‘A fresh start’: Red Sox, Miller Express embracing underdog mentality heading into WCBL postseason

Regina Red Sox infielder Justin Simard swings at a ptch during the team's game against the Saskatoon Berries on July 30, 2025.

The Regina Red Sox and Moose Jaw Miller Express are hoping to put aside regular seasons where they failed to meet their own expectations heading into the playoffs.

Both teams are embracing a perceived underdog status, sitting third and fourth in the standings respectively, and facing higher-seeded teams in the first round of the playoffs.

“We got a six or seven-game heater and then we never put big streaks together,” Red Sox manager Rye Pothakos told CTV News Monday night. “We’d win two or three wins, then lose two or three or five.”

“We learned a lot along the way,” he added.

“We got into the playoffs again for the fourth year in a row,” Millers’ manager Eric Marriott said. “We’re excited to make another run on this thing again.”

Round one of the 2025 Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) playoffs begins Wednesday night.

Red Sox vs. Mavericks

Regina (29-27) will go against the second place in the east Medicine Hat Mavericks (34-21) in the first round.

“Their crowd is crazy,” Pothakos said about his opponent. “We’ll have to battle that a little bit as well and jump out in front to keep the crowd quiet. And then it’ll be a nice night.”

The Red Sox and Mavs played eight times in the regular season – splitting the season series four games apiece.

However, Medicine Hat has won the last three games, which were all at Athletic Park.

Pothakos says experience is his team’s biggest asset.

“We can score runs and we have a lot of experience,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of older players. Our pitching staff has come together nicely here now, so we’re ready to go.”

Despite not rising to their expectations, the team feels their best baseball is ahead of them. Winning three of the last four games to finish the year, including two walk-off wins.

“Momentum is great,” said infielder Jalen Meyers. “Winning three in a row and coming out here scrapping hard towards the end showed the fight this team has and I’m excited to get into the playoffs.”

In 2024, Regina was the number one seed heading into the playoffs, but they would go on to be swept by Moose Jaw in the first round.

Meyers is one of the eight returning players from last season.

“We’re a new team,” he said. “[Each player] does their thing and they do the right thing and we win ballgames still.”

“I love this group of guys that we got right here,” he added.

The Red Sox have lost eight-straight playoff games dating back to 2019, when they were swept by Okotoks in the WCBL championship final.

“We have got to play clean baseball in the playoffs,” Pothakos reinforced. “[We] can’t give good teams four outs in an inning. The teams that do play clean baseball usually come out on top.”

Game 1 is slated for Wednesday night in Medicine Hat. Game 2 will be back at Currie Field Thursday.

If necessary, the teams will return to Athletic Park for Game 3 on Friday night.

Miller Express vs. Berries

Moose Jaw is hoping to defend their 2024 East Division title, but they’ll have to go through the top seed Saskatoon Berries to do it.

“All four teams that got in are capable of winning and moving on,” Marriott said “It’s just a matter of who wants it more and who doesn’t want to go home.”

The Millers (27-29) are fourth place in the division. In order to complete their defense and move to the next round, they’ll have to beat the Berries who set a new WCBL record for wins in a season at 46.

Saskatoon had just nine loses all year.

“We respect the Berries more than anything in the world with the record they just put up,” Marriott added. “They’re a great team but we’re going to give them all they got.”

“The playoffs are a time to reset,” he said.

Moose Jaw is no stranger to the underdog role. Last season, they were also the four seed when they swept a 38-win Red Sox club.

Fourth-year infielder Austin Gurney feels the Millers have the team to do it again.

“It gives us confidence if anything,” he said, “We’re very well prepared for these situations and it’s just kind of our team’s culture over the last four years, we grind it out.”

Moose Jaw will travel to Cairns Field for Game 1 Wednesday, with the series turning to Ross Wells Park for Game 2 on Thursday night.

If the series is tied, Game 3 returns to Saskatoon Friday.