The Innisfail Indians will open the 2011 Parkland Baseball League (PBL) season tonight against the Olds Athletics with significant changes both on and off the field.
Indians general manager Ray Bergeron and head coach Desmond Bouteiller stepped down during the off-season, and were replaced by Desmond’s younger brother, Steven, who will assume both roles this year. Bergeron will remain with the team as an advisor, while Desmond will remain with the team as a player.
In addition to rounding out Bouteiller’s staff as assistant coaches, veteran players Coulter Haugen and Darcy Neilson will be called on to lead the offence.
Jay Kirkham, a second-year player who played college ball in Minot, ND, will lead the pitching staff.
After finishing the 2010 PBL season in second place in the south division, the Indians were bounced out of the playoffs in the quarterfinals.
“We struggled a little bit - last year was one of the harder seasons,” Steven Bouteiller said. “We didn’t quite get it together.”
After winning the league title in 2009, Bouteiller said many teams would throw their ace on the mound when they faced the Indians last season.
Many of the team’s players are graduates of the local minor baseball program. This year’s roster will feature a number of players graduating from the midget ranks, with Bouteiller estimating the roster will be a 50-50 mix between rookies and veterans.
“We’ll be a young team, and probably be pretty exciting to watch,” he said.
The Indians host the Eckville Expos on May 25, before closing out the month with a road game in Red Deer against the Razorbacks.
The Indians have finished each of their 16 seasons in either first or second place in their division, and have appeared in the league championship 12 times - capturing the league title in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2007 and 2009. In 2008 the Indians finished the season with an unblemished record of 17 wins and 0 losses, before losing to the Rocky Red Dogs in a one game semi-final.
They have yet to capture the Intermediate “AA” provincial title.
The new season’s first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the pool ball diamond.
