Gopher dynasty
For the Grade 12 student, Thiessen has seen his team make it to at least the semifinals four years in a row, their only provincials loss coming last year against the Garden Valley Zodiacs in a tight 3-2 game.
But the Gophers can't seem to stay away from gold for long, defeating the Steinbach Regional Sabres 13-1 at Stonewall Quarry Park on Saturday.
Donnie Smith Photo
Grade 12 Jackson Thiessen has three championships with the Garden City Gophers.
'I wanted to end it on a good note,' said Thiessen. 'Winning it all and to actually come out on top meant a lot more to me because it's my last year there, and it just makes the win so much more memorable.'
Donnie Smith, who has been coaching with the Gophers for over 15 years, attributed the depth of his team to their success.
'We could juggle the lineup if I wanted to and feel comfortable with it,' said Smith. 'There's a threat at any hitting position. And then our pitching depth was probably a little stronger than most teams.'
The bats were clearly hot, looking at their dominant 13-run win against Steinbach, but Smith also credited his team's defence — which was solid all weekend — as a key factor in their championship run.
'The confidence and ability to overcome obstacles and adversity with this group, and the leadership group has been awesome,' said Smith. 'We were down in the quarterfinal against (co-op) Birtle for a little bit, and there was really no panic that set in.'
Donnie Smith Photo
Garden City Gophers outfielder Jacob Chaytor
For Smith, a big part of the season beyond capturing the championship was seeing the players grow closer as a group.
'For me, whether we won or lost, it was more about building a bit of friendship here, and having kids be involved with the program that have never played baseball before learn from our depth guys,' he said.
Thiessen echoed that sentiment, saying team chemistry this year was off the charts.
'Everyone was super close,' said Thiessen. 'Even the guys that wouldn't get as much playing time were always loud on the bench… We were never down on ourselves, we were always picking each other up.'
Thursdays
Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter.
Thiessen played a big role in the 2023 provincials, delivering a walk-off grand slam to win it all for the Gophers in his Grade 10 year, a moment he called one of his favourites with the team.
Cassidy Dankochik / THE CARILLON
Lincoln Carriere pitched a complete game for Garden City, allowing only two hits from the Steinbach Regional Sabres.
'Overall, as a team, I'd say my favourite part was just being able to hang out with the guys and have fun,' he added.
The centre fielder will head west in the fall, committed to Okanagan College in B.C., where he'll continue his baseball career.
The Gophers, who had 10 Grade 11 players this year, will hope to follow in Thiessen's footsteps and win it all in their final year next season to keep the dynasty going.
zoe.pierce@freepress.ca
Donnie Smith Photo
Garden City Gophers pitcher Brennan Veldkamp
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
20 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
White Sox CF Luis Robert Jr. sidelined for 2nd straight game because of adductor soreness
CHICAGO (AP) — White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. missed his second straight game on Saturday night because of adductor soreness. Robert felt the injury when he stole second in the ninth inning of Wednesday's 11-9 victory at Tampa Bay. The White Sox were off on Thursday, and Robert rested during Friday night's 12-5 win against the Cubs. Robert was available off the bench on Saturday, but he rested during a 6-1 loss to the North Siders. 'Still sore, but better than yesterday,' manager Will Venable said. 'He ran around, looks good, just not quite there yet.' Robert is batting .375 (12 for 32) with two homers and nine RBIs during a nine-game hitting streak, showing signs of breaking out after a miserable start to the season. With the rebuilding White Sox in last place in the AL Central, he could be on the move ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. Robert, who turns 28 on Aug. 3, is batting just .206 with 10 homers and 41 RBIs in 84 games. But he also has career-high 26 steals and plays solid defense in center. He hit a career-best 38 homers in 2023. Also Saturday, Shane Smith threw about 55 pitches to Josh Rojas, Tim Elko and Brooks Baldwin. The All-Star right-hander is coming back from a sprained left ankle. 'I think it went pretty well,' Smith said. 'Good feel for the stuff. It's really cool to face our guys. I can get an insight what they are doing and what they see a little bit easier. Yeah, it felt good to be back on the bump.' Venable said Smith looked good, and he wasn't certain about the next step for the pitcher. 'We're going to map that out here,' he said. 'I'm not sure if it's going to be another live BP or a rehab assignment.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The 25-year-old Smith was selected by the White Sox in December's Rule 5 draft. He got off to a solid start in his first year in the majors, but he is 0-4 with an 11.29 ERA in his last five games. Smith got hurt during a July 17 workout at PNC Park. The White Sox are monitoring his innings over the last part of the season, and he is hoping the IL stint will help him finish strong. 'Just like making sure mechanics are there,' he said. 'Stuff you don't neglect during the middle of the week but you can really work on stuff once you are feeling good. That's all I'm trying to do, make sure the body is in the right spot, and make sure the mechanics and delivery are in the right spot.' ___ AP MLB:
Winnipeg Free Press
4 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Geno Smith aims to bring stability and firepower to Raiders' struggling offense
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The Raiders have been searching at quarterback since a messy divorce late in the 2022 season ended Derek Carr's nine-year reign. And even Carr's tenure came up short of expectations with the team making the playoffs just twice. Now the Raiders are counting on veteran Geno Smith to provide much-needed stability and add punch to an offense among the NFL's worst last season. But, he isn't expected to do it by himself in Las Vegas. He has two potentially dynamic offensive weapons in tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty, as well as wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, who comes off his first 1,000-yard season. All three are 28 and younger, and Smith is closing in on 35 as he enters his 12th season. 'In this league, every day you got to prove yourself, not only to your guys but to the rest of the league,' Smith said. 'So for me, when you're coming to a new team, you got to set the standard, set the example, and it's through hard work. I wanted to make sure that my guys know that I was going to be here 100% of the time, going to put all the work in, going to maximize our resources and just really put our best foot forward. 'I'm not a big talker. I just want guys to kind of follow me through example, and I just try to push myself, push the guys and let the rest handle itself.' It may be a new city and a new group of teammates for Smith, but there is a sense of familiarity as he goes back to work for coach Pete Carroll. His career was in limbo when Carroll signed him in 2019 to join Seattle. He became the starter in 2022 and led the NFL that season by completing 69.8% of his passes while throwing for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. He was named the AP Comeback Player of the Year, and the Seahawks had winning records in all three seasons with Smith at the controls. Smith threw for 4,320 yards and 21 touchdowns with 15 interceptions last season, but he failed to reach an agreement to stay in Seattle. The Raiders acquired him in a March 7 trade in which they sent back a third-round draft pick. The two-time Pro Bowl quarterback then signed a two-year, $75 million extension that takes him through the 2027 season. Smith said at his introductory news conference that he had 'unfinished business,' given the way his time ended in Seattle. 'He's such an all-in guy that there's no question what his commitment is and his conviction, and so that just helps the message (get) embedded even more so,' Carroll said. 'It's why he's so valuable to us.' Smith is a major reason why the Raiders have genuine hope they can improve an offense that last season ranked 29th in scoring and 27th in yardage. Having Bowers and Jeanty in the lineup are two other notable reasons for such optimism. Bowers was second in AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting last season to Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels. Bowers set an NFL rookie record with 112 catches for a first-year mark for a tight end with 1,194 yards receiving and was named to the AP All-Pro team. 'He's one of the better tight ends in the NFL,' Smith said. 'I can't give him the ball enough. I feel bad every time I don't throw him the ball. So I'm just trying to make sure that I'm maximizing his ability, his talent, because that's going to help our team.' Jeanty is expected to be the Raiders' next Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate, and in fact is the favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Las Vegas took him sixth in this year's draft after Jeanty led the nation with 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns rushing to finish second in the Heisman Trophy voting. 'Ashton is a smooth running back out of the backfield,' Smith said. 'We've seen what he can do against contact and breaking tackles. The thing that's really impressing me is his ability to catch out of the backfield. He's a real natural in that aspect.' Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The NFL, in the end, is a quarterback-driven league, and the onus ultimately will be on Smith to make all the pieces work in Chip Kelly's offense. The Raiders have been searching for such a quarterback. Maybe Smith is the answer. 'Geno is a hell of a quarterback,' defensive end Maxx Crosby said. 'He's another guy that gets slept on for some reason, but Geno can play and he's super competitive. Getting to see him and go against him every single day has been an awesome experience so far.' ___ AP NFL:
Winnipeg Free Press
6 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ohtani's big homer and Smith's 2 blasts help Dodgers end home woes with 5-2 win over Twins
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani hit a go-ahead two-run homer in the bottom of the first after giving up a leadoff homer to fellow All-Star Byron Buxton, helping the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Minnesota Twins 5-2 on Monday night. The NL West leaders snapped a six-game skid at home, their longest such streak at Dodger Stadium since September 2017. They were swept in three games by the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend. Buxton sent Ohtani's second pitch of the game halfway up the left field pavilion. After Mookie Betts walked, Ohtani answered with a 441-foot blast to center that put the Dodgers in front, 2-1. The two-way Japanese superstar has homered in three straight games. Smith went deep twice off David Festa (3-4). Smith led off the fourth with a two-strike homer to center and followed with a 435-foot shot to left that made it 4-1. Andy Pages added a solo shot off reliever Cole Sands. Dustin May (6-6) took over from Ohtani, who allowed one run, four hits and struck out three in three innings. May gave up five hits in 4 2/3 innings, struck out four and walked three. Kirby Yates earned his third save. Freddie Freeman was in the lineup a day after being hit by a pitch on his left wrist in Sunday's 6-5 loss to Milwaukee. He was 1 for 4 with a strikeout. Key moment Minnesota shortstop Carlos Correa went 0 for 5, getting booed heavily in every at-bat by Dodgers fans still angry about the 2017 World Series, when Correa played for Houston. He was robbed of a potential game-tying homer by James Outman at the center field wall in the ninth. Key stat Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Ohtani is the first pitcher to give up a homer and hit a homer in the first inning of the same game since Philadelphia's Randy Lerch in a 23-22 win over the Chicago Cubs on May 17, 1979. Up next Twins RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (5-4, 3.95 ERA) starts Tuesday against Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (8-7, 2.59). ___ AP MLB:
