Senior Carillon Sultans aiming high in 2025
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The Carillon Sultans of the Winnipeg Senior Baseball League are off to a solid start to their season.
With a 5-1 Carillon sit in second place in the league standings. The Sultans off to a much better compared to last season when they lost four straight games to start the season.
Player/manager Nick Wall is happy how the Sultans will line up this season, noting not only did the team not lose anyone, they also added some quality players who graduated from the MJBL.
“It’s looking really good,” Wall said after a 17-0 win over North Winnipeg May 27.
“(We’ve) been hitting the ball really well… Even guys that haven’t had batting practice.”
One of those new full-time players to the team is left-handed pitcher Linden Meilleur, who got the start and the win against fellow top division team Stonewall for the team’s season opener.
Wall noted current MJBL players Cedric Lagasse and Brady Papineau could see playing time for the senior team as well.
The Sultans are looking to finally break through in the WSBL, after falling in completive series in the playoffs the past few years.
“We’re going to have a bit more of a pitching rotation this year,” Wall said.
“(We want) to consistently get guys in once a week. Adding a guy like Linden is huge. He eats innings and he’s so good… He’s exactly the kind of guy you want on the mound in a big game.”
The WSBL league has tweaked their schedule this year, moving up the end of the regular season to mid-July to try and get playoffs finished before the provincial championships take place in early August.
“The weather’s been super co-operative which has been super nice,” Wall said.
“We’ve been rolling, and these next two weeks look awesome.”
The Sultans will next be in action at home June 11 when they take on the St Boniface Brewers.
The Junior Sultans are also off to a strong start, sitting at the top of the league with a 5-1 record. That lone loss came against Winnipeg South, as the two teams split a double-header at A.D. Penner Park June 1.
It was a long day for everyone involved, as the two teams combined to score 36 runs over the two games, with the Sultans dropping the opener 14-13 before bouncing back with a 12-7 win.
Leadoff hitter Joe Plett was the star of the day for the Sultans, picking up four hits and four RBIs across the two games, while also starting and winning game two from the mound.
The junior team are continuing fundraising efforts for their upcoming nationals trip. They will be hosting a social in Ile des Chenes June 20.
A game against Elmwood finished after press time June 4.