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One win short of final

Mavericks laid it on the line in playoff run, Morrison says

Aug 15, 2022 | 4:28 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The underdog Medicine Hat Mavericks saw their Western Canadian Baseball League season come to an end Sunday, falling 5-1 to the Moose Jaw Miller Express in the third and deciding game of the Eastern Final.

Finishing one win short of playing for the league championship, owner and general manager Greg Morrison says it was an amazing playoff run after a trying regular season.

“We set a franchise record for losses this year with 38 so I don’t think the expectations were overly high for how well we were going to do in playoffs. But we had a young team and they really learned from a lot of those losses in the regular season,” he said the morning after the Game 3 loss. “They went out there and laid it out on the line and you know to get to that second round and really one win away from the championship series, I’m really proud of the team this year.”

Morrison says the losses that piled up in the regular season proved to be learning experiences for the players, and that the fan support each game helped get the players through the low points.

“They really jelled and that’s a testament really to I think the culture that we have here from our volunteers to our fans to just the people that really get behind the players here,” he said.

“You know these guys are loved, they call Medicine Hat their home for a couple months and Medicine Hat is an amazing community. I think, no other community in our league I think shows the love for our players that we do and I think that’s part of it. When these guys really feel believed in and when they do fail they do have that opportunity just to go out and start fresh in playoffs.”

Morrison said an average of 1,200-1,300 fans came through the gates at each game, up about 300 from the Mavs’ last season in 2019. The team didn’t play the last two seasons due to pandemic-related issues.

The fans were treated to a new experience at Athletic Park this year. The ballpark underwent extensive renovations during the team’s two years off. A canopy was added for shade down the third base line, premium seating was added at field level and a new fence improved the aesthetics in the parking lot area.

That’s all in the past, and Morrison is already looking to next season. Exit meetings will soon happen with coaches and players and hiring and signing will start next month.

“We’ll have a really good crew of players that I think we’ll be asking back for next year,” he said.

The Miller Express will face the Okotoks Dawgs in the championship series starting Aug. 16 in Okotoks.