By JOE McFARLAND

So close.

The Medicine Hat Major ‘AAA’ Mavs came within one win of doing something only two other Alberta teams had done before.

Had they managed to beat Whalley in the Little League Canada championship game, the Mavs would have joined Norcrest (Lethbridge) in 1977 and Calgary West in 2001 as the only teams from the province to head to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

However, after an incredible run winning seven-straight games at nationals to get into the final game, the Medicine Hat contingent felt 10-1 to their B.C. counterparts.

As heartbreaking as it was for the Mavs to come so close to their goal only to have it smashed away, head coach Steve Russell says it was a year to remember in numerous ways.

“Unbelievably impressed,” he told Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast. “It was just one of those things where, as 12-year-olds, you just know there’s going to be a time and a place where an error, or this or that, is going to happen. You pray to God you get the right bounce, the right situation or whatever it is.”

It was also the first time since 2012 that an Alberta team (Southwest Lethbridge) made an appearance in the Little League Canada final, an experience the team won’t soon forget.

ASCENDING TO THE TOP

With many players returning from the 2023 season, Russell says a deep playoff run was on the minds of many heading into the season.

He says one of his assistant coaches made mention about how good the team could be and even mentioned it in a parent meeting.

“Even thinking back, my back went up even when he said it,” Russell said. “I just don’t even like foreshadowing what could be. In my mind as a coach, I want them to play in the moment … be in the moment.”

The team opened its tournament season in Swift Current and lost the first two games, leading the coaching staff to worry a little bit.

“We were literally, in between games, throwing hats out trying to figure out how to do cut-offs,” Russell said. “We were playing 13U, so we’re looking at pickoffs and leadoffs, things that our kids were completely unaware of.”

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However, the team came together and ended up winning the tournament, which assistant coach Aaron Lybbert says turned out be a turning point for the team.

“As the season went on, I think we had some ups and downs, but Steve got us all back in line and told us to trust the process,” he said. “Probably from that first week of July on, the trajectory just went up, steadily climbing and it was exciting.”

The Mavs also racked up big wins at the Hat City Classic and Lethbridge Invitational, making them believe they could do some damage in the playoffs.

A DIP IN THE ELBOW

Heading into the July 21-27 provincials in Calgary as a favourite, the Medicine Hat contingent got off to a big start with a 21-1 win over Airdrie and a 10-7 victory over Rocky Mountain Little League.

They then lost to Calgary West 7-6 before wrapping up the round robin with a 14-2 win over Fish Creek.

In a double-elimination format, it meant the Mavs would have to beat Calgary West twice to claim the championship.

“They had been a formidable foe the whole year,” Lybbert said. “And we had to beat them twice on the same day.”

After winning the first nailbiter 5-4, the Mavs completed the two-game sweep with an 8-6 victory to punch their ticket for the July 29-August 8 national tournament.

Medicine Hat Major Mavs book ticket to Canadian Little League championship final https://t.co/fbQT4MhzkO pic.twitter.com/sVp9Ckn3Qo
— CHAT News Today (@CHATNewsToday) August 7, 2024

The players celebrated by jumping into the nearby Elbow River while the coaches watched in amazement.

“What they did was pretty unbelievable,” Russell said. “Not many teams come back from two wins straight in the finals in provincials. To do it the way they did and how they did it, it was awe-inspiring and super-cool.”

ROLLING THROUGH NATIONALS

Then it was onto the national championship in Kingston, Ontario, where Medicine Hat continued the ride the wave of success throughout the entire round robin.

They posted wins over BC, Quebec, Atlantic, Prairies, Kingston and Ontario by a combined score of 49-3.

The coaches admit that they were planning to win three or four of the games, but not all six, and realized they might be on the cusp of something special after their first game.

“We were prepared to probably not beat Whalley (BC) and win the games we were hoping to,” Lybbert said. “After we beat them 2-0, we literally had a coaches’ meeting that night and said we have to re-evaluate our goals.”

From the big Mavs to the Major AAA Mavs – GOOD LUCK AT NATIONALS! ⚾️

Enjoy the experience, be proud of your accomplishments and have fun! We’ll all be cheering you on! 🤜@mhsportandevent @medicinehatcity @LittleLeagueCAN @LittleLeagueAB pic.twitter.com/zweA01mVrD
— Medicine Hat Mavericks (@mhmavericks) July 28, 2024

While the team had become known for being stingy on the mound and defensively, the offensive output was something they hadn’t been accustomed to seeing regularly.

As the wins kept mounting, Russell says sleep became harder to come by as he tried to prepare the team for what was to come.

“I don’t think I slept more than 3-4 hours a night – it was crazy,” he said. “It was one of those things where they’re not totally playing outside of themselves, but they’re just continuing to improve. They did what they needed to do.”

After a 6-0 win over Kingston in the semi-final, the Mavs were set for the championship game against Whalley.

A TIP OF THE CAP

With the rain pouring down in Kingston, the Mavs found themselves in a situation they hadn’t faced in a while: down.

Whalley jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, and the Medicine Hat contingent couldn’t get their feet under them as they fell 10-1.

Russell says they had a good scouting report on their opponents going in and they played their top-of-the-order players how they should, but sometimes things just don’t go your way.

“I just have to tip my cap to those kids on that team that were the number 6, 7, 8, 9 guys that were able to hit a one-hopper over the fence, you know what I mean?” he said. “They were able to take advantage of the pitch and just step up.”

The Medicine Hat U12AAA Major Mavs had a run to remember at the Little League nationals. #medhat https://t.co/KQicJ6cDUG
— Medicine Hat News (@MedicineHatNews) August 9, 2024

Russell says a couple of minor mistakes came back to bite them, adding they were mistakes you can expect in little league baseball.

While Whalley went to Williamsport and went 1-2, the Mavs were able to hold their heads high knowing they gave it everything they could to get there.

Their head coach says the sky is the limit for the team as they move onto American Legion baseball, adding he hopes they take away some lessons from a memorable summer.

“Every chance you have an opportunity to get better – do it,” Russell said. “If you’re going to win those big games at any moment in your life, you have to be at your best. You can’t rely on the other team to be at their worst or to make mistakes, because they don’t.”

The coaches add they are grateful for all of the support from the Medicine Hat baseball community as well as across all of Alberta.

The 2025 Little League World Series is slated for August 13-24.