The Quality Foods Parksville Royals are back home this Saturday to close out their BCPBL season against the Coquitlam Reds and will be looking to end the season on a high note.
Having been eliminated from playoff contention last weekend, the Royals hope to finish with a win as they take to Inouye-Wallace Field for the last time.
Game one is slated for 12:15 p.m., the second game of the double-header at 2:45 p.m.. Coach Jim Seredick knows the playoffs are out of the picture now but it doesn’t mean they can’t go out without a bang.
“I believe we can win these last two,” he said. “I don’t see any reason why we can’t. We’ve played some good, competitive baseball all season long and just haven’t been able to get over that hump. That being said, I still feel like this team has something to prove and I feel they’ll show that this weekend.”
The Royals came up short last weekend, having to win five of their last six games for a chance at the playoffs. But the Royals dropped two heart breaking losses to the North Shore Twins, losing each by just one run.
“Those are killers,” Seredick said. “We have had our fair share of problems hitting the ball all season long and when you don’t hit the ball, it’s very hard to score runs. But we played very hard this past weekend and gave it everything that we had to try and give it that extra push to get in to the playoffs but it just wasn’t meant to be.”
Coquitlam still has an outside shot at making the playoffs, sitting one game back of the Abbotsford Cardinals, who are clinging onto the final playoff spot. The Royals have the chance to spoil the Reds’ season with one victory and end the Reds’ season with two wins. “We’ve just got to play our game,” Seredick said. “If we can pitch good, play good defense and string together some hits, I don’t see why we can’t win both games. We know that we’re a competitive team every weekend so there’s no reason why it can’t happen.”
After the BCPBL season is finished, the Royals will turn in their purple and black uniforms for Team B.C. red, to get some practice time in before heading to Yorkton, Saskatchewan for the Western Canadian Midget AAA Championships.
“It’s an exciting opportunity,” Seredick said. “Anytime you get the privilege to represent your province in anything, it’s always a special thing. We’re going to have a good core of this team there, with the exception of a couple of players who have prior commitments. We’ll be fielding a team of 18 players, so we’re going to be looking at some other players here on the Island to take with us to Yorkton.”
