There’s nothing quite like the long-ball to reintroduce yourself back to fans.
Okotoks Dawgs Red got on the sticks with two home runs including a grand-slam to outlast the Lethbridge Bulls 9-6 in the home opener for the 2021 Western Canadian Baseball League season Sunday afternoon at Seaman Stadium.
“It was awesome, this was something I’ve dreamed about since I was a 12-year-old kid,” said Dawgs right fielder Tucker Zdunich, an academy grad from 2018. “Getting in front of the crowd, hearing all the noise and all the cheering that was awesome.
“It’s been a long time, people have been itching to come out and watch some ball and it was awesome to get out there and kind of feel back to normal again.”
Zdunich, who calls High River home, broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home-run to right centre – the first of four big flies in the contest.
“Early in the count I was just trying to get the perfect pitch and then as the count went on I tried to expand my zone,” said Zdunich, who hit clean-up. “I got into some deep counts and battled and luckily enough on that one I got to put a good swing on it.”
Okotoks Dawgs Red infielder Tyson Kemp slides into second as Lethbridge Bulls shortstop Mike Fitzsimmons jumps for the ball during the Dawgs' home opener at Seaman Stadium on June 20. By Brent Calver/OkotoksTODAYFollowing a run-scored on a Tyson Kemp bunt leading to a throwing error in the fifth, the hosts broke the game wide open with a seven-run sixth inning.
A pair of walks with bases loaded along with a wild-pitch increased the lead to 5-0 and set the table for the bases to clear in dramatic fashion.
Okotoks centre fielder Brandon Hupe introduced himself to the crowd with a grand-slam to left-centre to make it a 9-0 contest.
“Throughout the game I felt I was a bit early and wasn’t seeing the ball deep and just went up there and was really trying to stay back on the ball,” Hupe said. “And he threw me a fastball over the plate and I was just on it.
“I was trying to sit back on my back hip a little bit and just drive it through the middle of the field, I was a tick early and it just flew out.”
Graham Brunner got the start for the Dawgs and held the Bulls to two hits and two walks over five innings along with six strikeouts to pick up the win.
Lethbridge battled back in the late innings with both Torrin Vaselenak and Noah Or notching two-run home-runs.
But the damage of the sixth was already done.
“I think that really boost the team morale,” Hupe said of the big inning. “When you come back in and have that lead to work with. They come back with a two-spot and it feels like nothing as opposed to if we just put up one or two there.
“Coming out with a seven-spot lets you play with confidence and keep rolling from this game and into the next games as well.
“When everyone gets involved like that it lets guys feel good.”
Dawgs Red rebounded from a tough season opening loss in its first ever meeting with the expansion Sylvan Lake Gulls on the road on June 19 by a 6-0 score.
Okotoks had nine hits but wasn’t able to get anyone around the bases against a Gulls team that took a 5-0 lead through three innings.
Playing at Seaman Stadium, even with attendance capped at one-third capacity, made a world of difference.
“It was awesome,” Hupe said of playing in front of the Dawgs faithful. “I feel like as players we really miss that, especially at the college level where you don’t have that type of fan attendance.
“It just feels great to have them cheering for you. It really puts the wind in your sails as a team.”
Okotoks Dawgs Red infielder Olivier Vallee slides back to first during the home opener against the Lethbridge Bulls at Seaman Stadium on June 20. By Brent Calver/OkotoksTODAYHupe, a rarity on the roster as a non-academy player or alumni of the Dawgs, joined the squad after hearing good things about Okotoks from his UBC Thunderbirds coaches and teammates.
“I really wanted a place to play and this is a perfect fit for me,” Hupe said. “It’s been really good, everyone here is pulling in the same direction, we’re all rooting for each other and it’s great to show some of the young guys the ropes a little bit.
“They’re all really good, have great minds for baseball and just getting to meet some of the college guys has been great coming in as an outsider.”
Dawgs Red, made up of Dawgs academy players and a handful of graduates of the program, looks to have a nice balance of youth and experience.
“We’ve got a lot of young academy kids, but they’re really good ball players, young players wanting to learn a lot,” said Zdunich, a commit to Reinhardt University. “And we’ve got some older guys, 20, 21-year-olds, even a 23-year-old and we bring a lot of experience playing a few years of college ball.
“We can really teach these guys a lot and I think the experience will really help us down the road this season.”
Brettyn Rose sings the O Canada for the opening ceremonies of the Okotoks Dawgs Red home opener against the Lethbridge Bulls at Seaman Stadium on June 20. By Brent Calver/OkotoksTODAYOn the out of town scoreboard, Okotoks Dawgs Black dropped its season debut June 18 in Lethbridge.
The Bulls opened up a 7-1 lead through four innings and doubled up on the visitors by a 14-7 count in front of 500 fans at Spitz Stadium.
Dryden Howse paced the Dawgs offence with a two RBI night along with two runs scored while Ty Doucette and Alejandro Cazorla chipped in with two hit performances.
Okotoks Black had its home opener against Edmonton on June 19 rained out and postponed to a re-scheduled date that’s yet to be determined after heavy rainfall in the lead up to the contest rendered the field unplayable.
Dawgs Black gets back on the field on June 22 for an all-Dawgs showdown with Dawgs Red, with opening pitch at 7 p.m. at Seaman Stadium.
The week continues with four straight home dates for Dawgs Black from June 24-27.
Dawgs Red hits the road for four straight from June 23-27.
Go to dawgsbaseball.ca for the latest schedule information.
