When the Moose Jaw Miller Express gathered at team president Darryl Pisio’s home for their regular season wind-up barbecue, head coach Eric Marriott had a strong message for his team.

A long-time Miller Express player himself, the 29-year-old dugout boss wanted his roster to know he was proud of their resilience through an up-and-down 26-29 Western Canadian Baseball League season.

But the job wasn’t over yet, as they entered the 2024 WCBL playoffs as the No. 4 seed, getting ready to face the division-leading Regina Red Sox.

“I just told them that it’s bigger than them individually,” Marriott told Saskatchewan Dugout Stories. “Every year, we come here and we do this for the city.”

He harkened to another local success story, the Moose Jaw Warriors, who captured their first Western Hockey League championship earlier this year, and how they were now known as heroes.

After dispatching the Red Sox and gutting out a 2-1 series win over the expansion Saskatoon Berries in round two, the Miller Express are ready to tackle their biggest challenge yet as they face the Okotoks Dawgs in the WCBL championship.

Marriott says it’s going to be a hard-fought battle, but one he believes can be won if his team plays to its strengths.

Two of those come in the form of long-time Miller Express sluggers Nate Mensik and Austin Gurney, who both still remember the sting of losing to the Dawgs in the 2022 championship.

MR. MOOSE JAW

Marriott says Mensik is “the mayor of Moose Jaw.”

The Pleasant Dale, Nebraska native first joined the Miller Express in 2022 and has now played in 164 regular season and playoff games, hitting 32 home runs and driving in 134 runs.

This season, Mensik shared the league lead in homers with 13 long balls. Mensik also batted .287 with 44 RBI while stealing 12 bases in 53 games.

“He is Mr. Moose Jaw,” Marriott smiled. “His smile is captivating and all the kids love him.”

While Mensik laughs at the monikers, he takes a lot of pride in representing the community which he considers a second home.

“I’ve been here for three years and I’ve loved every second of it,” the 6-foot-2, 185-pound outfielder said. “It makes it feel like you’re still at home and I appreciate Moose Jaw forever for that.”

Heading into the final against the Dawgs, Mensik says he’s not focusing too much on getting revenge for 2022, adding he’s learned to enjoy the moment and understand that it’s “a privilege to be at this point.”

THE CHASE IS ON

Like Mensik, Gurney has become a fan favourite in Moose Jaw and for good reason.

The Campbell River, B.C. native has now played in 175 regular season and playoff games for the Miller Express, hitting a collective .306 with 23 home runs and 147 RBI.

This summer, he was named the team’s most valuable player after hitting .310 with 10 homers, 55 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 53 games.

Marriott is impressed with all that Gurney has accomplished, including hitting the milestone of 200 hits.

“He’s the best three-hole in the entire league,” he said.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound first baseman prides himself on being team-first, believing that what you bring to the diamond is what you bring to life.

“Our goal is to just come in here a better version of ourselves every year and then every day as well,” Gurney said. “Ultimately, we want to take home that WCBL championship that we’ve been chasing for the last three years.”

A PLACE IN HISTORY

It will be a tall order for the Miller Express to claim their first championship since 2002, as the Dawgs are looking to three-peat as champs.

While it would be easy to draw from their past experiences, Mensik says they want to focus on the here and now with a fresh group that has a desire to hoist the Harry Hallis Trophy.

“I’m expecting a lot of fireworks,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a great three-game set and we’re going to come out very excited.”

Mensik adds the team has taken the coach’s words about community and what a championship would mean seriously.

“It would mean the world, absolutely,” Mensik said. “For the city, all they have done for us in helping us get to this point, it would be so awesome to see – they deserve it.”

Game 1 of the best-of-three series goes Thursday night in Okotoks, then the series shifts to Moose Jaw for game two on Friday. If necessary, a game three would be held in Okotoks on Saturday.

There’s a chance that a champion could be crowned at Ross Wells Field on Friday, a fact not lost on Marriott if his team can pick up a game one victory.

“If we really want to do this, then we have to do it together, one-by-one,” he said. “If we can do this, the city will always cherish this team forever and they will go down in history.”