Baycats brace for Twins

Sports

IBL: It's experience vs youth when playoffs open tonight in Barrie

Posted By STEPHEN SWEET, SPECIAL TO THE EXAMINER

Posted 1 month ago

If the first 36 games were the dress rehearsal, then let the show begin.

The Barrie Baycats begin their 2010 playoff campaign Thursday at Barrie Metals Stadium at 7:30 p.m. against the youthful Mississauga Twins, a team they've never faced in post-season play.

And although they have the Twins beaten in experience and head-to-head competition this season, no one is taking them lightly.

"Facing them will be similar to the young Oshawa team we played a few years ago. They were a young team without much experience looking to knock off the more veteran squad."

The young and unpredictable Twins could prove to be a serious challenge in the quarterfinals for Barrie, which closed out the regular season in Brantford Wednesday night.

Barrie finished in third place, while Mississauga claimed the sixth position.

"Mississauga's a good, young team," said outfielder Glenn Jackson. "A lot of them are going to college and thinking about the (MLB) draft, but they're a spark waiting to happen."

Fortunately, the Baycats are confident in their own abilities.

"I think we match up well against the Twins," said reliever Doug Dimma. "A lot of our guys who were banged have had a lot of rest, and the clubhouse will be fired up, looking to take care of business."

Leading the rotation out of the gate will be six-year major league veteran Paul Spoljaric, who will get the ball in Game 1, according to Roy.

"He's a huge part of the reason why we're successful, and that's why we watched his innings during the regular season," Roy said. "We'll try and get him out there as much as possible."

They've been able to manage his innings -- along with the rest of the staff -- because of the success of so many pitchers.

"Chris Kemlo's had a huge year for us," Roy said. "Brad Bissell's had another fantastic season as well, so we're going to count on those three guys a lot."

Depending on how the playoff schedule breaks down will determine the number of starts Adam Garner and Adam Hawes get, both of whom have the trust of their teammates.

"With starters like Garner, Spoljaric, Kemlo, Bissell, strong guys coming out of the bullpen, and (Kyle) Payne finishing games, we're in a really good spot," Jackson said.

Jackson is one of a number of regulars who missed action late in the season with an injury. He considers himself to be day-today with a strained oblique muscle.

"I'm just doing whatever I can to try and make it heal faster," Jackson said. "I know it's just about ready, but with strains, you don't want to take a chance."

Roy didn't risk anything down the stretch with injured players, and as a result he'll have a much stronger lineup to run out for the playoff opener.

"We'll have Dave Latour back, Sean Mattson should be back, and likely Jackson too," said Roy, who considers Matt Richardson, dealing with post-concussion syndrome, as the only regular ruled out.

The veteran presence on the team should help keep the troops on the right path as they enter the second season.

"Mentally, it's going to help us a lot," Roy said. "Dealing with all of these injuries and struggling from a record standpoint headed into the playoffs could sink a young team.

"But for us, we understand that we know what it takes to get things done in the playoffs, so we feel confident about our chances if our lineup stays 100 per cent healthy."

The players feel i, t too.

"This is probably the most talented team I've played for in this league," Dimma said.

"Pitching and defence are going to win you the championship, and we've got great starting pitching and a great bullpen."

Game 2 of the series is slated for Sunday at 7 p.m. in Barrie.

sports@thebarrieexaminer.com

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