Medicine Hat Mavericks catcher Zach Stark pauses before putting on his catchers mask ahead of the getting the final out of his team's 3-2 win in Game 2 to clinch their East Division semifinal series against the Regina Red Sox on Tuesday. - NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Medicine Hat catcher Zach Stark is leading the Mavericks on and off the field.
The 22-year-old Hatter carried the bulk of innings behind the plate in the regular season and has become the mainstay at the position due to both necessity and his ability.
Mavericks head coach Tyler Jeske said the Mavericks will only go as far as he takes them.
“He doesn’t even necessarily need a hit to contribute. He competes, he’s the heartbeat, the leader of this team,” Jeske said. “Throughout these past few weeks, where he’s really seen a lot more playing time, he’s really separated himself as a guy I can go to and say, this is this is the message I want. This is what I’m seeing. Do you agree? Can you handle it? And it gets done. You have to have those guys in the clubhouse who you can work through rather than it being your voice as a head coach.”
Stark has talked all season about wanting to take a leadership role on the team and did so quietly before the Mavericks made the jump into the playoffs, where nothing is quiet.
Whether it’s picking balls out of the dirt to preserve leads or his two-RBI hit in his team’s Game 2 win in their East Division semifinal win over the Regina Red Sox, Stark is one of the Mavericks strongest contributors. Just don’t try to tell him that.
“I have a lot of faith in all the guys in lineup and sometimes it’s me that makes it happen. I don’t put it by any of the other guys to make something like that happen. When we win, we win together, it’s not an individual effort,” Stark said after Tuesday’s victory.
Stark focuses more on how much he is impressed by the rest of his teammates than his own accolades. He offered praise for Mavericks starter Zac Robinson, who picked up the Game 2 win on the mound.
“He came here from Okotoks and he joined the culture really quick and he wanted to be part of the Mavericks. I’m glad he’s here with us and he competes for us,” Stark said.
Robinson, who was standing beside Stark while being complimented, said later privately that Stark is a guy who makes summer ball better and called him a friend for life.
“Zach Stark was the first guy I met when I came in. I saw the record, and wanted to be a big part of it. I saw Zach and he came up to me and asked my name. I said, ‘I’m Zac’ and he said, ‘I’m Zach too,’ and I was like, ‘Oh this guy,'” Robinson said with a smile.
“But on my first bus ride I sat up in my own spot and then Zach and I were chatting. I had an outing in Weyburn and he caught for me and we’re going back on the bus. He called me back and we started cracking jokes and from then on I’ve been at the very back with Zach and we’re just buddies now.”
Although complimentary, Robinson said he’d rather have his spelling of Zac with no ‘h’ compared to Stark’s with an ‘h’.
“Just because Zach and I, we both spell Zachary with a H but are you kidding me? Zach’s going to put an extra letter in there,” Robinson said. “I have three letters and three letters is better than four.”
Mavericks pitcher Ethan Bromley says he can’t give Stark enough credit for what he’s doing for the Mavs come playoff time.
“He’s a workhorse back there for us. He’s calling the game, he’s keeping guys up, he’s giving speeches. It’s unbeatable,” Bromley said. “He’s providing a lot of value, you can’t give him enough credit and hopefully he can stay healthy and perform in more games.”
This playoff run is nothing new for Stark, who was part of the 2019 Mavericks squad which lost in the West Division final to the Lethbridge Bulls. The catcher said it feels good to be back in the final four and hopes they can make history.
“We got beat up by Lethbridge that year and now being on the East side, it’d be nice to get the first East Division Championship in Med Hat. That’s what we’re really trying to work for,” Stark said.
The Mavericks opened their East Division finals series Friday night in Moose Jaw against the Miller Express. Game 2 of the best-of-three series is back in the Hat at Athletic Park Saturday evening at 7:05 p.m.
If needed, a tiebreaking Game 3 would take place back in Moose Jaw Sunday. Visit medicinehatnews.com/sports for a full game story after all contests.
Regardless of how the Mavericks finish their season, there’s already one of Stark’s teammates campaigning for him to be back with the club next season.
“If I come back next year, I sure as hell hope Zach’s back here too,” Robinson said.
