The Thorold Anchors are ready to play ball.
On Monday, May 13, the team will be kicking off their season with a game against the Welland Pioneers.
“We’ve been indoors since the first week of February,” says the team’s manager Aaron McInnis, in an interview with ThoroldToday. “It’s been pretty good. We had a good turnout. There’s a lot of returning players from last year.”
Last summer a group of new players joined the team.
“There was a bit of a learning curve,” McInnis says. “We added some new players, new to the league, new to us at the same time. There was a little bit of a getting used to each other period and there was a little bit of building that team identity.”
The stability of the team’s roster will work in their favour this season, according to McInnis.
“I think as a team it’s important that we’re all coming back,” he says. “So we don’t have to spend any time rebuilding an identity. We already have one and we’re looking to be a winning squad this year.”
The first home game of the season will take place at McMillan Park on Tuesday, May 21, where the team will be facing the St. Catharines Cobras.
McInnis hopes to see the stands full of supporters.
“We love when the whole city comes out,” he says. “That’s important to us. That’s who we play for.”
The team will once again host the OBA Championship at the end of the summer, but their focus is on the local season first and foremost.
“Our big focus this year is doing better, finishing higher in the standings and doing some damage in the local league,” McInnis says. “We’re ready to go and we can’t wait to get out on the field. I would describe these guys as caged animals right now. They can’t wait to get out there and start playing some real baseball.”
The Thorold Anchors are kicking off their season on Monday, May 13 at Welland Stadium.
The team's summer schedule is available on their website.
