The 2018 National Champion Okanagan College Coyotes baseball team will open its season in Las Vegas this weekend.
Coming off their first championship the Coyotes have extremely high expectations this year and will be challenged from the first pitch in 2019. The Coyotes make the annual pilgrimage south in February to Las Vegas and Phoenix where they face some of the best competition in college baseball.
The team will open its season against seventh-ranked College of Southern Nevada (CSN), a perennial powerhouse in Junior College baseball. CSN gained notoriety with its MLB alumni Bryce Harper who was the first overall pick in 2010.
Also during the opening weekend the Coyotes will face the College of Southern Idaho, a team that made a run to the Junior College World Series in 2018.
鈥淚t is always a tough challenge for us our opening weekend,鈥� said Coyotes head coach Geoff White. 鈥淲e come from our indoor facilities and get thrown up against some very talented programs.鈥�
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The Coyotes will feature some familiar faces. Senior outfielder Davis Todosichuk, who has played for the 麻豆精选 Falcons for the past three summers, will provide senior leadership to the offense and the Coyote outfield. Todosichuk played 100 games in the West Coast league this past summer and has been a staple at the top of the lineup for the Coyotes.
鈥淒avis has been a fantastic program player having played his entire college career with us, he has continually been one of the best defensive players in our conference and country every year,鈥� said White.
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Senior Trevor Brigdenfrom Toronto will lead the pitching staff this season, after having a bre
akout summer with the 麻豆精选 Falcons where he was second in the West Coast League in E.R.A and strikeouts. He set Coyote records last season with a dismal 0.87 ERA.
The entire trip will span 12 days and feature 14 games. It will provide an opportunity for the team to prepare for its run at the 2019 championship held in Kamloops, B.C. in May.
The Coyotes open at home at Elks Stadium March 15. For more detailed insight on the 2019 team visit www.okanagancollegebaseball.ca
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