NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
The Medicine Hat Mavericks' all-star representatives, Brady Bean, Dylan Esquival, Nathan Tarver, head coach Kevin Mitchell, Dylan Weaver, Brody Gardner and Kyle Calzadiaz pose after the East vs. West game Saturday at the 2023 WCBL all-star game at Okotoks' Seaman Stadium.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
The Medicine Hat Mavericks all-stars had a weekend to remember in Okotoks.
The Mavs’ six representatives – pitchers Dylan Esquival, Dylan Weaver and Kyle Calzadiaz, infielder Nathan Tarver, outfielder Brody Gardner and utility man Brady Bean – were part of the WCBL’s all-star game alongside the rest of the league’s best on Saturday at Okotoks’ Seaman Stadium.
Mavs head coach Kevin Mitchell, who was on the East Division coaching staff, says he made sure to soak in what was a memorable day.
“I took as much time as I could to really appreciate just being here and thinking about how fortunate I’ve been to be part of the Mavs and be part of this league,” Mitchell said. “This was amazing, the place was packed, the guys were great. These are our rivals every other day and yet today we were buddy-buddy and just having a blast, just guys playing baseball.”
The East Division, where the Mavs play, lost the all-star game against the West Division 10-4.
Hank Dodson of the Sylvan Lake Gulls won the home run derby with 13 in his first round and eight in the final round. Mavs third baseman Nathan Tarver represented the Hat in the derby and was credited with five home runs in the first round. He believes he hit six but still enjoyed the derby and the day as a whole.
“I think they cut one, all of the East guys were saying I hit six, regardless it was still a blast I had a heck of a time with all the guys. It was just a day of good vibes,” Tarver said. “The derby is exhausting. It’s kind of hard to train for something like that. You don’t usually go max effort for three minutes straight, so it’s pretty hard.”
Tarver didn’t start the all-star game but entered in the bottom of the seventh as a defensive replacement at third base. His lone at-bat of the game came in the bottom of the ninth, registering the final out.
Mitchell was pitching to Tarver in the derby and says his third baseman did well in the moment.
“It was nerve wracking, especially being on a time limit but I thought Tarver did really well,” Mitchell said. “He just missed a couple home runs and honestly, I was super impressed with the number of home runs. The guys were really swinging it well.”
Mavs centre fielder Brody Gardner had the honour of starting in centre and leading off the game as its first batter – an experience he says summed up an exciting day.
“It was a cool experience with a packed out crowd, everybody was electric no matter who’s scoring, who’s winning, everybody was having fun,” Gardner said. “Leading off was a little nerve wracking honestly, with everybody standing on their feet. My heart ramped up, the pitchers heart ramped up, it was just fun.”
Brady Bean was also in the starting lineup, slotting in at shortstop for the East. He had the lone hit in the game for the Mavs batters and says they can use the all-star game to propel them the rest of the season.
“Now it’s about looking into playoffs and we’re looking to win some hardware,” Bean said.
Weaver was the first Mavs pitcher out of the bullpen, pitching in the fifth. He says the day exceeded expectations and felt like a pro atmosphere.
“To see a packed house coming in here and then seeing every single seat taken, all those kids, all the fans here who wanted to be involved, it’s just awesome,” Weaver said.
Weaver and the rest of the Mavs not competing in the derby helped Tarver out during his allotted 30-second time out, offering words of advice and some water while also snapping a quick selfie.
“We were just there to give him a breather, keep him going,” Weaver said. “There’s a lot of big boys who can hit the ball pretty far here, so just try to keep him relaxed and having a good time. There’s no need to over stress during all this fun time we had.”
Kyle Calzadiaz was the second Mavs’ pitcher out of the bullpen, working in the sixth inning. He was amazed at the sold out crowd of over 6,000 and the opportunity to share it with six guys he’s spent the summer with.
“They’re a great group of guys, some of my best friends on the Mavs and I’m glad I got to share this experience with them,” Calzadiaz said.
Esquival was the only Mavs’ all-star who didn’t make his way into the game as the starting pitcher worked in Medicine Hat’s first game of their double header on Friday. He was on the mound for the Mavs’ 2-1 seven-inning win over the Weyburn Beavers. They also beat the Beavers 5-0 in the second game. Despite not getting into the game, Esquival, who lost his voice from cheering, enjoyed the day’s experience.
“It’s good to meet all the guys and just to meet everybody you’ve been playing against so much,” Esquival said. “Just great competition honestly. This East team is so much better than the West, we just didn’t show it.”
As the all-star game came to a close and fireworks lit up the smoky Okotoks sky, Mitchell was moved that he was able to share the experience with the Mavs in attendance.
“It’s crazy how much time we spend with these guys throughout the year, so at this point in the season we have some really close bonds and to let me share something like this with them, I know it meant a lot to them too,” Mitchell said.
The Mavs opened their post all-star break schedule on Monday as they hosted the Moose Jaw Miller Express at Athletic Park. That game was not complete by press time, visit medicinehatnews.com/sports for a full game story.
They host Moose Jaw tonight at Athletic Park before an off-day Wednesday.
