Colts back in the picture

By Sean Rooney on April 25, 2018.

The result was familiar, but this spring things are a little different for the Monsignor McCoy Colts baseball team.

Their 10-0, mercy-rule-shortened win Tuesday over the Eagle Butte Talons at Athletic Park is the sort of result Colts players have come to expect. But after a few years only playing exhibition games while other high school squads battled for Southern Alberta High School Baseball League titles, the Colts are back in the Tier 1 mix this time around.

“It’s good for us, it’s been tough the last couple years,” said head coach Paul Schlosser. “We’ve been playing really good competition but there’s no end for us. So the fact we have a league tournament at the end is going to be good for the kids. We have something to play for.”

Grade 10 southpaw Jayden Schwindt went the distance for the Colts, striking out seven and only giving up four hits. Wyatt Bergen’s three-run home run in the first inning over the right-field fence turned out not to be a sign of things to come however, as Talons starter Tayler Bang and his defence put up a couple zeroes.

McCoy added four in the fourth — all with two outs —and one more in the fifth to end proceedings on a gloriously warm evening.

“To the credit of the kids we haven’t been outside much,” said Schlosser. “Even throwing, the little things (we’re still getting used to).”

Bang and Hunter Hankel each had two hits for Eagle Butte, which simply couldn’t get anything going outside of those two players on offence.

Tuesday aside, it hasn’t been easy sailing for McCoy so far. Hat High beat the Colts to start the season and even junior high team Notre Dame thrashed them on the weekend.

Ultimately that’s good news for everybody wanting close competition on the diamond at this time of year.

“We’re trying to catch up at this point in the season, but everyone is,” said Schlosser. “We want to have good baseball, good competition.”

Tonight, Crescent Heights plays Foremost and Hat High’s junior varsity team hosts Milk River at Jefferies Park and McCoy fields.