BROATCH AND DHANANI: TWO KEYS TO A SUCCESSFUL SEASON FOR TRU BASEBALL
(Kyle Dhanani -left and Jordan Broatch-right)
For Release: May 1, 2009
Kamloops—The faces may change, but the result seems to be the same for the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack baseball team. The WolfPack are heading into the final few weeks of the Canadian College Baseball Conference season poised to battle for another championship. Despite losing their key reliever, some of their top starters and their entire starting outfield, Ray Chadwick has his team among the league leaders.
Two reasons for their success thus far in 2009 can be attributed to a pair of veterans: Shortstop Kyle Dhanani (Blaine, Washington) and pitcher Jordan Broatch (White Rock, BC). Dhanani has been leading the team in RBI’s and Stolen Bases while Broatch has emerged as a legitimate threat on the mound.
Dhanani has been quite modest when he looks at the success they’ve enjoyed. “For me? Just trying to be consistent in my approach to the game. Trying to be a leader on and off the field. I try not to think too much when I play. “ he says “ Our team success? Well, Our pitching keeps us in games when our hitting isn’t there which is a big factor to our success. They keep us in games.”
After being a part of the Okotoks Dawgs who won the Western Major Baseball League title last summer, Kyle came back energized. “It gave me confidence in my game to play at a high level,’ he explains. “Everyone I played with had different tips that they had gained in their own experiences from different parts of the country that helped me.”
He enters this weekend’s play with a .358 average, with 22 stolen bases, three homers and 26 R.B.I. He credits work with TRU’s assistant coach Frank Ingram as one of the reasons for his success. “Frank worked with me in the fall to read pitchers better and in turn, get better jumps. I wasn’t much of a base stealer last year so early on, I think I just caught a lot of teams by surprised. I’m still working at getting faster.”
The 2009 season is Broatch’s second as a member of the WolfPack. The six foot, right hander has a 5 and 2 record with two complete games thus far. “I’ve been able to throw strikes when needed and get the key outs to support the team when I had the opportunity,” he says. “I haven’t really felt any pressure to be the ‘ace’. Our rotation is strong and well rounded. We don’t really have one pitcher who stands out among the rest. Anyone of our starters can go out and throw a strong game in order to get the win.”
Broatch has become very analytical about his pitching and what it takes to be a winner when he gets his shot to start. “ My aggressiveness to get ahead in the count and attack the low strike zone has been very effective this year. Ray (Chadwick, TRU’s head coach) has made it very clear to be accurate to get outs so that’s the main skill I have been working on.”
His 2.06 Earned Run Average is among the best in the CCBC. Like Dhanani, Broatch is quick to credit the entire team with how well the results have been this year. “It hasn’t been as difficult as I had first thought it would be,” he says referring to the team’s success in rebuilding. ‘ We’ve had four first year guys come in and do a great job.”
Although TRU will finish second in the Chris Reitsma Division when the regular season is said and done, both players believe that they will be right in the ‘thick of things’ come the playoff weekend in Lethbridge (May14-16).
“Each week we come out stronger as a team and if we stay on that course, we’ll be every confident going into the playoffs.” Broatch explains. “If we play the way we know we can, the championship will be no problem, “states Dhanani. “We just have to stay within our talent and trust ourselves to be capable of winning.”
The WolfPack are in Calgary this weekend to take on the U of C Dinos. The teams will play at Burns Field in Calgary starting at 1 pm PDT on Saturday (May 2) and 11 am PDT on Sunday (May 3rd).