NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Mavericks pitcher Isaiah Bartels yells in celebration during one of his two releif innings in the Mavericks 10th inning 9-8 win over the Brooks Bombers on June 10.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Isaiah Bartels is a better baseball player when he’s just having fun.
The Medicine Hat Mavericks pitcher is often one of the first players to cheer on a teammate, or express his own emotions when he’s on the field. He says it’s all part of having fun.
“As long as you can have fun and not think too much about the game, that makes me play way better,” Bartels said. “If I’m just around hanging with the guys having fun, I don’t have to think about what’s gonna happen next or be uptight about anything that happens. I think just playing loose is the way to win.”
It’s an important mindset for Bartels, who has been used as a high-leverage reliever with the Mavericks to start the season. The Minnesota product has rewarded Mavericks head coach Tyler Jeske on the mound, getting 16 strikeouts in his 15 innings of work and also being an option to go multiple innings. He has two outings of four innings of relief.
Bartels is used to the bullpen role from his time at Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota.
“I like to come in at the end of the game and shut the door, it’s a great feeling,” Bartels said. “There’s nothing more exciting than shutting the door in the ninth and 10th inning, it’s a lot of fun.”
The 6-foot-7 reliever did just that in the Mavericks’ recent 9-8 walk-off win against the Brooks Bombers at Athletic Park. Bartels threw two innings and only allowed a run in the 10th inning with the WCBL’s international rules placing a runner at first and second.
During that outing fellow reliever Jacob Prosch was cheering Bartels on from the bench. Prosch and Bartels both join the Mavs from Gustavus Adolphus College, something Bartels says made the transition easy.
“It’s really great that I know somebody here, it makes a lot easier to kind of connect with others. We cheer for each other because we know each other, it’s a lot of fun,” Bartels said.
Bartels and the Mavericks were supposed to be in action Wednesday in Moose Jaw against the Miller Express but that game was rained out and postponed until July 19. The Mavericks return to Athletic Park after losing 8-5 Tuesday against Moose Jaw to host the Lethbridge Bulls Thursday evening at 7 p.m.
Bartels said he’s enjoyed his time as a Maverick because the group is focused on the same goal.
“This is a very different team that I’ve never really been a part of,” Bartels said. “We’re kind of all here for a common goal, to get better this offseason for school back home. It’s also a good time to learn how to win, how to be a team.”
He’s looking to become a better ball player this summer while donning the Maverick red and spend a lot of time with his teammates. He said he is the resident cook for his billet mates. So far he’s cooked the usual burgers, steak and for breakfast, 11 eggs for four guys.
Bartels had a hard time coming up with an answer for what he would cook if Queen Elizabeth dropped by for a meal but was able to come up with something.
“Maybe some nice chicken with a little bit of rice.”
