys want to get back there again.”
Marples, 18, pitched the semifinal in one of his few starts of the season as the six-foot-five righty went the distance with a five-hitter while striking out three, walked one and stranded six runners. He threw 77 pitches and 51 were strikes.
“I was more relief throughout the year so getting the start I was definitely a little nervous, but I got settled in and it was probably one of the best games I’ve pitched in my life,” said Marples, who described the outing as “surreal” despite the 1-0 outcome.
London repeated at nationals by defeating the Etobicoke (Ont. 2) Rangers 5-4 in the final.
The loss to London dropped the Cardinals into the bronze-medal game after rolling into the semifinal with four consecutive wins in five games.
“It was tough to bounce back, especially playing back to back like that after we just lost. It was tough to get focused again,” Marples said of the 11-1 setback to Quebec as the Cardinals were out-hit 10-2. “For six or seven of us that was our third time in that bronze medal game (as well as the U13 and U15 nationals) and we got fourth every time so we really wanted a bronze.”
Marples will rely on a two seamer to get the job done on the mound this season when he’s not playing first or third base.
“Hopefully I can strike a few more out this year, but it will be the same thing as before and that’s throw strikes and get ahead in the count and let the defence do the work,” said the graduate of Bellerose Composite High School.
Wednesday the Cardinals play the Edmonton Padres at 6:30 p.m. at Legion park.
