After missing the sa国际传媒 Premier Baseball League playoffs for the first time last season, the Victoria Mariners are keen for a bounce-back campaign in 2016.
The Mariners open play today in White Rock in a doubleheader at 1 p.m. against the 0-2 Tritons and return home to face the Parksville Royals in a Sunday doubleheader at noon at Layritz Park.
After a disappointing 15-29 campaign in 2015 鈥� which followed a spectacular 34-14 log in 2014 鈥� the Mariners want to get back to the post-season and beyond.
鈥淯ltimately, we want to win the PBL championship and I think we have the skill. We just have to put our minds to it and work hard. Looking in, you would say the goal is playoffs, but we have higher hopes than that,鈥� said veteran shortstop Jason Willow, who is among the returning leaders along with Nick Seginowich, Chris Lata, Tyler Schindel, Liam Kruse and Jesse Mycock.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going all the way,鈥� added Willow, setting lofty goals. 鈥淪ome teams might say just playoffs, but I think we need to shoot big because that鈥檚 the only way we鈥檙e going to win it.鈥�
Comments like those are ones that Mariners manager Mike Chewpoy likes to hear, although it can also become blackboard material for the opposition. But the positivity is what the organization is aiming for.
鈥淲e feel like we can compete for the PBL championship and I think our guys will be disappointed if anything less happens,鈥� said Chewpoy. 鈥淭o set an expectation or a goal to start, we鈥檇 like to finish with 30 wins and a home berth in the playoffs.
鈥淲e feel if we have 30 wins, we鈥檒l have that home berth. Honestly, last year was the worst year of my coaching life,鈥� he added. 鈥淲e had injury after injury after injury, and I don鈥檛 think I had my regular lineup on the field once after the second week of April. By the end, we had eight healthy bodies.
鈥淚t didn鈥檛 sit well at all. We had never not made the playoffs or finished below fifth. I think we finished 11th 鈥� I stopped looking after a while, but to all their credit, the team battled hard.鈥�
That鈥檚 usually what you get from the Mariners, but 鈥� like most baseball clubs 鈥� the team will only go as far as the pitching can take them.
鈥淚t鈥檚 early, but we鈥檙e going to swing the bats this year and we just need the pitching to stay up with it,鈥� offered Willow, a Grade 11 student who is also with the junior national program and will miss the first two PBL weekends.
Willow was part of the national team鈥檚 spring training three weeks ago and is back there for extended spring training. In fact, the six-foot-two, 180-pound infielder (who turned 17 this week) had the only hit against the Toronto Blue Jays.
鈥淵eah, I broke up a perfect game,鈥� he said of his hit off former Minnesota Twin Scott Diamond. Willow also stole a base.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 get behind the 8-ball right away,鈥� Willow said of the Mariners鈥� season. 鈥淚f you get that good start, then you have that bit of wiggle room throughout the season. We want as high a berth as we can and try for that PBL championship.鈥�
