NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Hat High shortstop Trevin Ressler unleashes a throw to first on a second inning ground ball in the Hawks 7-1 win against Kate Andrews Wednesday afternoon.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
It was a long two years without baseball for the Hat High Hawks.
Hawks head coach Lyall Foran said it’s good to be back on the field, but he feels for those who graduated during the pandemic.
“There were kids who graduated last year who I had the opportunity to coach since they were in seventh grade, and to see those kids (graduate), it’s really heartbreaking,” Foran said. “But I’m really happy for these kids that we’re getting back to some normalcy and getting a fun high school season. A lot of these kids, while they love playing competitive baseball and playing summer baseball, there’s just something special about the opportunity to wear your school name and feel like you’re part of something at the school.”
Foran said getting things going this spring was positive because they’ve been working on stuff since November in order to bolster the program and get as many games as they could early in the season. He said his focus isn’t just on the Hawks getting reps, but the rest of the city as well.
“My focus is really trying to make sure the players at all the high schools of Medicine Hat are developing so that we can compete at a high level for everything we do, from a city and American Legion standpoint as well.”
He said the first practice back this season was a lot of fun and the guys were happy to be back on the field. Foran believes the Hawks are a well rounded team, and he’s looking forward to seeing how they develop over the short season en route to “hopefully” play for a provincial championship.
“I think (the team’s strength) is our depth and our ability to have guys moving all over the field and being confidence in them defensively,” Foran said. “I think that’s an asset. Any time you have strong pitching and strong defence, you’re setting yourself up for success.”
The Hawks varsity team swept both games Wednesday at McCoy field, beating Coaldale’s Kate Andrews Pride 7-1 and Lethbridge’s Catholic Central High School 5-2.
Jeff Bullock led the way offensively with three hits in three at-bats while driving in one run. Waylan Watson had two hits in the win, and the Hawks had a four-run fourth inning that propelled them to victory.
Cade Harrison picked up the win on the mound with seven strikeouts in five innings of work, without allowing a single baserunner. Andrew Neilson threw two innings of relief out of the bullpen, notching four strikeouts.
Against the Catholic Central Cougars, Hat High opened the scoring in the first before putting up three runs in the third for a 5-2 win. Payton Eddy threw six innings with 13 strikeouts while only giving up two hits. Kevan Schafer came into the game for relief and had a strikeout in his lone inning of work.
Watson, Trevin Ressler, Harrison and Eddy each collected one hit to lead the Hawks offensively.
Hat High’s next action is Tuesday in Lloyd Nolan when the Hawks take on Chinook High School.
