NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Mavericks pitcher Jack Suhai struts off the mound after throwing a strikeout in Wednesday night's contest against the Lethbridge Bulls. Medicine Hat lost 7-3.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Jack Suhai just loves to pitch. Being able to do it for his home town Medicine Hat Mavericks is just a little sweeter.
Suhai made his Mavs debut May 28 in the team’s 13-8 road win against Moose Jaw. He says he’s glad to be back playing ball in the Hat.
“It’s been cool, it’s so much fun playing back in Medicine Hat,” Suhai said. “Being gone a bunch of summers and playing ball at other schools, it’s really cool to be home playing ball finally.”
Suhai played for the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack in Kamloops during the 2019-20 season; that team finished third in the Canadian College Baseball Conference.
The 22-year-old said getting to don the Mavericks red on opening day was as described by his teammates as, “electric.”
“It was really cool, Athletic Park in Medicine Hat has really good fans and we’ve travelled to a lot of teams to go play, and not a lot of teams have the park and the fan base and just the whole atmosphere that Medicine Hat has.”
He’s pitched in four games for the Mavericks this season, starting two and coming out of the bullpen for the other two. He says he doesn’t have a preference for how he’s used, he just likes getting guys out. Whether he’s on the mound or watching from the bench, Suhai brings an intensity to his game that has him strutting after every out or banging his hand on the dugout railing to cheer on his teammates.
“I like being intense and wanting to win and trying to get guys going,” Suhai said. “I like playing here.”
Suhai pitched two and two-thirds innings Thursday in Medicine Hat’s 7-3 loss at AP to the Lethbridge Bulls. The Mavericks were riding a four-game losing streak heading into their home contest Friday against the Regina Red Sox before winning 8-1.
On the losing streak, Suhai said one of the good things about baseball is every day is a new game and a chance to win.
“We feel as a group we haven’t played our best ball yet and we feel like we’re going to come around the corner and we’re gonna get a complete game in one of these days, it’s going to get rolling,” Suhai said. “We have a lot of belief from our coaching staff, belief in that clubhouse that we’re going to be good and we’re going to figure it out. Obviously, we want to be pressing the issue but we’re not worried, we’re gonna get on it.”
Being one of five Medicine Hat products on the team, Suhai alongside Troy Nelson and the three Starks, Nathan, Zach and Josh, have picked up the roles of showing their teammates around the city and what Medicine Hat has to offer.
He said it’s been a lot of fun and his American teammates have enjoyed the city tour and hearing all of the ‘eh’s’ thrown around while talking.
“They’re so funny, a lot of guys from all over, so we’re giving them all the slang and showing them what we do,” Suhai said. “They’re kind of coming around now but it’s awesome.”
As it turns summer time and the temperature rises, Suhai says he employs a ‘wet hat trick’ that involves pouring water in his cap to cool down.
“I’ve done that a few times today already, pour some water in the hat, nice and cold, then when it dries up, do it again.”
Suhai and the Mavericks are in action twice this weekend at Athletic Park. They host Regina Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. and welcome the Swift Current 57’s for a Father’s Day matinee action Sunday that gets started at 2:05 p.m.
