Medicine Hat Mavericks outfielder Micah Dvorak celebrates his home run in the fifth inning of a 6-5 10th-inning win Saturday at Athletic Park over the Weyburn Beavers.--NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Micah Dvorak likes the grit he’s seen from his Medicine Hat Mavericks teammates.
Dvorak is in his second stint with the Mavericks, one of seven returning position players from the 2024 summer. He’s been impressed with how they’ve been able to battle their way through games in the first quarter of the Western Canadian Baseball League season.
“As a team, we’re just gritty, I don’t really know how to describe it,” Dvorak said. “We all want to win and help put this city on the map and help them win, help bring back a championship.”
The 2024 Mavericks entered the playoffs in second in the East division, pushing to make it back to the WCBL finals for the second straight season. Instead, they lost in the first round to the Saskatoon Berries, falling in Game 3 of the best-of-three opening round series.
It’s early in the season, but Dvorak has liked how his team has handled adversity they’ve faced in games. From inning-to-inning lead changes, or offence that may be slow to get rolling, he says they’ve handled their business and have done whatever it takes to get wins.
He points to the Mavs’ 6-5 10th-inning walk-off win over the Weyburn Beavers as a prime example. The Mavs trailed 5-3 at the halfway point of the eighth inning following the stunning blow of a three-run top of the frame from the Beavers.
They hung in long enough to score a pair of runs, setting up the bottom of the 10th walk-off.
“No matter what they put up, three runs in that last inning, it doesn’t matter what the difference is,” Dvorak said. “Our team is good at battling, coming back in the dugout, everyone’s saying, ‘We’ve been here before, we’re going to do what we need to do to get back the lead.'”
In his first summer donning the red and white, Dvorak had three home runs and 21 RBIs. He’s nearing those numbers already, entering the week on the road with three home runs and 13 RBIs. It’s individual production he’s not too caught up in, but Dvorak says he’s been happy to see the numbers tally.
“It’s fine playing the long ball, but I’m just trying to do what’s best for the team,” Dvorak said. “Obviously the long ball is great, but the doubles and singles and getting everything going is still just as good to me.”
The Garden City, Kansas product is coming off his junior year at Tabor College. He’s enjoyed getting back to Medicine Hat, getting to Tim Hortons and being back at Athletic Park. Even though it’s his second summer, Dvorak says there’s still some nerves that come as they look to bring a championship back to Medicine Hat.
“I was a little nervous still, just like last year, coming back,” Dvorak said. “But now that I’m getting settled back in. I’m starting to love it again, just like I did last year.
“The people are great with the crowd every game. There’s nothing better than that.”
