John MacNeil
Daily Herald
When they had the opportunity to pick up players for the Western Canadian 18U AA baseball championship, the host Prince Albert Royals knew exactly which fellow Saskatchewan team would help them shore up their lineup.
The Royals tapped the Sask Five Giants program and added four players from the Martensville-Warman area. All of them played integral roles as Prince Albert posted a respectable 2-2 record in the five-team Western tournament, which ran Aug. 14-16 at Andy Zwack Field.
“The Sask Five guys fit in really well with our guys,” said Royals coach Troy Semenchuk. “It’s hard when you pick guys up, because that puts some other guys off the field or out of the batting order, onto the bench. But everyone were just great teammates this weekend. They knew the goal was to win and everyone contributed in their own way.”
The four newcomers — Blake Carlson, Braxten Kuchler, Easton Leishman and Luke Pauls — fit in as comfortably as a well-worn ball glove.
“I really feel that they were with us for a lot longer than the weekend,” Semenchuk said Sunday after Prince Albert finished with a victory but just shy of a berth in the final. “They were tight.”
He believes that chemistry stemmed from a strong connection between the Royals and Sask Five coach Brian Hubbard.
“Brian is a fantastic guy,” Semenchuk said. “Both our team and their team have a fantastic relationship with each other. We played a lot of exhibition games (against each other) last year. In provincials (this season), our guys bonded with them. They’re good people, so it was really nice to extend invitations to four of those guys. It was great having them.”
It was obvious at Westerns that the feeling was mutual. After the Royals’ final game, the pickups shook hands with their new teammates and thanked the Prince Albert coaches.
Luke Pauls showed his leadership and sportsmanship qualities all weekend, as the talented addition from Martensville interacted with teammates, opponents and seemingly everyone around the park.
“He’s (a 2008-born) guy, so he’s got some maturity,” Semenchuk said of Pauls. “Just a good guy. I was telling his dad, actually, just how proud we are of him — the young man that he is. Not only a good player but also a fantastic person. He was a leader with us, too.
“And the other three guys (that we added) were just super kids, too.”
Martensville’s Carlson pitched most of the Royals’ opening-day victory over Manitoba’s Elmwood Giants, who went on to lose to the Estevan (Sask.) Brewers in the championship game.
For the rest of the weekend, Carlson was in Toronto, watching the Blue Jays in Major League Baseball action against the New York Yankees.
Prince Albert’s other three pickups were available for all of Westerns. Each showed versatility in playing multiple positions throughout the weekend.
Leishman, just 15 years old, is in his first year at the 18U level, but he didn’t look like a rookie. He was delighted to gain the opportunity to play in Westerns.
“It meant so much to me,” said Leishman, who is from Warman. “It was a good season, and these boys are really fun to play with. I had a great time.”
Leishman was thankful, too, that his new team’s roster included three other Sask Five players.
“It made it more comfortable,” he said. “But we also got to bond with the P.A. guys, as we did in the hotel during provincials in Regina.
“I think the performance (in Westerns) was good. This (P.A.) team is really good. We just came up short, but it’s all right.”
Playing baseball since he was six years old, Leishman cited his pitching, sportsmanship and compatibility as factors in his Western selection.
He’s shooting for AAA ball next season, as is his Sask Five teammate Kuchler.
As was evident all weekend, Pauls embraced playing more high-level ball with the Royals.
“I love it,” he said. “I’m super glad I got the opportunity to come out here for an extra two or three weeks of ball. That was amazing.
“During the season, we were pretty good buddies with these (P.A.) guys. We played them twice in the season and we beat them in provincials. We didn’t hate each other. We were all still good friends.
“This weekend, we all gelled pretty well. The chemistry was really good. It worked out nicely.”
Pauls, who turns 18 in November, alternated from catcher to first base and third base, and even an inning in left field.
Going into Grade 12 at Bishop James Mahoney High School in Saskatoon, he’s a man about sports. Along with his competitive baseball season, Pauls plays school sports like football, basketball, badminton, golf and track and field.
Next summer, he plans to play men’s league baseball with his father, and possibly 22U ball with his Prince Albert buddies, as well.
His fellow 18U graduating players include his buddy Carlson.
“He’s a great guy,” Pauls said. “I’ve known him since, like, peewee and he’s always been a really good pitcher. And this was probably one of his better years, both hitting and pitching. His stuff was just nasty this year. He was really good.”
Kuchler, another one of the Martensville crew, was in his element wearing Prince Albert colours in Westerns.
“I was really excited,” he said. “It was kind of unexpected, but I was excited because I got to play more baseball. Yeah, super-excited, more opportunities.
“I thought I bonded well with the Prince Albert players. They’re all a nice group of kids. It was good to see more people.”
Kuchler, who turns 17 in December, has one more year of 18U eligibility. Besides pitching, he plays first base occasionally and the outfield most frequently.
“I’ve been playing baseball my whole life,” he said. “Nothing else, really.”
Kuchler hopes to hone his craft this winter during baseball’s off-season.
“Probably just more band work, trying to get the arm strength up,” he said. “And just getting in the gym lots, so I can hit the ball far.” sports@paherald.sk.ca
