Medicine Hat Mavericks take on defending WCBL champs in home opener on Thursday

“There seems to be a little buzz about the Mavericks going around,” Bench said.

“People seem excited to get out on the field, and the boys are excited to play for them.”

Bench is from Ontario’s Niagara Falls region and arrived in Medicine Hat after spending several years playing and studying in the United States.

He said the organization’s reputation and the number of players eager to return played a major role in attracting him west.

“When you see guys that want to return to their summer teams, I think it speaks a lot to the ownership and the way the team’s run,” Bench said. “That was a huge part of my interest in coming out here.”

The Mavericks return a significant portion of last year’s roster, including infielders Adam and Johnny Vulcano, Blake Dale, Carter Roth and local product Evan Morrison.

Roth was named a first-team WCBL All-Star in 2025 and had a strong .380 batting average across the regular season and playoffs.

Catchers Nate King and Jamel Chabot are also back, providing stability behind the plate for a largely retooled pitching staff.

Bench said the veteran catchers will be especially important early in the season as the coaching staff works to define pitching roles and evaluate new arms.

“We’re very fortunate to have a good core of catchers,” Bench said.

“They’ll be able to make the staff comfortable and allow guys to trust their stuff.”

Another catcher joining the fold is Jahzeel Groetelaers from Mid-American Christian University in Oklahoma City, OK.

Groetelaers is familiar with the Mavs head coach, Ryan Reed, who is an assistant coach at the same university, and both should be joining the teams soon as they finish up their collegiate season.

Only a handful of pitchers return from last season’s team, meaning much of the bullpen and rotation remains open for competition entering the opening week.

“We’ve got some ideas of how we’re going to utilize guys, but really it’s going to be getting out there, seeing how they perform and finding their role,” Bench said.

“Whether it’s a closer, a jam guy or long relief, we’re going to figure that out.”

Medicine Hat’s JJ Harnett will take to the mound for the Mavericks this year.

He is an alumnus of the local American Legion team and Monsignor McCoy’s high school baseball team.

He is fresh off a 2026 Canadian College World Series Championship win with the Prairie Baseball Academy out of Lethbridge.

The 18-year-old right-hander has already impressed the coaching staff with his fastball-slider combination and unconventional arm action.

“He gets down the mound really well,” Bench said.

“I think his stuff is going to play pretty well.”

Infielder and local product Evan Morrison enters his third season with the Mavericks.

He had a stand-out year in 2025, leading the team with nine home runs in just 34 regular-season games.

An injury held him back from potentially winning the league’s home run races last season, sitting only four behind the top home run slugger.

He is the nephew of Mavs owner and general manager Greg Morrison.

Medicine Hat’s Josh Stark will return to the Mavs outfield for the first time since the 2022 season.

The 23-year-old played in 23 games with the Mavs that season. This season, he played collegiate baseball at Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Bartlesville, OK, where he also pitched a little in relief.

One returning positional player who will also see time on the mound this season is Adam Vulcano.

The Mavericks are expecting to turn to right-hander Derek Archer for Thursday’s season opener.

Archer, a senior from Westminster College in Missouri, is expected to anchor the staff early in the season.

Returning pitchers this year include Diego Centella and David Heinen. Centella was active last year with the Mavs pitching, 31.1 innings in relief over 17 games. Heinen will look to expand on his 10.1 innings pitched across six games in 2025.

Medicine Hat’s opening schedule features an immediate test against Regina before a road contest against the Brooks Bombers, a pair of games in Regina, and a home-and-home with the Swift Current 57s.

Despite the grind of early travel and consecutive games, Bench believes the club has enough depth on the mound to navigate the packed calendar.

The coaching staff has already mapped out inning limits, bullpen usage and recovery schedules to keep pitchers healthy throughout the summer.

“You’re trying to have at least the starter plus five guys active in the bullpen each game,” Bench said.

“There’s a lot that goes into managing rest and pitch counts.”

Bench also credited Mavericks owner and general manager Greg Morrison for helping establish a winning culture within the organization. Morrison’s extensive baseball background includes experience with Team Canada and several professional organizations.

“He’s taught me a lot already in the week that I’ve been here,” Bench said.

“It’s a great situation to be in.”

After several seasons ending short of a championship, expectations around the Mavericks remain high entering the new campaign. Their last title came in 2018, the final season the league was called the Western Major Baseball League.

With a mix of experienced returners, promising young talent and some fresh coaches, the organization hopes the group can take the next step and bring home a title.

It all begins against last year’s WCBL champs, the Regina Red Sox, at Athletic Park on Thursday.

Opening pitch is 6:45 p.m.

by Jesse Gill

Medicine Hat Mavericks take on defending WCBL champs in home opener on Thursday

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