With two of their key players on the shelf at the most critical time of the season, the rest of the Okanagan Athletics will need to summon up some postseason magic this weekend in Kelowna.
The undermanned A乌鸦传媒檚 are playing host to the five-team championship tournament beginning Friday at Elks Stadium.
Already carrying one of the league乌鸦传媒檚 sparsest rosters, the A乌鸦传媒檚 will be without arguably their best all-round player, Cole Van Every, along with starting third baseman Mason Glowacki.
The 18-year-old Van Every, who led the PBL in strikeouts (86) this season while batting .337 and providing defensive stability in the infield, broke his ankle last weekend in Game 3 of the A乌鸦传媒檚 playoff series in Victoria. Glowacki will miss the provincial tournament with a concussion.
Still, with just 13 players on the roster, head coach Evan Bailey said his club can乌鸦传媒檛 afford to dwell on its less-than-enviable position.
乌鸦传媒淲e have to move past it, we really don乌鸦传媒檛 have a choice,乌鸦传媒� said Bailey, the Athletics乌鸦传媒� head coach and program director. 乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 pretty untimely for us, a tough situation for the guys but they have to go out and play. I think we乌鸦传媒檙e resilient, I乌鸦传媒檓 not worried about the guys morale. But we乌鸦传媒檙e facing teams with 22-man rosters, so it乌鸦传媒檚 going to be a challenge. But as we know in baseball, anything can happen.乌鸦传媒�
Okanagan will be joined by the four winners of last weekend乌鸦传媒檚 first-round PBL playoff series乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綌who also happen to be the top four teams from the regular season乌鸦传媒攊n the Langley Blaze, Abbotsford Cardinals, North Shore Twins and Victoria Mariners.
The A乌鸦传媒檚 open up the provincial tourney Friday at noon at Elks Stadium against the Mariners.
At 3 p.m. Abbotsford takes on North Shore, followed by the Langley Blaze who will meet the winner of the A乌鸦传媒檚-Victoria matchup.
Adding to the challenge this weekend is the double-knockout format, putting pressure on both the A乌鸦传媒檚 and Mariners乌鸦传媒攖he fifth- and fourth-place teams乌鸦传媒攖o get out of the gate fast. Only one team will.
乌鸦传媒淭he double-knockout makes it tough, it乌鸦传媒檚 never been used before,乌鸦传媒� Bailey said. 乌鸦传媒淏asically, if we lose our first game, we have to then win five in a row. That乌鸦传媒檚 not what you want to be facing.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 always been a round-robin format in the past, giving you a little bit more room for error,乌鸦传媒� he added.乌鸦传媒淏ut, it is what it is. We have deal with it the best we can.乌鸦传媒�
Okanagan had a chance to bump Victoria from the postseason picture in the quarterfinal round last weekend, but the hometown Mariners earned their way into the PBL finals with a 2-1 series win over Bailey乌鸦传媒檚 club.
The PBL championship will be decided Sunday, with the finals at 2 and 5 p.m., if necessary.
The A乌鸦传媒檚 won their only previous PBL title in 2012.
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