Riding high from its Northern Conference championship, the McGill Redmen baseball team looked set to continue its magical run in Nepean, Ontario this past weekend at the Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association National Championships. After a weekend of highs and lows, filled with dramatic finishes and individual heroics, the team fell short, losing in the national semifinal to the St. Clair College Saints 4-2.
While the result is obviously disappointing for McGill, the team should be proud of its incredible turnaround, having won 13 of its final 17 games en route to a conference title and a national semifinals qualification. First year Head Coach Jason Starr lauded his team’s effort and said they have nothing to regret.
“At first after the game, there is obviously disappointment. Our goal this year was to win a national championship,” Starr said. “The sting of it lasts for about an hour, and then [the players] realize all they’ve accomplished. We went on an unbelievable run—won a conference championship, made a national semifinal. We really accomplished a lot.”
The Redmen opened the weekend with a convincing 14-3 victory over the host team, the Carleton Ravens. First baseman Casey Auerbach carried the load offensively, hitting 4-4, including three runs batted in and four runs scored. The team exploded for a six-run third inning, squashing any Carleton hopes.
After losing to Durham College in a tight 5-4 affair, the Redmen matched up against the Crandall Chargers in a do-or-die game. The Chargers came out slugging against Redmen starting pitcher L.J. Aguinaga, and built a 7-5 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. The Redmen had their backs against the wall, and they needed to generate a rally, but the team never floundered. Starr attributed this attitude to the camaraderie among the players.
“One of the strengths of this team was how close they were and how they played for each other,” Starr said. “It really kept us in ballgames and allowed us to come back and have a never give up attitude.”
With one out and the bases loaded, fifth-year centrefielder Chris Ames stepped into the batter’s box. Needing one hit to extend McGill’s season, Ames provided much more. After working to a full-count, Ames sent the 3-2 pitch over the fence for a walk-off grand slam, sending the Redmen to the semis.
Only two wins away from achieving the final goal of the season, the St. Clair College Saints stood in McGill’s way. Fueled by CIBA pitcher-of-the-year Rob Cooper, the Saints’ arms shut down the Redmen’s potent offence and claimed the 4-2 win. Starr was disappointed, but thought his team played fairly well—it just wasn’t McGill’s day.
“We played a good game … we got a great pitching performance from Nolan [Were]. They got one three-run home run that really made the difference in the game,” Starr said. “The other team just came out on top. That can happen in one game.”
Starr also noted that many people around the tournament believed that these were the two best teams in the nation. The way qualifying turned out, it happened that those teams were matched against each other in the national semifinal, instead of in the championship game. Nevertheless, the Redmen had their chances and did not execute.
Notable departures this year from the team will include Ames and second baseman Max Tierno. Auerbach, Aguinaga, outfielder Chris Haddad, and pitcher Conrad Hall may also leave depending on whether they decide to stay at McGill to complete another degree. While the veteran losses will be difficult to overcome, the Redmen will look to players like first-year all-Canadian shortstop Tyler Welence to lead the youth movement next season. Starr is certainly excited about the program’s future.
“We have a good core of rookies, [and] a good core of second and third years,” Starr said. “It’s really exciting for the McGill program where we are set to go in the next couple of years.”
