Cougars aim for second straight APBL title

By Lethbridge Herald on June 2, 2025.

Herald photo by JUSTIn SEwARD Catholic Central Cougars Kylar Loman slides into third base with ease ahead of the throw during Alberta Premier Baseball League semi finals action against Chinook last week. The Cougars are looking to win their second straight APBL championship tonight.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Catholic Central Cougars varsity baseball team are chasing their second consecutive Alberta Premier Baseball League championship tonight when they battle the Monsignor McCoy Colts at Spitz Stadium.

The Cougars playoff path to the championship game included a 6-5 quarter- final win over Hat High and a 13-0 drubbing of the Chinook Coyotes in the semifinals last week and the Cougars know it will be no easy feat to knock off the Colts.

“We’re gonna see a very good baseball team, said Anthony Vercillo, Cougars head coach.

“They are  extremely fundamentally sound; they do not make mistakes. Every game we’ve been in with them over the last couple  of years since they’ve been in this league have been very close games.”

Vercillo could think of two things that will help the Cougars to a repeat.

“Our veteran Grade 12 senior leadership are gonna have to play exactly like it is, their last high school baseball game,” said  Vercillo.

“They have to play with that fire and that sense of urgency because for them there’s  nothing beyond (tonight’s) game, high school baseball is done, and they need to have their absolute best performance.”

The second thing Vercillo wants to see from his team is to see the  depth come through.

“We’ve got an extremely deep baseball team virtually up and down line-up,” said Vercillo.

“Anyone  can go in and can have the expectation to perform and the ability to perform.”

Vercillo thinks there are things that can be drawn from winning the championship last year over Chinook.

“A lot can be said for having players who know what it takes to win a championship (and) who are  still on your roster,” said Vercillo.

“they know what it’s like to suffer and persevere and get their ultimate prize. I think that’s a big aspect of what we’re gonna lean on ,is that experience that they’ve had in winning the last game of a season which is extremely difficult to do in any sport.”

The APBL championship is tonight at 6 p.m. at Spitz Stadium.