NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat Mavericks head coach Jonathon Thornhill stands for the national anthem ahead of the WCBL all-star game in Okotoks on July 19.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
There was a lot to love about Medicine Hat Mavericks’ head coach Jonathon Thornhill’s debut summer in the WCBL.
The Mavs tallied 34 wins to their third best record since 2010 and the most wins since 2019, as they navigated a rainy summer and the dog days it brings. A summer of successes ultimately decided in a two-game span, falling to the Regina Red Sox in Game 2 of the first round.
Thornhill spoke with the News a week after the Mavs were eliminated, a few hours before first pitch of the WCBL finals between those Red Sox and the Sylvan Lake Gulls. He hasn’t watched a lot of the playoffs since the Mavs were eliminated, saving himself the frustration. There was enough to learn in the two games.
“The two games we played were kind of a cognizant of our season as a whole, the offence shows up and pitching lows continue,” Thornhill said. “That’s not a knock on our guys, just from an execution standpoint, Regina executed and we didn’t and that’s what’s going to win games. Clearly it’s going to continue to help you win games and series, as you see Regina and Sylvan doing. So kudos to them and executing and doing their job.
“Going forward it’s something to build off of, hopefully with the core that comes back and us as a coaching staff being better as far as recruiting for the next go around and just getting the right pieces in here, in regards to helping us fill those voids on the pitching side of things.”
There was a lot to like from the Mavs on the mound this season, senior starter Xander Roberts had the third best ERA and was tied for the second most wins. Luis Diaz was right behind him in the ERA rankings, tallying 53 strikeouts, both all-star efforts.
As a team, the Mavs didn’t get the outs they needed in the late stages of games, with 139 of the 381 total runs they surrendered in the regular season coming in the seventh inning or later. Against Regina in the playoffs, they allowed four runs combined in the seventh and eighth in a 6-2 Game 1 loss, and allowed four in the seventh of Game 2, a 13-7 loss.
Pitching and getting outs late, a priority for the next rendition of the Mavs according to Thornhill.
“Being able to harness it on pitching, that’s everyone’s No. 1 goal, just to get the best pitching possible and what does that consist of,” Thornhill said. “You have people who like the velo throwing 95 plus, or you just simply want guys who can have the mix of both, where they throw 85-88 but they spot up well and they mix up well. Your job as a pitcher is to keep hitters off balance and if you find that good mix, it’s a good thing to have.”
Thornhill still has to wait to see if he will be the one helping build that team. He hopes to return to the Mavs, sharing the same desire to return as his assistant coaches Ryan Reed and Cesar Rodriguez.
“It’s one of those things where everybody looks at things and they make the decision and it’s out of our control,” Thornhill said. “So hopefully Greg (Morrison) and the organization wants us back, and if they do, then we’re ready to get to work yesterday.”
Thornhill had a hard time picking his favourite moment from the near four months spent in Medicine Hat, touting defensive acrobat efforts from Jeremy Freeman Jr., Aaron Vulcano and Johnny Vulcano as highlights. Teen-aged pitcher Gary Dornan taking the mound against the Okotoks Dawgs in the ninth inning of a one-run game, two runners on and he just smiles asking, “What’s up guys,” on the mound.
They’re all little moments, the right moments, Thornhill says of his summer spent in the Gas City.
“Just the little intricacies day to day out with the guys, this is why you do it,” Thornhill said. “Wins and losses are going to happen, and in some cases where winning is all that matters and all that stuff. But at the same time, without this game, we don’t get to cherish these relationships and build these relationships that we get to do on a day-to-day basis. So it was awesome.”
If he doesn’t return with the Mavs, Thornhill says he’ll make his way back to Medicine Hat as a visitor, looking to see the city and the people he enjoyed getting to know.
“The community was awesome, the people here are phenomenal, the players were great, the host families are great, there’s so much great things I could say in regards to Med Hat community, the organization, the players, the league itself is a great league,” Thornhill said.
“If I’m not back here in Med Hat, where I would like to be a part of, I will be back in the league at some capacity, that’s for sure. I hope it’s here with Med Hat, but if not, I’ll always be here for anybody in the community who wants to chat and get together if I’m in the area.”
