By Dan Marshall

Mariners baseball hopes strong exhibition record continues into regular season

Mar 23, 2018 | 11:09 AM

NANAIMO — The Canadian College Baseball Conference season gets underway this weekend at Serauxmen Stadium.
 
The VIU Mariners expect to field a strong team in 2018.
 
Last year VIU finished fifth with a 7-14 record.
 
Nick Salahub has transitioned into the head coaching role this season and is impressed with a 16-9 preseason.
 
Since returning from an exhibition trip to California and Arizona, Salahub says VIU has gone 10-2.
 
“Our offense is really carrying the load, and we’re getting some good work from our starting pitching. When our defense plays well, we win ball games. I’m expecting some big things, big improvements from last year. I like what we’ve got, I think we have what it takes to win a championship this year,” said Salahub.  
 
In 2017 pitcher Austin Gurr was co-winner of the top pitcher award in the CCBC.
 
He’ll get the opening day start Saturday against the Calgary Dinos.
 
Salahub says Gurr will be a huge part of the Mariners success in 2018 and he’s looking for a big contribution from another veteran as well.
 
“At third base we have Parksville kid Liam Ballance. He was first team All-Conference and we’re expecting the same thing from him this year. He’s already got a grand slam on the year and he’s leading us in RBI’s. We’re expecting him to carry us a long way too.”
 
Two of the new recruits to watch for are first baseman Dylan Kirby who played for the Parksville Royals in the BCPBL and came up through the Nanaimo Minor Baseball system, and also pitcher Matt Johnson out of Manitoba.
 
Johnson is slated to get the start in the second half of VIU’s double header with Calgary on Saturday.
 
The CCBC season is short with the regular season wrapping on May 6.
 
VIU has the advantage of a long string of home games to start the year.
 
This weekend features four games with Calgary and the Mariners will play ten straight home dates before traveling to the University of the Fraser Valley on April 8.
 
The Dinos are in a similar position to VIU this year looking to improve on their 2017 record and adjusting to a new coach.
 
Calgary teams typically have good hitting at the top of their lineup and strong starting pitching according to Salahub.
 
VIU last won the CCBC Championship 2010 and since then the Prairie Baseball Academy has captured the title every year.
 
PBA will be one of the favourites this season, but fans in Nanaimo won’t get a chance to see that team live.
 
VIU heads to Lethbridge at the end of April for the only head to head games between the two squads in the regular season.
 
This weekend’s opening games at Serauxmen Stadium go March 24 at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and March 25 at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
 
 
dan@nanaimonewsnow.com
 
On twitter: @danmarshall77