Coach Marriott looking forward to Miller Express postseason and potential title run

When Moose Jaw Miller Express head coach Eric Marriott said prior to the start of the 2023 Western Canadian Baseball League campaign that he was looking for an even better regular season from his crew, many onlookers likely scoffed at the prospect.

The team was coming off a team-record 33 wins the previous season and had come within a single game of winning the East Division outright, not including what they ended up accomplishing in the playoffs.

Not only have the Miller Express done just that, they’ve done so in style -- the team picked up their 35th win of the campaign on Sunday afternoon with a 14-7 win over the Swift Current 57’s, clinched the East Division title earlier in the week and are now even closing in on

Marriott hopes this is a sign of things to come.

“It’s been an exciting season for us as a coaching staff, a team and an organization,” Marriott said shortly after meeting with the team after their win. “We expect- ed to build off last year and we set some goals and we’ve hit a couple of them and still have a couple more to hit for the rest of the year.

“I’m super proud of the boys; they’ve been awesome all season. Getting 35 wins, back-to-back (setting team win records) and winning the East outright so early, it shows how much grit these guys have.”

Finishing off the East Division title -- which the Express did on Wednesday with a 9-4 win in Swift Current -- was paramount, especially given how they lost the title on the last day of the season in 2022.

“It was super important to us, home league and our fans are the best,” Marriott said matter-of-factly. “No team wants to come to Ross Wells and play us, and if we can secure it early like we did, it makes a big difference. Now we just have to hit our peak going into playoffs and not be content with where we’re at. It’ll be a tough game for someone coming in here for Game 1, for sure.”

The Express could have simply thrown things into cruise control and relaxed heading into the playoffs, but with Okotoks and Sylvan Lake having fallen back to the pack over the last week, Moose Jaw is now a single game back of

“Our number one goal is to win a championship and if we can get home what we’re gonna do,” Marriott said. “We another one, we’re right there. We’re one game back right now and if we can get home ice advantage all the way through, that would be a great time.”

Sunday’s outing was a return to form for the offence, beginning with a six-run from Greyson Barrett and three batters later a three-run home run off the bat of Julio Acosta.

The 57’s clawed their way back to within a pair heading into the bottom of the third, but that would be as close as they’d get. Two Moose Jaw runs in the fourth, and things were all but academic.

Dougie DelaCruz added a solo home afternoon 3-for-4 with four runs scored. Acosta was 1-for-2 and drew three walks, scored three runs and had four RBI, while Barrett was 3-for-5 with a run and three RBI.

Cameron Dunn got the start and altwo innings before giving way to Andrew Barger, who allowed a single run on two hits in an inning of work.

Julian Gonzalez and Triston Seitz each tossed two scoreless before Kaleb Waller allowed three runs in the eighth. a scoreless ninth.

The Express are back in action on Tuesday, Aug. 1 and Wednesday, Aug. 2 when they host the Medicine Hat Mavericks. Game times are 7 p.m. at Ross Wells Park.

The Moose Jaw Warriors made a major trade last Friday afternoon, as the Western round Prospects Draft pick Marek Howell to the Vancouver Giants in exchange for forward Ethan Semeniuk.

The deal came at the request of Howpick, 16th overall in the 2021 Draft.

“Following the season, Marek approached us about the possibility of moving on from the organization and we wanted to accommodate him the best we could,” Warriors general manager Jason Ripplinger said in a press release announcing the trade. “We wish him the best of luck with the Giants.”

Howell was one of four players who received what amounted to a 17-game suspension for actions detrimental to the Western Hockey League last season.

The Warriors also received Vancou2024 Prospects Draft and the Giants’ sec- ond-round pick in 2025. Moose Jaw also sent along a fourth-round pick in 2024. Semeniuk, 18, is heading into his third WHL season and was a third-round pick for Vancouver in the 2020 Draft. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Fort St.

John, B.C. product had 12 goals and 22 points in 54 games with Vancouver during the 2022-23 campaign after putting up eight goals and 13 points in 56 games in his rookie season.

“We’re getting a player that can play in our top-nine and for us to get some more draft assets to continue building our hockey club, whether it’s through the draft or a trade,” Ripplinger said.

“Ethan has high-end speed, he has skill, he scored 12 goals last year, so we’re looking for him to add more depth to our forward group.” dropped an 8-7 decision to the 57’s on went three innings and allowed a single and eighth and gave up a single hit andfect bottom of the ninth.

Howell played parts of two seasons with the Warriors and had two goals and six points in 49 games.

Next up for the Warriors is their annual training camp at the end of August, with taking place on Thursday, Sept. 7 against the Swift Current Broncos in Swift Current.

The season of success the Moose Jaw Miller Express have put together in Western Canadian Baseball League action this week with all sorts of milestones.

First came the big one -- the Millering the local squad a nine game lead atop the division and no team with enough games left on their schedule to catch them. to a 4-3 win over the Regina Red Sox totwo teams this season.

That win also gave Moose Jaw 34 victhe club in the WCBL.

Moose Jaw 9, Swift Current 4 tied 3-3 through three innings. The Exsixth and adding another in the seventh for an 8-3 lead. The teams exchanged runs the and three runs scored while hitting in the with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Lachance also had a good night with a 3-for-3 showing that included two runs twice.

Moose Jaw 4, Swift Current 1 of the season to lead the Express to theing out eight.

Zach Sigmon saw to it there would begle hit while striking out four. heading into the late innings when Nate Mensik gave his pitching staff a bit of rethe night 1-for-3 with three runs batted in. 3 with a run.

Luke Lachance barely had to move to second base during the game Thursday against Swift Current.

Moose Jaw 12, Weyburn 7 and scored three runs.

It was a tough start for Kaleb Wallerton Seitz surrendered two runs on two hits scoreless second.

Things went well for Moose Jaw pitching staff from there -- Gabe Soto from his tough outing with a scoreless seventh while Seitz pitched a scoreless eighth with a hitless ninth.

Swift Current 8, Moose Jaw 7 game in the bottom of the frame and surrendered the game-winning run in the top of the ninth to drop the one-run decision.

Soto got the start on the mound for was lights out from there. He’d put tohits and striking out three.

Andrew Barger allowed a run in the one of his toughest outings as member three walks and a pair of hits while getting pitched the ninth and allowed the winning run.

Moose Jaw 4, Regina 3Cruz with the game-winning run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give Moose Jaw the Trans Canada Clash win innings before giving up three runs in the sixth and would cap his night with a qualseven without giving up a walk. Gonzalez and \Craig went to work Regina the next two innings and Craig securing the save. run double as part of Moose Jaw’s threerun fourth inning.

They might not have been able to secure the gold medal on home soil, but it was still a solid weekend for three Moose Jaw teams as hosts of the Softball Sask Open Women’s provincial championship this weekend at Eddy Moore Park.

Both the Heat and Strikers advanced to the Hustlers also advanced to the playoffs but their pool with a 2-1 record, thanks to a 12-7 win over the Hustlers in the tournament opener and 10-3 victory over the West Central Black Ice. They dropped a 6-5 decisionnal game, but still took top spot in the Green Pool.

That sent the Strikers straight to the

After losing their opener 5-3 to the behind win over the Saskatoon Fury, 15-5 victory over the Saskatoon Lunar Eclipse and the round robin.

Their 2-2 record was good enough to the Hustlers and end up in an absolute battle, taking an 11-10 victory. where they’d fall 4-2 to the Lunar Eclipse. The Hustlers recovered nicely from their opening loss to the Strikers, taking an