By Ryan Eakin

Barrie, Ontario – After a fifteen day first-round bye, the Barrie Baycats are ready to four-peat as Intercounty Baseball League champions.

But to do so, they will first have to beat the Brantford Red Sox in their semifinal series.

The Red Sox are coming off of a quarterfinal series win against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and enter the semis with loads of confidence and momentum.

Baycats general and field manager Angus Roy said matching the Red Sox confidence and momentum after having such a long break will go a long way to winning the series, adding that he does not expect there to be a problem in that regard.

“We did everything that we possibly could this past week to be ready to play,” said Roy. “We have also been through this type of break and much more together as a group so I am not concerned about the mental side of the game.”

For Roy and his players, it is the physical side that may end up being a concern.

But as Roy said, he did everything that he could possibly do to have his players ready for their semifinal series.

“I gave the guys the entire first week off to do whatever they want,” said Roy. “There were no organized baseball activities for our group in the first week.

“This past week we had three workouts where we took batting practice, did some infield work, and then had some live at-bats off of our own pitchers,” added Roy. “It allowed us to get more at-bats than we would in a game and it was in a controlled environment.

“We felt that was better for us than playing exhibition games against local teams.”

For the Baycats, the team that will be fielded in their semifinal series against the Red Sox is not the same lineup that they fielded during the regular-season, as the injury bug struck the team in the later stages of the regular-season.

Baycats centre fielder Glenn Jackson is out for the postseason after sustaining a wrist injury late in the season against the Maple Leafs, while Baycats designated hitter Ryan Rijo is day-to-day with a wrist injury of his own.

Baycats outfielder Brandon Dhue is also out for at least one more week with a wrist injury.

Roy said the injuries to his team are not ideal, obviously, but believes that outfielders Justin Bryant and Stevie Lewis are capable of starting, while starting pitcher Claudio Custodio can hit as well if needed.

He said that he will try to maximize the talent of his team with what he has to work with.

“My mind works to prepare for things that do not go well,” said Roy. “Managing is easy when your starters throw complete game shutouts and your offense scores fifteen runs.

“It is all the other times that you have to manage, so what I try and do is be prepared for situations heading into games and series. What will we do if ‘A’ or ‘B’ happens and what does that do moving forward is what I think about.

“I do not tend to think about the things that I cannot control.”

As for the Baycats and Red Sox meeting yet again in the postseason?

“Personally I do not think about it,” said Roy. “It is in the past and there are so many different guys on both teams that I do not think it has anything to do with this match-up.

“Those were great series in previous years and some of the most competitive games I have been a part of but it has no bearing on this series. This is about the current guys on both rosters and which team executes better more consistently for seven games.”

Game one of the Baycats best-of-seven semi-final postseason series against the Red Sox will take place Tuesday evening from Coates Stadium in Midhurst.

Baycats ace Emilis Guerrero will start game one, with Claudio Custodio and Matthew St. Kitts starting games two and three.