You’re considered defending champions until someone else knocks you off the throne.
So it’s with that attitude the Victoria Eagles open play on the 2014 B.C. Premier Baseball League season this afternoon at Lambrick Park diamonds, facing the Parksville Royals in a doubleheader at noon and 2:30 p.m.
As his new charges continue to settle in, manager Anthony Pluta isn’t quite sure what to expect from his crew, which graduated 12 players from the team that defeated the Nanaimo Pirates 3-2 for the 2013 crown.
The cross-town Victoria Mariners are also hungry to get going and will face the North Shore Twins today at 1 and 3:30 p.m. in a doubleheader at Henderson Park, before facing Nanaimo on Sunday at noon and 2:30 p.m. at Layritz Park.
“Last year I came in hoping to have a positive season, we came out on top and ended up winning the whole thing. I think we were three games above .500 so we’re trying to better that winning percentage, but the idea is to get these boys better and into college,” said Pluta. “If I can do that, I’ve done my job.
“It’s a very young team. It will be a challenge, but we had most of this team picked in fall,” he added of the 2014 version of the Eagles. “No one has really stepped up yet [as a leader].
“I put it to them at the beginning here, that I would like to see someone step up. Last year we really didn’t have one. Gobind Sall and Vinny Martin stepped up near the end, but no one really took that role of, ‘Hey, let’s go out and stretch,’ or ‘Hey, let’s go get started,’ and be the team captain, almost.”
Catcher Sam Stevenson, who is coming back from a knee injury that kept him out last season, may be that person. Pluta is hopeful that his bat might replace that of Brandon Feldman, who graduated and moved on to Otero Junior College, along with pitcher Brett Hull.
“Hopefully, Sammy will take his place and we have some stellar Grade 10s that are going to have a lot of pressure on them this year to lead the batting categories,” said Pluta, who does have pitchers Riley Edmonds, Ethan Skuija and Adam Bontke back.
Zane Takhar at shortstop and centre-fielder Ben Goertzen are also back.
Edmonds will likely start the home and league opener against Parksville. The Eagles then face the Twins in a doubleheader at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday at Lambrick.
As for the always competitive Mariners, manager Mike Chewpoy will have a loaded pitching stable including Colton Wood, Chris Fougner, Dan Phillips, Nick Dawson and Liam and Angus Catto.
“The arms we can run out are as good as anyone can run out in the league. It’ll come down to hitting.” said Chewpoy.
Positionally, Chewpoy has Jesse Mycock, Morgan and Mike Varley, Evan Willow, Matt Wellington, Chris Lata and Nick Seginowich among his crew.
“Overall, we should be amongst the best in the league. Langley is going to be good again. North Shore will be good and we get them right off the bat,” said Chewpoy.
“I like our chances, but it is hard to win this thing — real hard. A lot of things have to happen for you. Look at last year, the bottom four teams got into the final four, so you just don’t know.
“Talent wise, we’re as good as anybody, but are we going to get lucky and have everything fall into place? I like to think so,” added Chewpoy.
