Inexperience Continues To Haunt Canucks

A Wolfpack batter awaits a pitch - MJ Independent photo

Youth shone through for the Moose Jaw 15U AAA Canucks on Thursday evening. The only problem it shone through in the wrong way as the Canucks lost 19 - 2 in a fifth inning mercy rule loss to the visiting Regina Wolfpack.

“Too many base on balls. Too many pass balls. Too many errors. I think we have too many kids not ready to play (AAA) ball,” head coach Rodney Audette said about the loss.

This year’s edition of the Canucks is a far cry off of last year’s 31 - 1 league champion. Only two players returned while the rest graduated to 18 U ranks.

“We have 11 new kids this year. It will take them some time to adjust. It’s Triple A baseball and it’s a big step up for a lot of them and they’re not use to seeing that,” Audette said.

A strike - MJ Independent photo

Despite the lopsided loss there was some key effort on the field such as the Canucks third baseman’s dive to try to stop a line drive long after the game was decided.

“For the most part the effort is there. They just have to remember to be engaged the entire game. Whether on the diamond or batting. That will come with time.”

Development wise the team is working hard it should soon show up in games.

“I think for the most part they are engaged at practices and they give me 110 percent at practices and you will see it on the field at some point but tonight for example they gave up 11 bases on balls and they gave up 12 runs on errors,” Audette said.

He pointed to how the game would have been a lot different if the development had shown itself.

“If you fix the base on balls and errors it’s a lot better and lot closer of a game.”

Leadership is going to be key with Lucas Lind and Taylor Usher settling into the roles.

Lind, last season’s 2025 male baseball player of the year as selected by Baseball Saskatchewan, was injured in the first game of the season and sat out some games with a shoulder injury. He was back in the lineup on Thursday evening.

Audette said the team needs to focus on things they have control of.

“They’re all coming along we just have to remember they can control two things their effort and their attitude. If they let either of those slip it affects how they play.”

Lots of work for the infield umpire as there were plenty of base runners - MJ Independent photo

Moose Jaw Canucks Scoresheet

Regina Wolfpack Scoresheet