It's been a red-hot start for the 18U North Battleford Beavers, who lead the SPBLAA 18U league with a plus-48 run differential. (Martin Martinson/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Home Run Start

18U Beavers take eight straight to open season

May 7, 2024 | 12:48 PM

From the opening crack of the bat this baseball season, the 18U North Battleford Beavers have been off and running, having won eight straight games to open their spring 2024 schedule.

The Beavers have swept back-to-back four-game weekends to start the year, with double-header victories in Moose Jaw and Assiniboia opening weekend. That was followed by two more in Regina this past weekend, taking two-straight over both the Regina Buffaloes and Regina Blue Jays to sit atop the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League AA 18U (SPBLAA 18U) standings.

Assistant coach of the Beavers, Peter Frey said the team’s ability to hit the ground running has been rewarding to see, as it continues the upward trajectory they’ve been building. They improved from a rebuilding year as a young team two years ago, to finish middle of the pack in eighth-place last year, before now ascending to the top of the standings.

“It’s not surprising, but it’s great to see,” Frey said. “It’s been a building process, and we knew three years ago if the team would stay together they would have a very competitive team [today]. We built for that all along, we’ve gotten better every year, and the boys want to do whatever it takes to keep winning.”

That drive to find success has been evident in the team’s early season wins, which have included three huge comeback efforts already this year.

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The Beavers’ first game Sunday of this past weekend saw the team bounce back from down two runs in the final inning to score four in a come-from-behind 5-3 victory over the Regina Buffaloes.

The comeback effort followed two more in epic fashion last weekend, that saw the team rally from a six-run deficit to beat the Moose Jaw Canucks 12-7, and an 8-0 hole the next day in Assiniboia to win 14-13, outscoring the two teams by a combined 37-16 margin in the second game of the back-to-backs.

“The team just has no quit,” Frey said. “They just believe in themselves and it’s awesome to see.”

With seven third-years, two second-years and five first-years making up a veteran 18U Beavers’ roster this year, Frey said a big part of the team’s early-season success comes back to their tight-knit comradery as a group.

“I’ve coached for quite a few years, and I’ve never seen a ball team gel together as well as they have,” he said. “It’s huge; they know each other, they get along very well, and they’re really making the first-years feel a part of the team. They’re having fun, they’re smiling, they’re enjoying coming out, and the commitment from the players has been great.”

The 18U Beavers will return to action this weekend for a double-header home opener Saturday against the White Butte Broncos at the Ken Nelson Diamond in North Battleford (Beaver Lions Stadium). The double-header will open with the first game at 1 p.m. followed by the second at 4 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1