Coaching changes, adding of teams: Reds baseball ready for summer

By Tyler Lowey, Times Reporter

The Strathmore Minor Baseball Association underwent coaching changes over the winter and added a team to the Reds’ summer lineup.
After a strong showing at the bantam double-A provincials last season, Jason Tanton and most of his staff have moved up to the midget level to coach a Reds team that won its last seven games of the season and captured the Tier II provincial title.
Tanton will be joined by Darren Cockx and Don Anderson on the coaching staff. The trio has worked together in the past, winning the provincial title at the bantam and peewee level.
“It’s great seeing some familiar faces out there. Every two years we get this age group and we have been pretty successful with them,” said Cockx. “It means we can hit the ground running. We know the potential of everyone, so all we have to do is fine-tune things.”
Some key missing players on the midget Reds will be Garret Hagel and Kaden Zarowny. Hagel aged out of the league and Zarowny now plays for the Okotoks Dawgs midget Red squad.
Cockx and his staff believe they still have the pieces in place to field another competitive roster this year.
Both Desserre brothers will anchor a lineup that sees Hunter Biskup and Kadin Wilson return to the field.
“I think our hitting is going to be phenomenal this year. We have two amazing catchers and we feel we have the pitching to get the job done. This is a real mature group that already know how to play together,” said Cockx.
The Reds will knock the rust off at a tournament in Brooks this weekend before diving into Baseball Alberta action next weekend, when they host their first sets of games in Cheadle.
Similar to Jason’s jump up to midget, Jon Rilling will help out with the top bantam program, following his son’s graduation from the peewee program.
“This is probably my last year to work with him in bantam; I don’t see myself coaching at the midget level, so this is a great opportunity for me to help out with the kids through a tough bantam schedule,” said Red Head Coach Jon Rilling.
Joining Rilling will be returning assistant coach Sonny Warrack and Dion Galandy from the peewee program.
Like most spring sports, the Reds have been doing anything they can indoors, while they wait for the snow to melt outside.
“We’ve been working out as a team now for a month or so. Before that, there were camps for the kids. They were hitting in the gyms and hitting in the curling rink. It will be nice to finally get outside again,” said Rilling, who will only hold a couple of practices before the Baseball Alberta season opens this weekend.
A welcome addition to this year’s program at the bantam and midget level will be a full season of usage at Fair Field in Cheadle.
Opening on July 29 last year, the Reds only used the new facility a couple of times in the regular season before hosting provincials at their new digs.
The Reds 1 squad opens their season May 5 at 9 a.m. when they host the Calgary Bandits at Fair Field. Later in the evening, the Reds will host the Calgary Cardinals at Fair Field.
The Reds 1 will close out their opening weekend May 6 when they take on the Lethbridge Bulls (10 a.m.) and the Chestermere Crushers (4 p.m.) at Fair Field.
Geoff Hall will run the second bantam program in Strathmore, as he also makes the jump from the peewee program.
“Having two bantam programs is going to provide a good foundation for the midget program down the road. We have 10 players on our team this year that were at the peewee level last year, so there is going to be a learning process, but I think it will be better in the long run,” said Hall.
Of the 10 new players at the bantam level, six were under Hall’s tutelage last season, providing an instant forming of chemistry before the Reds set foot on the thawed Kinsmen Field this week.
The Reds 2 open their season in Hanna May 5, when they take on the Lethbridge Jr. Academy and the Hanna Hornets. The Reds will put a bow on the weekend by taking on the Foothills Outlaw Blue at Wes James Diamond in Hanna.
The numbers are great even in the younger levels, with the peewee and mosquito programs housing two teams each.
Like the bantam program, the older peewee program will be strong and feature nine returning players, while the second team is mostly first-year players.
With the rosters settled, the players and coaches just want to finally get outside.
“The people at the ag grounds did a great job in clearing off the snow so it could melt in time for our season. We haven’t had to cancel any regular season games, but we did miss out on some opportunities to hold exhibition games,” said Trevor Jensen, who will be coaching the older peewee crew.