Monsignor McCoy Colts catcher Jackson Bowal and pitcher Kanye Olinski meet mid air in celebration of their provincial championship 11-5 win over the Medicine Hat High Hawks on Friday at Jeffries Park. - NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
After battling a rain delay and postponement leading to a two-day wait, the Monsignor McCoy Colts varsity baseball team became provincial champions Friday.
The Colts beat the Medicine Hat High Hawks 11-5 at Jeffries park, a continuation of the postponed finals Wednesday where McCoy led 6-1 at the top of the sixth inning.
Colts head coach Cole Schreiber says the win means a lot for their program.
“I can’t say enough about our players going out and taking care of business today,” Schreiber said. “We had two days to think about it and the pressure kind of flipped a little bit. Going into Wednesday, we were the underdogs and we came out firing but then today, we didn’t have the feeling of we’re in trouble but we had a lead to prevent – they had nothing to lose coming in today. For our guys to come out and get that first run in that sixth inning to give us that one extra push was big. But I have to tip my cap to them, they’re a good team and they got a couple back.”
The Colts entered the provincial finals as the second seed in the playoffs with the Hawks in first place after an undefeated season. Hat High head coach Cam Rittinger was proud of how his team battled back in the loss.
“I told the guys before the game, it’s 6-1, we’re coming back and we only have six outs to play with,” Rittinger said. “We’re coming in as the underdog, we started on top without losing and they were kind of in that role. The roles were kind of reversed with our two innings.”
Friday’s resumption started with the Colts adding to their 6-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning to jump ahead 7-1 before the Hawks scored four runs in the bottom of the frame to draw within 7-5. That inning took Colts starter Caleb Garrecht out of the two-frame game, he was their lone pitcher Wednesday, with Kayne Olinski taking over for the final four outs.
The Colts scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning for the final lead of 11-7 and a quick Hawks ground out in the bottom of the frame was followed up with a Colts error and a single to put runners on first and second with one out. The Hawks hit a ball right at Garrecht playing shortstop and he made the catch before tagging the runner out for the double play, and with it the championship.
“This is just incredible,” Garrecht said. “The game got postponed and you’re thinking about it all night, you can’t sleep, to have the final out is unbelievable.”
Garrecht was named finals MVP with three strikeouts in his 5.1 innings pitched with a hit, RBI and two runs scored offensively. In a post-game team meeting he was given the nickname, ‘Big Game Gary.’ He says the win was only possible because of the other Colts.
“It’s not just me, one of our Grade 10s Kolter Gans had four hits tonight, Kanye pitched unbelievable at the end. It wasn’t just me, it was an entire team effort.”
Garrecht, Olinski and catcher Jackson Bowal are all senior Colts and were on the team in 2022 when McCoy lost to Hat High in the provincial final.
“This all just feels awesome,” Olinski said. “Because we didn’t get them last year and we had the chance at them again and we took it to them.”
With the rain delaying the final two innings of the championship and his team having to navigate keeping the momentum, Schreiber says this win will be the one he never forgets because of how the Colts stepped up.
“It has a different feel to it when you’re just sitting there watching. You can’t necessarily control it as much, you just have to let your players do their thing and they did,” Schreiber said. “I can’t say enough about what they did.
“That’s a that’s a player’s victory right there. They went out, they wanted it and they took it.”
