sports // 18

theotherpress.ca

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Takin’ care of business

» Men's baseball getting it done

Eric Wilkins Sports Editor M sports

, @theotherpress.ca

he men’s baseball team has

had a little bit of everything this season: the blowouts (9-1 and 8-1 against Everett and Shoreline), the tough losses (10- 4 and 10-1 for Edmonds), anda slew of hard-fought games. It

hasn't always been pretty, but the : : quality team than what we're : playing right now.”

Royals have found ways to get the job done.

In a continuing theme for Douglas teams this year, these Royals have consistently

: improved throughout the season : and feel that they haven't hit ; that top gear just yet.

Following a recent win

: against Olympic that extended

: the team’s winning streak to six

: (a streak that was later pushed

: to eight), Logan Wedgewood

: commented, “You would think

: so [that the team is hitting its

: stride], but we're not there yet.

: We've still got work to do. Six

: looks nice on paper, but we know

that we're definitely a better

It was a view shared by

: coach Cavanaugh Whitely: “I : think they’re starting to buy

: into our plan. There’s some

: small things that we still need

: to improve on... I do not think

: we've played our best baseball

: yet and that’s a positive. This

: team has got a ton of talent but : I don’t think we've hit the stride : quite yet. It’s nice to get six wins : ina row and still not be playing : our best baseball; the best is still : in front of us.”

While the best may

: still bein front of them, the

: squad already deserves some

: recognition for posting a 15-8

: record in conference wins (as

: of this printing). There’s a

: handful of individual accolades : to accompany the team’s success

Douglas College men’s baseball team By Jerald Walliser/Douglas College Campus Life (Flickr)

: as well, with a pair of names

: making some noise on the

: statistical leader boards. One

: Royal to distinguish himself is

: Tyler Yorko, who is just outside : the top 25 for batting this year

: with a .348 average. Meanwhile, : on the mound, Matt Trimble is : in the top five for wins (5), just : outside the top five for strikeouts : (36), and posted a 1.91 for ERA.

Despite the team setting

: school records, Wedgewood feels : they could be further along and

: admitted that the weather has

: played a factor in the group’s

: development this year: “We

: missed out on a lot of at-bats—a : lot of rainouts before the season

: actually started—so it took usa

: little bit to really start seeing the : ball like other teams may have

: been coming in.”

And so, as the team rounds

: the final corner heading into : the playoffs, wins, losses, and : struggles are dismissed; it all : comes down to what can you do : now

As said by Brayden Munro,

: “Tt should be fun to watch what

: we can do; we're starting to really : play together as a squad and it’s

: going to be interesting when we

: hit our peak.’

Sit back and enjoy the ride,

Royals fans; should be a doozy.

Fresh start

» Tortorella follows Gillis out the door

Eric Wilkins Sports Editor M sports

, @theotherpress.ca

ort n. Law, a breach of

duty (other than under contract) for which damages can be obtained in a civil court by the person wronged.

Torts n. Hockey, the nickname of former Vancouver Canucks head coach John Tortorella, who was signed to bring the team glory but failed ignominiously.

Close enough.

The Tortorella experiment is over, and with it another opportunity to make a deep run this aging roster could ill- afford to waste. The hiring was a move criticized by many from the start, and the naysayers, as seems to generally be the case with this team, were right. Yes, injuries played no small part in the miserable season put forth by the ‘nucks, but the lasting

and time again to ram a round peg through a square hole: the classic “it’s not working; don’t

: change it” strategy.

And gone before Torts was

: the man who hired him: Mike

: Gillis—the man responsible

: for the decimation of a once-

: dominant hockey club. “Mike's : a friend of mine. I worry about : him and I worry about his

: family,” said Tortorella; don’t

: worry, I’m sure he'll be fine

: with his $8-million severance

: package. But while we can

: blame Gillis for a great number : of things, it’s possible the

: Tortorella signing at least wasn’t : on his shoulders. Who were the : ones pushing for Torts to be the : new bench boss? The fans? A

: bit, but Gillis never cared about : public opinion (see: Hodgson). : No, soft Mike may have been

: the figurehead that pulled the

: trigger, but it was the Aquilinis : who were clearly providing the impetus for the hire.

It makes one wonder

: just how deep the Aquilinis’

: meddling hands were in the

: Canucks’ affairs. Owners, for : all intents and purposes, exist

image from the year has to be an : to bankroll hockey teams and

indignant Tortorella trying time : maybe provide a quote or two : on occasion. They are not to : trade players. They are not to

: hire coaches. They are not to

: tell the team how to play. In

: short, anything hockey-related : that they’re involved with is

: already too much. Just how

: many of “Gillis” poor decisions : were actually his we may never : know. However, if there’s one

: thing that owners appreciate,

: it’s loyalty. Even though Torts

: coming to town was obviously

: not his call, Gillis never let out a : peep; that alone may land him : ajob.

In the meantime, the

costly releases of both Gillis

: and Tortorella may be serving : notice to the fact that the

: Aquilinis are set to turn over a : new leaf and leave the hockey : to the hired professionals.

: Dishing out $16 million for

a fresh slate is about as close

: as one can get to admitting

: a mistake was made without

: outright saying it. And who

: better to lead the rejuvenated : charge than Trevor Linden?

: One of the most respected

: players in the franchise’s history : certainly won't let himself be

: manipulated. If he’s to tarnish : his reputation on series

: of poor moves, you can be

: guaranteed that they will be his poor moves.

John Tortorella // By Getty Images