When the Saskatoon Berries made their return to Cairns Field on Saturday afternoon for their Western Canadian Baseball League season home opener, the ball was handed off to one of their premier off-season signings.
Matthew Whitney charged out onto the mound to make his first start in blue and purple.
“They showed a lot of trust obviously giving me the ball in that situation,” said Whitney. “But again, I wouldn’t have trained for as long as I have to put myself in this position if I didn’t think I was ready for it.”
Throwing nearly seven innings in a dominant 9-3 win over the visiting Regina Red Sox, it was a taste of what fans can expect this summer from one of the WCBL’s top arms.
Bailyn Sorensen was behind home plate to catch Whitney’s first start as a member of the Berries and said it was easy to get on the same page as the three-year league standout.
“He’s a veteran,” said Sorensen. “He’s been there, he’s done it before, he knows how to get outs. He’s a great pitcher and when he’s working a plan and he’s executing a plan, good things happen.”
Whitney exited Saturday’s game with the win, going six and two-third innings and allowing three runs on six hits with four strikeouts on the day.
The team hopes Whitney’s first appearance in Saskatoon colours is just a precursor to his time on the mound at Cairns Field this summer.
Whitney signed with Saskatoon in the off-season after two summers pitching for the Fort McMurray Giants organization.
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After decent numbers in 2023, it was last season where the six-foot-five pitcher truly broke out with 66 strikeouts to sit second in the league only to new Berries teammate Klevert Martina.
As well, Whitney tied for the WCBL lead with six wins last year as a member of the Giants’ pitching staff, while finishing top-five in earned run average with a mark of a 4.06 ERA.
“He wanted to come here and it was obviously a no-brainer to have him,” said Carnahan. “We’re fortunate to have him here.”
Following the departure of Giants head coach Joe Ellison in the off-season, the Berries were able to bring Whitney into the fold as they look to improve on last year’s run to Game 3 of the East Division semi-finals.
For the West Texas A&M ace, it was Carnahan’s presence that helped Whitney decide to join the Berries organization.
The Plantation, Fla., graduating senior is aiming to make the most out of this season in Saskatoon, with his collegiate baseball career nearing its end. He has one final chance to chase a WCBL championship, which has eluded him throughout his summer collegiate career.
“This is possibly my last chance of being able to play baseball,” said Whitney. “So whatever I can do to contribute is whatever I can do to contribute. I’m here to pitch as much for these guys as they’re here to play for me also.”
That drive is music to Carnahan’s ears, as Whitney represents part of a revamped Berries rotation in 2025, which has helped get the team off to a 4-1 start and it looks to reach their first WCBL championship series.
“We got a couple of older guys this year and the big thing is we have a lot of arms here early on,” said Carnahan. “It’s nice to do that, keep guys short on their pitch count and all of that right away.”
Whitney said watching what the Berries were able to accomplish in their first year and the draw of playing in front of a packed grandstand at Cairns Field also played a big part in him moving over to Saskatchewan in 2025.
He hopes the fan atmosphere will continue to build during the team’s second season as a franchise.
“Just being able to see it from the outside last year, seeing what this group was able to do and being able to contribute my own piece to that, to their success and build off of that for the future of this organization … that’s my goal,” he said.
The Berries will wrap up their four-game homestand on Wednesday night, hosting Whitney’s former club, the Fort McMurray Giants, with reigning WCBL Most Oustanding Canadian and Rookie of the Year Carter Beck slated to make his season debut with a 7 p.m. opening pitch.
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