With a number of returning players from the successful 2015 campaign, hopes were high for the Weyburn Beavers when they started their season back in May. A few ups and downs throughout the season, including injuries, and a rough road trip to close out the month of June, had the team finish fourth in the Eastern Division, but capturing a playoff berth for the third consecutive season.

Returning players did carry a good portion of the workload, with fan favourites from last season, such as Jordan Anderson and Dan Moro providing a stellar outfield. Second baseman Colin Rintoul also stood tall in his position, and at the plate, as he once again was near the top of the table for the team in terms of batting average.

A number of new faces to the team provided a bit of a spark for the offence as well. They included freshman Reed Hjelle, from Minnesota, and outfielder Ulysses Fluellen, a junior from Alabama. While the team didn’t put together streaks similar to the ones from last season, the new bats added offense at much needed times throughout the year.

In terms of offense, the team was lead by Anderson and Fluellen, who had 29 and 32 RBI on the season respectively. The steady bats of Cam Williams and Moro were relied upon often, with Moro leading off, and Williams often batting near the bottom of the order. This allowed for batters to be in scoring position often, especially with the speed of Moro on the basepaths.

Last season, the team struggled to find the long ball, but did put up a lot of runs with getting runners on base. This year, the addition of Fluellen to the lineup, along with Connor Kalisky and Corey Harrell meant that at any time, any one of the three could go yard, and change the game in an instant. Fluellen’s eight home runs on the season was the most by a Beavers batter since Derek Wallace, now the team general manager, hit nine in 2012.

Pitching proved to be a trouble spot at times for the Beavers, particularly for middle inning relief, as first year Beavers such as Austin Perez and Jake Carson worked to find their niche against the batters of the WMBL. A strong starting rotation, though, that included veterans such as Ryan Johnson and Scott Beever, as well as newcomers Cole Feazell and Scott Doucet, helped to steadily improve the pitching. The closing duo of Brodie Stairs and Eric Evans worked strong for the Beavers, with Evans becoming the franchise leader in saves.

Heading into a series with the Swift Current Indians to open the playoffs, many are thinking that Weyburn may be up for a tough task. They will have to work for the win, but the teams are closer than they appear on paper. While Swift Current finished first in the division, they have had trouble with the Beavers throughout the season. Earlier in the season, the Indians had the number of the Beavers, winning the first meeting of the season by a final of 11-3, and taking the first game between the two squads in Weyburn by a score of 9-1. In recent games between the two, Weyburn picked up two wins in three games, including a 3-0 win at home in late July.

Pitching rotations will also be key, and Weyburn will be leading off with their two aces, Johnson and Beever, in the first two games, which will be played in Swift Current. They will follow that up with Feazell and Doucet for the two games at home.

Beever has recorded the win twice in his last three starts, while his most recent outing being a no decision. He is also striking out, on average, seven batters a game in seven innings pitched in the same stretch. Johnson has a record of 3-1, his only blemish being a rough outing against the Regina Red Sox. His steady control as a southpaw has allowed the Beavers to record the victories. First year pitcher Feazell, coming to the team from Louisiana, has been superb on the mound all year. His ERA of 2.94 is the best among all starters for the Beavers, and has only recorded one loss on the mound in nine starts. Doucet is a veteran of facing the Indians, with his last three starts all being against Swift Current. His record of 2-3 on the mound is deceptive, though, and he will be looked at to help carry the workload in what would be a crucial game four, if necessary.