Baseball fans flock to Athletic Park for Mavericks home-opener

“Last year wasn’t the best, I don’t think we gave them the best show. So I’m hoping this year we can bring a championship back to Medicine Hat and really show how much we love the sport,” Nelson explains.

But despite game outcomes, Nelson feels lucky to have his family cheering him on.

“It means a lot, because I play all year at school and most of the guys do get their family to come out, and I typically just have my family on live-stream so it’s nice to come home in the summer and have my family’s support,” he says.

There are seven returning players to the Mavericks, meaning a majority of the Mavericks are new and experiencing the city for the first time.

Brody Gardner, and outfielder from North Carolina says, “it was hard, ‘cuz I had a couple other options with other teams, but Greg really made me feel like it was gonna be home if I came up here.”

“I’ve just heard that fans show out, and it’s a good atmosphere to play baseball in,” relief pitcher Casey Henderson says.

And with these new players, also came a new head coach. Mark Goodman is from Colorado, and has never coached in Canada before. Goodman has big goals for this years team of Mavericks.

“Season goal, win a championship obviously. We’ve got to bring a championship to Medicine Hat. It’s been a while,” Goodman states.

Tory Nelson says the route to that championship is about being loose on the field and having fun.

“The fans will get really excited for the games, but I think the best thing for the guys is that it’s still just a baseball game,” Nelson says.

He adds, “whether there’s one fan in the crowd or two thousand fans in the crowd, it’s still a baseball game, so play loose, have fun.”

The Mavericks next home games are scheduled for June 2 and 3.

by Lisa Parent

Baseball fans flock to Athletic Park for Mavericks home-opener

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