It was unexpected but ylvan Lake Gulls pitcher Josh Tucker will be back in the lineup this summer.
Tucker explained he was originally unsure if he wanted to play summer baseball again but an invitation from the Gulls to play his third season was something he couldn't turn down.
"After a couple of weeks of thinking about it I decided I's come back up and go for year three with the Gulls," Tucker said. "I like it a lot there so I'm really excited about that. I'll get to come up there and see some old faces I remember from the last two years and meet some new players."
The Southpaw was one of the Western Canadian Baseball League’s (WCBL) top pitchers the last two years in Sylvan Lake setting the league strikeout record with 91 in 2022.
This year he has his sights set on helping the Gulls win its first-ever WCBL title.
"We're going to be good and I know the coaching staff is very capable. [Head coach Jason Chatwood] has good connections around the U.S. with schools so he's going to get some good recruits in," he said.
"I've been looking forward to coming back to Canada this summer."
The Spokane, Wash. native joined his hometown club to play spring baseball at Spokane Falls Community College. Beginning in February their season wraps up in May.
With playoffs around the corner, Tucker said he will miss the beginning of the Gulls season but expects to be in town after the first few games of the summer. Tucker has pitched the whole collegiate season but has dealt with some arm pain. He explained he's still working through the injury but already feels an improvement.
"It's kind of a bummer because I was hoping to have a good spring but it didn't go according to plan. I'm starting to feel better now and I'll be back to normal soon," Tucker said.
"I just haven't been able to perform to the expectations I've had for myself because I wasn't feeling good but it's turning around."
Tucker said a big reason for his success in Sylvan the last two years has been his confidence in his pitching ability and the ability to stay healthy. He'll hope to duplicate that this year while also serving as a leader on the team.
"I feel like I'm getting back to that now which is getting up on the mound and doing my thing. It'll be a lot of fun for the fans and I'll enjoy it too. I'm really looking forward to that."
Gulls head coach Jason Chatwood said that getting a player like Tucker back is a huge boost.
"He's comfortable in the environment and loves pitching in front of our home crowd. He's going to be a huge piece to our rotation and will be a leader on our roster," Chatwood said.
Last season Tucker was used not only as a starter but also came out of the bullpen as a relief pitcher and a closer, which speaks to his versatility.
"When Josh is on the mound I think you're confident you'll have a really good chance to win that night. I think our players play with confidence because he has the chance to go out and dominate. He's had a lot of success with us and we're looking for him to continue that."
The Gulls will begin their season against the Brooks Bombers at 7:05 p.m. on May 25 at Gulls Stadium.