Murray Wood: Who's hot and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look at the week's news and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week's list inclu...
It’s do or die on Saturday night in Saskatoon, as the Saskatoon Berries and Moose Jaw Miller Express meet in a Game 3 of the Western Canadian Baseball League playoffs.
First pitch at Cairns Field in Saskatoon is scheduled for 7 p.m., with the winner to face Regina Red Sox in the East Division Final.
Read more:
- Saskatoon Berries pitcher Adam Beamin credits playing multiple sports for making him better
- WCBL rookie standout Carter Beck returns to Saskatoon Berries for 2025
The game was orignally set to be played on Aug. 8 but delayed because of weather.
We'll see you at the NexGen Patch tomorrow 🤙 pic.twitter.com/DqgkHpVPkd
— Saskatoon Berries (@StoonBerries) August 8, 2025
After Moose Jaw punched Saskatoon in the mouth with a 5-3 win in Game 1 on Wednesday, Saskatoon answered back with a right hook of their own, winning 15-6 in Game 2 in Moose Jaw on Thursday.
That’s something Joe Carnahan, Saskatoon Berries head coach and manager, said he was happy to see.
“I like the way we responded, Merrick Yeager was very good for us on the mound,” Carnahan said.
“(He) gave us a good start and offensively we were much better, we had better at bats and had better approaches.”
Carnahan said at this point in the season it’s hard to make a drastic improvement that can change the outcome of a game.
“We’re 50 plus games (in) right now, so we just have to play our game like we’ve done a bunch of times this year,” he said.
Carnahan said there will be no panic if the Berries fall behind early in Game 3.
“It’s not an end all be all — the biggest thing is we (have) just got to have quality at bats,” he said. “Do our best to get the next guy up, because we have a deep lineup and trust each other.”
The Berries have had that mentality all year, helping the team earn a record-setting 46 wins in the regular season, helped out by players like Ethan Menard, Carter Beck, and Cory Wouters.
Carnahan said there have also been some unsung heroes this year.
“We’ve had quite a few guys — Jalen (Freeman) is swinging the bat really well right now,” said Carnahan.
“Guys throughout the year have been taking turns and contributing and helping us be successful.”
Carnahan said the Berries feel the love at every game at home, too.
“The fan support we’ve had this year at our games and throughout the city has been unbelievable,” he said. “The guys feed off it, and it’s just a great environment.”
Despite winning 46 games this year, Carnahan said he believes his team has dealt with adversity all year long.
“We’ve had a good record this year, but with that we’ve had a lot of adversity,” he said. “We’ve been down by a lot of runs even early on in games, and had the ability to play the game and come back.”
Carnahan said having a group of players who knows they aren’t done until the final out is recorded can also help them play loose and not grip the bat too tight, or overthink in the field.
— with files by Will Mandzuk
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