The Okotoks Dawgs are sitting pretty on the mound going into the Western Canadian Baseball League final.
Dawgs' ace Nolan Ruff will get the ball for Game 1 of the league final against the Regina Red Sox in the Queen City tonight.
Ruff finished the year with a 7-0 record during the regular season. In his only playoff appearance, he allowed two runs in 7.1 innings in a 7-2 victory over the Edmonton Prospects on Aug. 8. Ruff did not pitch against Regina in the regular season.
"Our rotation is set up really nice for us," said Dawgs coach Mitch Schmidt, while on the bus to Regina this morning.
The Dawgs will likely start the two Lewis and Clark State products Tanner Simpson or the Hammer, Justin Hammergren, for Games 2 and 3 on Friday and Saturday.
Simpson pitched a complete game shutout in eliminating the Prospects on Aug. 10 in his last start. In Simpson's one start against the Sox, he had a no-decision, pitching six innings and allowing one earned run on June 29.
Hammergren got the Game 3 win in relief against the Lethbridge Bulls to clinch the West Division title on Tuesday. He pitched four innings and allowed no runs.
In the regular season, the Dawgs won two of three games against the Sox.
Well that bodes well for the Dawgs, Regina did have the best record in the league at 41-15 and all three games were played in Okotoks.
The Dawgs finished at 40-15 to win the West.
The Sox will be tough.
"Regina pitches well and throws a lot of strikes," Schmidt said.
However, the Dawgs do have the calendar on their side.
Regina's ace Michael Batten pitched nine innings in the Sox's 2-0 victory over Swift Current on Wednesday night to advance to the league final.
"He won the triple crown for pitching in the league, but if we see him it won't be until Game 3 if we see him at all,” Schmidt said.
Batten led the league with an 8-0 record, 1.53 ERA and 81 strikeouts.
Offensively, the Sox's Garrett Keller was second in the league in hitting at .386 — behind the batting king, the Dawgs' Tristan Peters at .396.
Schmidt said the Dawgs must also keep Adam De La Cruz off base, as he provides a spark for the Sox with his speed and aggressive running.
"He's a guy who can cause a lot of pressure with the running game," Schmidt said. "If we control Adam De La Cruz we will do pretty well tonight.
"(Offensively) they don't put up lot of home runs but they have a lot of extra base hits and they like to run. So our pitchers are going to control their runners — we control the running game we will be good."
The Dawgs were able to rest Wednesday after winning the West Division crown by downing the Lethbridge Bulls 4-3 the night before.
"We have been going for 21 consecutive days doing something baseball-wise," Schmidt said. "There was optional extra work on Wednesday, we needed it, especially with an eight-hour bus ride."
Schmidt said while they lost veteran pitcher Nick Vickers, who had to go back to school , the opening game lineup should be virtually the same as the one used against the Bulls in the clinching game on Tuesday.
Game 2 is at Seaman Stadium Friday at 7 p.m. For ticket information go to dawgsbaseball.ca or call 403-262-DAWG (3294). If necessary, Game 3 is Saturday night at Regina's Currie Field.
