It’s still the early days of baseball season, but the VIU Mariners might get a good idea of where they’re at.
The first- and second-place teams in the Canadian College Baseball Conference meet this weekend, April 7-8, as the Vancouver Island University club hosts the Fraser Valley Cascades on Saturday before the teams play a rematch on the mainland Sunday.
Nick Salahub, Mariners manager, said the two programs play each other often this season because they’re relatively close, so that will keep up a rivalry that’s continuing to build.
Adding interest to this weekend’s series is the fact that the Mariners (7-1) and the Cascades (6-2) have both had hot starts to the CCBC season.
“We’re working on a game plan for trying to do the best we can to manage their good hitters and attack their weaker hitters,” Salahub said. “But at the end of the day it comes down to execution and it comes down to whoever wants it more at some point.”
The manager is proud of the way his team has performed to date and said the Mariners have been learning as they win.
“You’re going to have games that you’re going to lose, you’re going to have games you’re going to win and then you’re going to have a lot of games that are sort of in the middle and we seem to be doing a good job of winning those games that are close and could go either way,” Salahub said.
GAME ON … The Mariners and Cascades play Saturday at 12:05 p.m. and 3:05 p.m. at Serauxmen Stadium on Third Street. Admission is free.
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