Bulls satisfied with first half of season

By Lethbridge Herald on July 4, 2025.

Herald File Photo by Justin Seward Lethbridge Bulls Stevyn Andrachick dives back safely to first base as the ball is being thrown over to Energy City Cactus Rats first baseman Timo Aracena during Western Canadian Baseball League action earlier this season.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Bulls are sitting near the upper echelon of the Western Canadian Baseball League’s West Division standings at the halfway point of the season   and feels as though they have made strides to what is hopefully a strong second half run.

“We’ve had our ups and downs with our offence and pitching but all-in-all we’re pleasantly surprised with what we have, and I think we’re set up to make a good push here in the second half,” said Ryan MacDonald, Bulls head coach.

When players felt settled under their roles and adjusting to being every day players is when improvements started to happen in the first half.

“I think it was a breath of fresh air to most guys, and they’ve been doing well,” said MacDonald.

The Bulls have had a couple of players that have had strong statistical first halves with Bernie Socarras in the top five of batting average with a .424 (28-for-66) and pitcher Levi Abbott leading the league with an ERA (earned run average) of 0.36.

“Steady eddy,” said MacDonald, on Socarras.

“He just finds a way to get on. You look back and you’re like he didn’t hit very well and then you look (and) he’s got two or three hits every game type of thing.”

With Abbott, the Bulls know there are strong starts coming from him.

“He’s (been) doing a great job of just changing speeds and getting ahead early in counts,” said MacDonald.

An important first-half lesson came after three recent losses to Okotoks where the Bulls allowed 49 runs in the three contests.

“I see it as more mental mistakes, the pressure spots of making a play on defence or making a good pitch and just not being able to perform under (that). I think the guys have learned that like I said   they can’t afford those mistakes,” said MacDonald.

The Bulls focus in the second half is having more energy as it has been evident in a couple of games when they fail to do so.

“We’ve not (come) out with energy and the dugout’s been dead and then it shows in our bats, and it shows in our pitching,” said MacDonald.

“It’s just having fun and like I tell them all the time, it’s summer baseball, there’s not really any pressure.”

The Bulls sat in second  place in the WCBL’s West Division before Friday’s game in Brooks and  were  two games back of Okotoks for first.