Sixteen runs on 18 hits using 17 position players and eight pitchers added up to a dream debut for the Dawgs.
The Okotoks Dawgs poured it on with a six-run first inning and carried the momentum throughout with a 16-6 romp over the Brooks Bombers on Friday night at Seaman Stadium to open the 2023 Western Canadian Baseball League regular season in style in front of 5,146 in attendance.
“The game developed that way, but that’s the plan every night because these guys have played long college seasons so early on if we get games like this, we want to give them that experience,” said Dawgs interim manager Lou Pote.
“And when they can experience opening night here, that just benefits us later in the season because that gets the jitters out, they know what it feels like to play in front of this crowd.”
Matt ‘Tugboat’ Wilkinson, who put the finishing touches on Okotoks’ 2022 championship as the closer out of the bullpen, got the call as the opening day starter and picked up the win with two shutout innings.
“With Matt, he’s been a big part of the championships over the last couple of years and since he’s been in Grade 10 he’s been one of the best pitchers we’ve had,” Pote said. “To get him out here on opening night and let the fans see him, he’s earned that and deserves to be in that situation.”
Wilkinson, the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) Pitcher of the Year with the Central Arizona Vaqueros, said getting the opening night nod was something he’s long looked forward to.
“That was cool and something that was a dream of mine growing up playing with the Dawgs Academy,” Wilkinson said. “We knew it was going to be short, two innings no matter what, just to get everyone going and we planned that out.”
The hard-throwing lefty will only be with the Dawgs a short time this summer with a move to the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League on deck in a couple of weeks.
“It’s definitely going to challenge myself against some of the best players across all of Division 1 baseball,” he said. “That’s something I always want to do is put myself against the best and see how it is and you’re either going to be humbled or keep it going.
“(With the Dawgs) I just want to help the team win, enjoy my time here because it might be my last, I’m not sure.”
Ryan McFarland, Quinn Tocheniuk, Cade Hermann, Connor Robbins, Sam Roberts, Joe Ranford and Daniel Hutchinson came out of the bullpen with one inning each in relief to close the door on the visitors.
“The big thing is knowing where they come from school, they don’t play in front of crowds like this,” Pote added. “To get them out there with the adrenaline, being under the bright lights and see how they handle it a little bit, that’s a good thing because now the nerves will start to settle in and they’ve been there before.
“Everybody wants to do great that first outing, but when you get a big lead like that it’s easier to have a little leeway with them.”
At the plate, Okotoks scored six runs in the first and five in the fifth with 12 hitters registering a hit on the night along with five multi-hit performances.
Returning players Alejandro Cazorla, Noah Geekie and Caleb Lumbard paced the offence with two RBI performances with Aidan Rose, Connor Crowson, Eric Machej, Nash Crowell, Elijah Hammill, Nolan King and Trent Lenihan all driving in a run.
“It was just getting on base and hard hit balls and I think we did a good job today with 18 hits,” said Dawgs infielder Dryden Howse, one of 17 position players to register an at-bat. “I think this team can be really good and today is just the start of that.”
During the pre-game ceremony, the 2022 WCBL championship banner was unveiled in the first base side bleachers with all of the Dawgs Academy teams as well as the collegiate teams on the field.
“You could feel it from the time you walk into the clubhouse, the guys were excited,” Pote said. “The new guys were really excited and we talked about our first couple of practices what it’s like. Our veteran guys were awesome telling them what to expect.
“It’s a different feeling, opening day here. Even when I wasn’t coaching the team I could feel it and it was a great first night.”
The Dawgs got on the sticks the following night in Brooks with the reverse fixture bringing a similar 12-4 result for the visitors.
Hammill and Geekie led the way with three RBI performances while Crowell went deep for Okotoks’ first home run of the season. Garrett Maloney picked up the win after three innings of work with seven relievers holding the Bombers to two runs.
In the weekend finale, Okotoks won a low-scoring 3-1 affair over the Lethbridge Bulls at Seaman Stadium.
Geekie earned the win with four shutout innings on the bump. At the plate, Machej drove in a pair with Rose adding an RBI single.
Following a day off on Monday, Okotoks takes on the Sylvan Lake Gulls on the road on May 30 followed by home dates versus the Fort McMurray Giants on May 31 and Gulls on June 2 and 4.
For more information, visit dawgsbaseball.ca.
