Cubs 5 Riggers 3
Brad Goodwin is willing to play pretty much anywhere.
The 18-year-old suited up at catcher for the Red Deer Riggers on Tuesday night, albeit he’s far from a regular there.
In the 5-3 loss to the Edmonton Confederation Park Cubs, Goodwin said it was one of only a few times this year he played the position– although he did it a bit more regularly four years ago.
After a season where the Sherwood Park native played all nine positions for the Prairie Baseball Academy junior varsity team, he’s simply happy to be getting at-bats with the Riggers.
“Really depends on the day,” said Goodwin with a chuckle about his best position.
“As long as I’m getting AB’s in that’s all that matters… I’ve probably caught once this year and before that four years ago I caught… just be a sponge. They have a lot of knowledge. They’ve been doing this for a long time and it’s all a learning experience.”
Goodwin is part of a young core the Riggers have assembled, along with left fielder Zach Olson who also plays at PBA, Austin Hammond and Kelsey Lalor. Goodwin managed to hold his own Tuesday, with an RBI sacrifice fly in the first and a single in the sixth.
He will play with Olson next season at PBA on the varsity team and figures to be an everyday catcher there.
So, he’s hoping to use the Sunburst League to give him a crash course in all he needs to know about it.
As a former closer, he might have a leg up on calling the game but needs to sharpen up a few areas to be ready for next season. His coaching staff at PBA said they needed a backstop next season, so he jumped at the opportunity.
“They told me they needed a catcher, so work on it this summer.
“Receiving and blocking is a big one, I haven’t really done any blocking,” he said.
“(PBA) coaches said I had a good arm, so it would be an easy adjustment back there. Calling the game, I think I’ve done a good job because I was a pitcher.”
Riggers fall to .500 mark
With the game tied 2-2 in the sixth inning, fatigue caught up to Riggers starter Joel Peterman. Edmonton went ahead 5-2 after they strung a few hits together and got runs from a passed ball, a suicide squeeze bunt and a fielder’s choice. Peterman otherwise had a strong night on the mound, allowing just four hits in six innings of work, while striking out five and walking two.
Derek Chapman scored Jason Louis with a fielder’s choice in the sixth for Red Deer but that was all the home side could muster.
Bo Micklejohn opened the scoring in the first with a monster home run for the Cubs. Red Deer rebounded in the bottom of the second inning when they got back-to-back singles and an RBI double from Jordan Wong. Goodwin cashed in the second run with a sacrifice fly.
In the fourth, the Cubs tied the game at two on a passed ball.
Jaret Chatwood was two-for-four on the night with a single and double. He also worked out of a bases-loaded jam on the mound in the seventh.
The Riggers are back on the diamond at home on July 2 against the Sherwood Park Athletics.
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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