Courtesy Kevin Kyle

By Lisa Parent

Young, ambitious athletes hone skills in early-season training with Junior Mavericks

Apr 10, 2024 | 7:58 PM

The U12 Junior Mavericks may be small in stature but many of them have big dreams.

“I want to be the next Bryce Harper,” Zak Czember, age 12, told CHAT News at baseball practice.

Twelve-year-old Gavin Russell added: “Mostly kind of want to go D1 and then to the major leagues, but mostly just D1.”

“I would like to go far in baseball as a pitcher,” said 12-year-old Xavier Undershute.

'I saw a car get crushed': Crestwood students learn about the importance of metal recycling on field trip

8h ago

Medicine Hat skateboarders humanitarian efforts in Mexico to hit the big screen

Apr 29, 2024

UPDATED

Steam-powered passenger train passed through Medicine Hat on Friday

Apr 26, 2024

On Wednesday, they were putting in work to take small steps towards those goals.

The athletes are a part of the Junior Mavericks spring training program, as they prepare for competitive ball season.

“[The coaches have] mostly been teaching us our fielding, like changing our hitting technique and yeah, it’s really helped me,” Undershute explained.

General manager and owner of the Mavericks Greg Morrison has been holding winter training camps since January, but finally being outside gives them space to work on defense.

“For me it’s the defensive side is what’s going to help you win baseball games,” Morrison said.

“If you can show those coaches you can play different positions, they’re going to want you out there.”

Morrison said they picked this year’s teams based on work-ethic.

The players expect the coaches to hold them to that standard all month.

“If you’re fooling around, yeah, [the coaches are] hard, but if you’re into it and you’re hustling, they’re just fine,” Russell said.

Czember told CHAT News: “They push you over your limit and you would want them as your coach.”

Though remaining professional with their coaches, the athletes also get into some mischief with their colleagues.

“They can be punks sometimes,” Czember said, when asked what his teammates were like to practice with.

In response to that statement, Russell said: “Mostly he’s the punk.”

The Junior Mavericks will play intrasquad games every Saturday until May, as many of these young players prepare for the competitive baseball season.

May 25 is when the college-aged Mavericks play their season-opener, a game many of their younger counterparts will attend to watch their role models.