Baseball

Giants Win Third Straight MJBL Championship By Scott Taylor, Photo supplied by Ed Kulyk, Elmwood Giants

When the Elmwood Giants won their incredible third-straight Manitoba Junior Baseball League championship, they did it in style.

The Giants came from behind and beat the Altona Bisons 5-4 in Game 3 of the best-of-five championship series to sweep the final and claim another in a long list of MJBL titles.

“This was a special year in a number of ways,” said MJBL President Jamie Bettens. “We were nervous as a league in the beginning when we realized we were the first league in the country to begin play. The Giants were at the forefront of maintaining protocols and making both players and fans feel normal when coming to the park.

“Once the team settled in it was evident they had that look in their eye, that singular focus to win a championship.”

This past season, the Giants were clearly the class of the MJBL. Back with a dozen players from the 2019 championship team and six from the 2018 and ’19 trophy winners, the Giants finished first in the eight-team provincial loop with a 16-5 record, a game ahead of a talented group from Altona.

Thanks to their first-place finish, the Giants received an opening-round playoff bye. In the best-of-three semi-final against the Interlake Blue Jays, the Giants opened with a 12-1 win, fell 10-7 and then came back to rout the Blue Jays 14-2 in the series-deciding game.

In the championship final, the Giants beat Altona 11-1 in the opener at Koskie Field as Kevin Burnett drove in four runs and Delaquis knocked in three. In Game 2 in Altona, Delaquis and Owen Harms drove in runs while MJBL Pitcher of the Year and All-star Brandon Racette threw a complete game shutout as Elmwood beat the Bisons 3-0 in Game 2.

In Game 3 at Elmwood’s Koskie Field, the Bisons appeared to have the Giants on the ropes. In the bottom of the sixth of a seven-inning game, the Bisons led 4-2 and it seemed as if this series was headed back to Altona.

However, the Giants scored a pair in the bottom of the sixth to tie it, shut down the Bisons in the top of the seventh and then walked-it-off in the bottom half of the inning.

Speedy Darnell Wyke led off with a single and then reached third on a single and a walk that loaded the bases. That’s when Zach Delaquis hit a sacrifice fly to deep right that easily scored Wyke and the Giants had themselves a sweep.

Dylan Duguay finished the game with a pair of runs batted in for Elmwood while

teammate Dawson Tanner had a monster game with three hits, a run scored, two steals and an RBI. Kevin Burnett threw the final two innings and got the win.

Dawson Rempel had three hits, a run scored, two steals and an RBI for Altona while teammates Denton Mateychuk and Simon Friesen each had two hits and an RBI.

“It was awesome,” said Harms, who was part of the group that has now been involved in all three Giants championships. “The last two years we won it on the road, and this year we wanted to do it at home.”

Mission accomplished.

The Giants have put together an amazing organization thanks to manager Ed Kulyk and a club loaded with Team Manitoba stars. They can hit, pitch and play sound defence and they can do it on a consistent basis. That’s what set the Giants apart this season.

“One of the best compliments I can give to the Elmwood Giants is that they don’t just run a team, they run a program,” said Bettens. “From grassroots to the executive the Elmwood Giants provide a high-performance environment that many teams in the league won’t admit, but strive to be like.” l

The Elmwood Giants won their third straight Manitoba Junior Baseball League championship while Carillon pitcher/ third baseman Zach Giesbrecht was named the Carey Candy Trophy winner as the MJBL’s Most Valuable Player as the MJBL became the first organized baseball league in the country to start and finish a full season. “That was a huge undertaking that could not have happened without the energy, effort and support from our teams, our players, our executives and most importantly our fans,” said President Jamie Bettens. “The talent level in the league was up from past years with players staying home to ply their trade vs playing across the country in other leagues. It led to increased attendance, new-found support, and hopefully a deeper appreciation for our game.”

MJBL MVP Zach Giesbrecht with Team Manitoba

The 2020 MJBL Major Award Winners:

Carey Candy Trophy (MVP) Zach Giesbrecht, Carillon Jack Hind Trophy (Pitcher) Brandon Racette, Elmwood

Ken Prodonick Trophy (Manager) Curt Letkeman, Pembina Valley Len Gzebb Trophy (Defense) Darnell Wyke, Elmwood Jacobucci Domes Trophy (Sportsmanship) Riley Trager, Elmwood

Vic Bozyk Trophy (Batting Champion) Tristan Peters, Pembina Valley Umpire of the Year Blake Swedlo

The 2020 All-Star Team:

Catcher Isaiah Letkeman, Altona First Base Riley Trager, Elmwood

Second Base Dawson Tanner, Elmwood

Third Base Zach Giesbrecht, Carillon Shortstop Troy Kemball, St. James Outfield Tristan Peters, Pembina Valley Outfield Ben Anderson, Interlake Outfield Cole Olfert, Interlake

Designated Hitter Jared McCorrister, PV Left-handed Pitcher Tyson Pringle, Pembina Valley Right-handed Pitcher Brandon Racette, Elmwood

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