Comeback greater than setback for Hawkins

Biggar product heads to spring training with MLB Padres

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Garrett Hawkins gets some throws in at the Indoor Training Centre.

Sitting on the cusp of a “big league” dream, Garrett Hawkins was just trying to revive his baseball career a year ago at this time.

In February of 2025, Hawkins was going into training camp activities with the San Diego Padres organization after having last pitched early in the 2023 campaign. He was well along the comeback trail after having Tommy John surgery in the elbow on his right throwing arm.

On April 5, 2025, Hawkins took the mound in his new role as a reliever for the Fort Wayne TinCaps, who are the Padres high-A affiliate in Indiana. From that beginning he would be promoted to the San Antonio Missions AA team on August 1, 2025. 

Hawkins performed so well that he was named the Padres’ organizational Minor League Pitcher of the Year on September 28, 2025.

The best news following the end of the campaign came to Hawkins on November 18, 2025 when he was added to the Padres 40-man MLB roster. He is set to report along with the rest of the Padres pitchers and catchers for Spring Training on February 11 in Peoria, Arizona, which is a day after his 26^th birthday.

“I don’t think it has fully settled in kind of what it means,” said Hawkins, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs 230 pounds. “I think once I get down to spring training it will kind of settle in.”

As he has for every off-season of his professional career, Hawkins has been training at the Indoor Training Centre with the Going Yard Baseball Academy. He has also helped out with coaching young pitchers too.

Garrett Hawkins returned to action after Tommy John surgery.

While Hawkins had been with the Padres since being selected by them in the ninth round of the 2021 MLB Draft in July of that year, he felt like he was going into the unknown going into spring training in 2025. One of the first changes he dealt with was being moved from being a starter to being a reliever.

“At the start of the year, I didn’t know what kind of role I’d have and kind of how the year would go,” said Hawkins. “I got settled in with a good group in Fort Wayne and kind of took it slow.

“I kind of learned along with some of the new guys that I didn’t know before. The year turned out all right.”

From April 27, 2025 until his promotion to San Antonio on Aug. 1, 2025, Hawkins did not allow a run for 34 consecutive innings over 26 appearances. It was the longest scoreless inning and appearances streak in Fort Wayne franchise history. 

Hawkins’ streak finished at 38 consecutive innings, which was the longest scoreless innings streak in Minor League Baseball since 2015.

“It definitely was a fun ride,” said Hawkins about the scoreless innings streak. “I didn’t really know where I was at as kind of the year went.

“I wasn’t thinking about it a whole lot. It definitely was nice to kind of be in that groove for a while and definitely there was some luck involved. It was a good run.”

With the TinCaps, Hawkins appeared in 32 games pitching in 44 innings posting an 8-1 record, a 1.43 earned run average, 60 strike outs and eight saves, while giving up 17 hits. With the Missions, Hawkins appeared in 13 games pitching in 16 innings posting a 1-0 record, a 1.69 earned run average, 20 strikeouts and two saves while giving up 11 hits.

Garrett Hawkins threw 38 consecutive scoreless innings in 2025.

Jordan Draeger, who is an owner operator and instructor at Going Yard, first got an opportunity to coach Hawkins in 2015, when the hurler was 15-years-old. Draeger has gotten to work with Hawkins on a fairly regular basis since that time including working with him to get him ready for the 2025 campaign and for the upcoming 2026 season. The longtime coach was impressed with how Hawkins performed last season coming back from injury.

“It was actually pretty remarkable like how he bounced back from the Tommy John surgery,” said Draeger. “I’ve seen athletes mentally get rocked by that a little bit, and it takes them a little bit while to trust their body and bring the violence back into their throwing progression.

“He really didn’t skip a beat honestly. He just kind of realized that it is a part of things that if you’re going to throw with that much intent all the time that it is just kind of part of it. Mentally, it didn’t set him back at all, so physically it didn’t set him back at all.

“He did a great job of recovering, putting in the hard work obviously in the gym working on his body to make sure that he was in a good position to bounce back. It honestly didn’t play too much into what we did out here from a training progression.”

Draeger added that everyone with Going Yard were keeping tabs on Hawkins’ scoreless inning streak when it was in progress.

“It was super cool to track his progression of the scoreless inning streak,” said Draeger. “That was a lot of fun for everyone to watch, (and) watching his numbers and the strikeout percentages go up.

Garrett Hawkins, right, gives pointers to a young pitcher.

“I think him moving into a closer role was something that was really healthy for him. There is a limited amount of pitches, and he could just go out there and throw with high intent and do his thing. I think the Padres have found a bit of a gold mine, and I think they’re just starting to realize that.

“With that, they put him in the right role. It fits him really well. It was super cool for us to watch as an organization and be able to like cheer him on at a distance.”

Hawkins has enjoyed being able to come back to work with Draeger and the rest of the Going Yard staff over the years.

“These guys have helped me a bunch throughout kind of the development of me all the way back to high school,” said Hawkins, who is a graduate of the Saskatoon Giants under18-AAA program. “It definitely means a lot to have them around.”

Draeger said it has been special to work with Hawkins over the long term and see how the relationship evolved with the experience the hurler has gained since becoming a professional in 2021.

“I think it is a really respectful relationship that we have in the sense that we can still offer him help and offer guidance here,” said Draeger. “It is more of a conversation now than it is about like firm coaching.

“We have really productive conversations on what he needs to do and what he needs to execute in order to get better. It has been awesome to just like have that insight as to where he came from and where he is going.”

Hawkins was grateful to be named the Padres’ organizational Minor League Pitcher of the Year. He is also thankful the Padres stuck with him during the recovery process and didn’t elect to release him.

Garrett Hawkins aims to take advantage of his MLB roster spot.

“It definitely means a lot,” said Hawkins. “They’ve invested a lot of time and energy into developing me into who I am.

“I am definitely grateful for that.”

Now going into the 2026 campaign, Hawkins focus is on taking advantage of the fact he is on the Padres 40-man MLB roster.

“I kind of just take it one day at a time and not make it as big of a deal as it maybe is,” said Hawkins. “I am just trying to do my thing and not worry about too much else.”

Blue Jays visit highlights photo roundup

By Gordie Howe Sports Complex staff
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Jose Bautista works with a youngster on gripping a bat.

If you were at the Indoor Training Centre on the morning of February 2, there is a good chance you became a Toronto Blue Jays fan.

The Blue Jays are known as Canada’s MLB team, but that gained a new connection type feeling locally when Jose Bautista, Buck Martinez, Jose Berrios and Jamie Campbell visited Saskatoon.

All four dropped in to help out with a baseball clinic put on by Kinsmen of Saskatoon in the morning of February 2 at the Indoor Training Centre.

The clinic was part of the festivities associated with the Kinsmen Sports Celebrity Dinner held later that night at the TCU Place.

Andrew Albers and Jose Berrios give points to young players.

Bautista and Martinez, who are both retired Blue Jays players, along with Berrios, who is a current Blue Jays pitching ace, helped with the drills. Martinez is best known for becoming the beloved “voice of the Blue Jays” after the conclusion of his playing days. Campbell, who is a broadcaster, circled around visiting everyone who wanted to talk.

Our lead picture of our photo roundup shows Bautista working with a youngster on how to properly grip a bat. The second picture of the photo roundup shows retired MLB pitcher and Going Yard Baseball Academy instructor Andrew Albers along with Berrios passing on some instructions to a group of youngsters.

The clinic also included a football station overseen by Saskatchewan Roughriders members Noah Zerr and Jorgen Hus. They did a terrific job teaching the youngsters how to throw and catch. Our third photo shows the Roughriders pair giving teaching tips to a group of youngsters.

Noah Zerr (#68) and Jorgen Hus (#46) instruct at a football station.

Along with more photos from the baseball clinic from February 2, the pictures in this photo roundup capture some of the memories that are made on our grounds. This photo roundup contains images from the John Sands Classic Long Track Meet hosted by the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club along with pictures involving baseball, cricket, football, softball and Ultimate disc.

In this photo roundup, most of these pictures were taken by our Communications Coordinator in Darren Steinke along with one cool submitted check in.

Without further ado, here is a selection of 20 shots we hope you enjoy.

Sweet stroke

Hitter Olivia Prokopchuk works on her stroke during a Saskatoon Lasers training session on January 11 at the Indoor Training Centre. Prokopchuk has a strong ability to be able to crush the ball with power on the softball diamonds.

Set for delivery

A group of pitchers prepare to deliver the ball during a Saskatoon Royals female baseball program training session on January 14 at the Indoor Training Centre. The Royals had a healthy turnout of players from various age groups on this day who came out to work on the fundamentals of the game.

Ready to bring the heat

A Saskatoon Cubs pitcher sets to fire a ball across the plate during a training session on January 14 at the Indoor Training Centre. The Cubs also had a good togetherness vibe going as they look towards the upcoming under-18 AAA Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League season.

All about focus

A player keeps her eye on the ball focusing on a catch during a fielding drill at a 222’s Fastpitch program training session on January 17 at the Indoor Training Centre. The players at 222’s training sessions get a healthy amount of repetitions in drills which allows them to improve.

Conditioning key to on field success

George Idoko, who is a defensive lineman for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team, runs some short hurdles during a team training session on January 18 at the Indoor Training Centre. The work Idoko puts in now will allow him sack quarterbacks and stop running backs late in the fourth quarter of games in September, October and November.

Looking for an opening

An offensive player looks for a passing lane against a defender during Saskatoon Ultimate Sport-Disc Society league action on January 19 at the Indoor Training Centre. In Saskatoon Ultimate Sport-Disc Society league play, you get to see lots of athletic plays and fun.

Speed comes from the stride

A young skater focuses on making the perfect stride in a race during the first day at the John Sands Classic Long Track Meet on January 20 at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval. Everyone from the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club looks forward to the annual local meet.

Zamboni at work

Our own Greg Nichol drives the Zamboni for a flood of the ice surface at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval on January 20 between races at the John Sands Classic Long Track Meet. It is part of Canadian culture to dream about driving the Zamboni. With that said, Greg is one of the best in the province when it comes to that skill.

Blast off

A group of young skates takes off from the start line during a race on the second day of the John Sands Classic Long Track Meet on January 21 at the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval. The John Sands Classic was a tremendous success thanks to the work of the Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club.

Strategy in the pack

A group of skaters heads down the front straightaway of the Clarence Downey Speed Skating Oval as part of a 10-lap open race to close out the John Sands Classic Long Track Meet on January 21. The skaters were trying to determine a plan for the lengthy race.

Ready to deliver

A young bowler gets set to fire a ball down the pitching lanes at the Indoor Training Centre as part of a junior cricket practice on January 21. The crew at Cricket Saskatoon does an outstanding job teaching young players the skills of the game.

Making it look routine

One of the highly skilled wicket-keepers from Cricket Saskatoon’s junior program makes an off to the side catch look easy during a training session on January 21 at the Indoor Training Centre. Wicket-keepers have to be ready for all sorts of situations that could happen.

Impressive turnout for Valkyries

The Saskatoon Valkyries Winter Camp attracted a total of 95 athletes to the Indoor Training Centre on January 28. The Valkyries are taking their first steps on a quest to win a ninth WWCFL title. A big thanks to the Valkyries for this photo.

Bringing the heat

A pitcher fires the ball to home plate during a Going Yard Baseball Academy training session on January 30 at the Indoor Training Centre. The instructors at Going Yard assist players in perfecting various little fundaments to help them play the game better.

A little help from Buck

A young hitter gets some help with his batting stance from retired Toronto Blue Jays catcher and current “voice of the Blue Jays” Buck Martinez on February 2 at the Indoor Training Centre. Martinez lent a helping hand to a baseball clinic put on by Kinsmen of Saskatoon.

Set for the throw to first

A young player sets to make a throw to first base during an infield drill at a baseball clinic put on by Kinsmen of Saskatoon on February 2 at the Indoor Training Centre. The clinic allowed players to take part in various baseball skill building drills and meet members of the MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays.

Ready for spring training

Toronto Blue Jays ace pitcher Jose Berrios gets some work done in the pitching tunnels at the Indoor Training Centre on February 2. It won’t be long now before Berrios will be reporting for spring training with the Blue Jays.

Making an impression

A young receiver makes a catch during a high school camp run by the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football team on February 2 at the Indoor Training Centre. The players were looking to make good impressions for the Huskies coaches.

A well-deserved honour

On February 2, Bryan Kosteroski, who is the chair of Gordie Howe Sports Complex Management Incorporated and Friends of the Bowl Foundation, was named the 2023 recipient of Kinsmen Sportsperson of the Year award. The honour has been awarded since 1961. Kosteroski was given the honour for his many decades of service to sports in Saskatoon in various roles including athlete, coach, official and administrator. Kosteroski, right, is pictured with Jose Bautista.

Aiming to impress

A young pitcher unloads a throw during Saskatoon Phantoms evaluations at the Indoor Training Centre on February 8. The Phantoms were evaluating players in their U15 and U17 age groups.

Albers’ next chapter

Pro-pitcher brings end to playing days to focus on coaching

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Andrew Albers, right, gives a pointer to a player.

Andrew Albers said his arm was telling him his pitching days were near an end.

The left-hander from North Battleford, Sask., represented Canada at the World Baseball Classic this past March and the Pan Am Games Qualifier this past June. At the World Baseball Classic, Canada posted a 2-2 record playing all its contests in Phoenix, Arizona, and didn’t advance out of pool play.

At the Pan Am Games Qualifier in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Canada posted a 3-1 record, but didn’t make the tournament final coming up short in the Team Quality Balance tiebreaker. Panama, who Canada beat 6-5 in eight innings in preliminary round play, won the final and earned the last berth to the Pan Am Games, which wrapped up on November 5.

With Canada being unable to advance to the Pan Am Games, the Pan Am Games Qualifier turned out to be Albers final event as a player, which brought an end to a career that spanned 15 years as a professional including stops in the MLB with the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners from 2013 to 2021.

“I think the career is pretty much over,” said Albers, who turned 38-years-old on October 6. “I was able to get the arm going for a couple of tournaments with the national team.

“Unfortunately after those tournaments, I was a little bit sore. I kind of figured it was probably about time to hang them up. It seemed like kind of a logical progression kind of going through it.

“Some opportunities came up with Going Yard here and then with the (Western Canadian Baseball League’s Saskatoon) Berries. It definitely seemed like good opportunities for me to kind stay in the game, and hopefully, pass on some knowledge that I’ve gained over the years.”

With that, Albers decided to leave his playing days behind and focus on becoming a full-time coach. During the off-seasons in the later part of his career, Albers sharpened his craft at the Going Yard Training Centre, which ultimately led to him helping coach all the other pitchers at Going Yard. He also got out fairly frequently to help out players coming up in province’s minor baseball system in various training sessions.

Andrew Albers, left, enjoys working with player at Going Yard.

On October 12, Going Yard announced Albers had come on board as a full-time coach. Before that announcement, the Berries announced on September 12 that Albers joined the club as a pitching coach on head coach Joe Carnahan’s staff as the club embarks on its inaugural campaign in 2024 playing home games out of Cairns Field.

Albers found he always enjoyed helping young players, so he was thankful to get the coaching opportunities with Going Yard and the Berries.

“I think the best thing is just working with the kids,” said Albers, who stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 200 pounds. “You’re trying to work with kids who are trying to realize their own personal dreams going through this game.

“Just seeing them progress. If you can give them a tip here or there that you hope helps them progress in their journey, I think that is the rewarding part about coaching in general. That is kind of why you do it.

“You try to have an impact on some kids. If you can manage to do that with a few of them, you feel like you’ve done a decent job.”

Albers said the crew at Going Yard had planted the idea in his head about coming on board in a full-time capacity when his playing days were done. The North Battleford, Sask., product felt like he found a home at Going Yard and at the facilities on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds.

“Jordan (Draeger) had talked to me a couple of the past off-seasons, when the baseball season was over or the baseball career was over to talk to him about it,” said Albers. “You know, it was an opportunity where it just seemed kind of natural.

“Having been here the last couple of years kind of working out in the facility with the kids and hanging around them and things like that, it was a place I felt comfortable coming and being apart of. I know Jordan (Draeger), Matty (Kosteniuk) and Marshall (Dean), they’ve done a great job here developing the brand. I feel like they do things the right way and do a great job with their kids teaching the game of baseball.

Andrew Albers will work the Berries as a pitching coach.

“Again, it was a pretty comfortable transition, and I felt good about doing it.”

Albers said the opportunity to join the Berries was a cool surprise. Way back in 2004, he played with Saskatoon’s previous WCBL team, the Yellow Jackets, when the circuit was known as the Western Major Baseball League. 

Still, he wasn’t sure what the Berries’ plans were.

“That one wasn’t quite as clear cut,” said Albers. “(President of Baseball Operations) Steve (Hildebrand) approached me when he had mentioned that they were bringing the team back here and asked if I might be interested in helping out in some way shape or form.

“I was more than happy to be apart of that. The coaching side seemed logical and seemed like a pretty obvious progression. Obviously, Joe (Carnahan) is going to be the manager there, and he has a great background with that league being a player and former coach that has won it both ways.

“It is going to be exciting working with him. Certainly, the ownership group that is behind them it is going to be a lot of fun. From my own personal standpoint, getting to work a little bit higher level with college players, collegiate players coming over and playing in that league, I’m looking forward to that as well.”

While Albers has transitioned to the coaching side of his baseball life, he admits his competitive side left him feeling he wanted to obtain more accomplishments in his playing career like staying in the MLB a little bit longer.

After taking time to look at things from a different lens, Albers will leave behind his playing days with no regrets.

“You always felt like you could have done a little bit better,” said Albers.“When I look back on it objectively and think about what I had from a talent standpoint and the gifts that I had, I do feel like I overachieved, so at the end of the day, I feel pretty content with the career I had.

Andrew Albers, right, grins at something a player tells him.

“I was very fortunate. I got to do it a lot longer than most guys and got to meet a lot of great people and had a lot of great experiences a long the way. As far as that goes, you get paid to play a game.

“I was fortunate to do it for about 15 years. It doesn’t really get much better than that at the end of the day. Am I content? Sure. Would I have wanted more? Absolutely.”

For more information on the Going Yard Training Centre, feel free to check out their website at www.gyba.ca. For more information on the Saskatoon Berries Baseball Club, feel free to check out their website at www.saskatoonberriesbaseballclub.ca.

Machibroda puts fun back in baseball, signs with MLB’s Twins

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Nolan Machibroda hit 17 homers in 47 games for the Phoenix.
(Photo courtesy Nolan Machibroda)

Nolan Machibroda put the fun back in baseball, and the game took him to great places he wasn’t expecting.

Going into his final season of college eligibility in 2022, Machibroda joined the Cumberland University Phoenix Baseball Team in Lebanon, Tenn. The Phoenix play out of the Mid-South Conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). 

In 2021, Machibroda, who is a graduate of Saskatoon’s Holy Cross High School, played for Lubbock Christian University Chaparrals Baseball Team in Lubbock, Texas. The Chaparrals play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division II ranks. In 2020, Machibroda was with the NAIA’s Southeastern University Fire Baseball Team in Lakeland, Florida.

With Lubbock Christian and Southeastern University, Machibroda felt that the joy of playing the game had left him. Thinking he might be down to his final at bat for playing competitive baseball, Machibroda wanted the memories of his final college season to be positive ones.

“I just really went out there and tried to have fun my last year,” said Machibroda, who plays first base and a little bit in the outfield. “I’m trying to play to the best of my abilities and not really care about the box score or how I played at the end of the day and just go out there and have fun.

“It was my last year. I was like, ‘You don’t want to not go out there and look back at it and regret that you didn’t have fun.’ I wasn’t having fun the previous two years before that.

Nolan Machibroda sets up at first base for the Phoenix.
(Photo courtesy Nolan Machibroda)

“Once I changed my mindset about that and not looking at it as such an individual and more of a team aspect, I think that really helped me.”

Machibroda went out and had a career season. In 47 games with the Phoenix, the left-handed hitter went 69-for-150 at the plate for a .460 average, 17 home runs and 83 RBI. Thanks to those outstanding numbers, Machibroda, who stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 220 pounds, was named the player of the year for the Mid-South Conference and an NAIA first team all-American.

After his season wrapped up with the Phoenix, Machibroda joined the Weyburn Beavers, who play out of the Western Canadian Baseball League summer circuit. Playing in his third summer campaign for the Beavers, Machibroda went 60-for-209 at the plate for a .287 average, seven home runs and 44 RBI. The 23-year-old was named the team MVP for the Beavers.

Machibroda earned an invite to the 2022 WCBL all-star game played at Seaman Stadium in Okotoks, Alta. He won the WCBL’s home run derby and was awarded a golden bat for the victory.

On December 20 shortly before 2022 closed out, Machibroda received an early Christmas gift signing as an amateur free agent with the MLB’s Minnesota Twins.

“It is just another opportunity to play the game I love at the end of the day, and I’m super thankful for it,” said Machibroda. “It just happens to be with an MLB team, which makes it even more cool.

Nolan Machibroda set to bat for Team Saskatchewan.
(Photo courtesy Baseball Saskatchewan)

“I’m just trying to play baseball as long as I can. I love the sport, so I’m just really thankful I can go out there and still be playing competitive baseball at this point in my life. I’m really excited to get down to spring training and start playing again.”

Machibroda reported to Fort Myers, Florida, on Monday to take part in a required training plan with the Twins minor league players. Fort Myers, Florida, is home to the Twins single-A affiliate the Mighty Mussels. Spring training activities begin in earnest on March 2.

One aspect of Machibroda’s game that went to another level in 2022 was his power hitting. Machibroda said the home runs started to come after he changed his approach at the plate, where he looked for fastballs and held off from swinging at off-speed pitches.

“I always kind of had power,” said Machibroda. “In batting practice, I could hit a lot of home runs.

“Really last year, I just kind of put it all together and went out to the plate with a better approach. I think that really helped me see a lot more pitches that I could drive out of the yard. I was swinging at those pitches more consistently.

“In my younger years, I would probably get too over aggressive and swing at some pitches that I wasn’t able to do damage on. I think last year the big for me was just refining the strike zone and swinging at big pitches I wanted to swing at instead of swinging at the pitches the pitchers wanted me to swing at and get me out that way. I always had power growing up, but once I figured out my approach and kind of stuck with it that helped me out tremendously.”

After his summer season with the Beavers was complete, Machibroda returned home to Saskatoon to train under the watchful eye of the instructors at the Going Yard Training Centre at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. 

Going Yard instructor Matt Kosteniuk was Machibroda’s head coach with the Saskatoon Diamondbacks under-18 AAA team and an assistant coach when Machibroda was a member of Team Saskatchewan in 2015 and 2016.

Nolan Machibroda (centre) played at the Baseball Canada Cup twice.
(Photo courtesy Baseball Saskatchewan)

Machibroda also worked with Greg Brons, who is the high performance director for Baseball Saskatchewan and Machibroda’s head coach with Team Saskatchewan.

Pitching and playing first base, Machibroda helped Saskatchewan win a silver medal at the 2015 Baseball Canada Cup held at Cairns Field and Leakos Field on the Gordie Howe Sports Complex grounds and gold at the 2016 Baseball Canada Cup held in Fort McMurray, Alta.

The soon to be first year pro enjoys when he gets to come home and work with his former coaches.

“I got to know them really well,” said Machibroda, who has lots of good memories playing at Cairns Field and Leakos Field. “It is always fun going back there,

“I respect their input. It is always nice to hear what they have to say and help me out for sure still. They are people I still look to for guidance.”

Machibroda enjoys being able to use the battling cages, the field turf and all the amenities the Indoor Training Centre has to offer, when he returns home.

“I’m super thankful for that facility to go back to during the winter when I’m not able to get outside and do the things I want,” said Machibroda. “You can go in there and pretty much do whatever baseball wise, so it has been awesome.”

Nolan Machibroda (#24) enjoys a seniors day moment.
(Photo courtesy Nolan Machibroda).

Now the focus turns towards his journey in his first professional season. Machibroda said he will run in the pro ranks as long as he can in trying to make it to the MLB level one day.

“I just know that there is a long road ahead,” said Machibroda. “I just take it one day at a time here.

“I take every day knowing that I am still blessed to play baseball and go out there and have fun and leave it all on the field, because I get to play the game that I love for a living now and just try and play as long as possible. I know it is going to be hard, but there is nothing I would rather be doing than playing baseball right now with my life. I’m really excited to be able to have this opportunity.”

Sweet happenings in photos sees training for spring heat up

By Gordie Howe Sports Complex staff
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

A hitter drive the ball during a zone baseball tryout session.

Business has picked up at the Indoor Training Centre as the spring season nears.

Over the course of the last month, various baseball and softball groups have been polishing their skills as the Indoor Training Centre in preparation for the upcoming spring season. Team type practices have become more common as clubs start the process of bonding on and off the field for the upcoming campaign.

Over the past week, minor baseball has been holding zone tryouts for younger age group teams for the upcoming season. The lead photo of this post shows a batter showing off his swing at a tryout session on Tuesday, April 5.

We got to see off players who headed down to the United States continuing careers in professional baseball. We hope they bring back great stories to tell, when they return home usually in early November.

Football squads like the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team continued with preparations for their seasons, so they can hit the ground running in training camps in August.

The activity that happens on our grounds continues to provide great material for our continuing photo round ups.

These photos capture some of the memories that are made on our grounds. In this photo roundup, all of these pictures were taken by our Communications Coordinator in Darren Steinke.

Without further ado, here is a selection of 10 shots we hope you enjoy.

Final throwing day for Albers

Veteran left-handed pitcher Andrew Albers took part in one last throwing session at the Indoor Training Centre on March 10 before departing to the United States. He threw last year in AAA baseball and the MLB ranks. He signed minor league contract with the MLB’s Seattle Mariners about 11 days later.

Set for the perfect bunt

A hitter squares up for a perfect bunt at a Saskatoon Hustlers softball program training session on March 15. The Hustlers were refining various skills at the plate during this session.

Driving a hot grounder to the outfield

The same Saskatoon Hustlers hitter that was squaring up to bunt in the previous photo shows she can drive hot shots into the outfield as well during a training session on March 15. The Hustlers hitters want to be able to give multiple looks from the plate when it comes time to play regular season games.

Laser focused throw

A Saskatoon Lasers pitcher fires home a pitch during a training session on March 17. The pitcher was throwing during a team practice with the Lasers squad she will be playing with this coming season.

Tearing up the base paths

A base runner hits top flight rounding first to get to second base during a Saskatoon Royals female baseball program evaluations session on March 17. The Royals were evaluating players in numerous age groups on this day.

Off to the races

Two members of the University of Saskatchewan Huskies Football Team take off in a chase drill during a conditioning workout session on March 22 overseen by Ignite Athletes. In football, the work put in during the off-season is key to having success during the season itself.

Mastering the art of the slap bunt

A member of the Saskatoon Cubs baseball program lays down a slap bunt during a hitting focused practice on March 24. The Cubs and other baseball teams will soon be taking part in practices and games at Leakos Field and Cairns Field.

Securing a grounder

A member of the Saskatoon Giants baseball program sets to secure a ground ball during a fielding focused practice on March 24. Baseball players do repetitive fielding drills so the skills become second nature during game time.

Bringing the heat for a live at bat

A hurler follows through with a pitch during a live at bat season run by the Going Yard Training Centre on March 31. On top of throwing to an actual hitter, Going Yard sets up a full infield for these sessions.

Throwing to impress

A young hurler fires off a pitch during a minor baseball zone tryouts session on April 5. The session saw players put through numerous drills in order to be evaluated on their various skills when it comes to playing the game.

Hawkins takes big first step in chasing big league dreams

By Darren Steinke
Gordie Howe Sports Complex

Garrett Hawkins throws a pitch at the Indoor Training Centre.

Garrett Hawkins was ready to jump into the next level of work when he was drafted into the MLB.

On the second day the 2021 MLB Draft this past July 12, the hard-throwing right-handed pitcher from Biggar, Sask., was selected in the ninth round and 280^th overall by the San Diego Padres. The draft selection was a huge highlight for the 21-year-old, but he knew the long journey to try and become an everyday MLB player continued.

“It was pretty exciting just knowing that all the hard work had paid off,” said Hawkins, who towers on the mound at 6-foot-5 and weighs 230 pounds. “You kind of got to a point that you’re just proud of yourself and proud of everyone that kind of contributed to it.

“Not to say that the work isn’t done. There is still a lot more to do, but it is a good first step for sure.”

Hawkins, who trains in the off-season at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex, had been playing for the New Jersey state capital-based Trenton Thunder of the MLB Draft league at the time he was selected by the Padres. 

With the Thunder, Hawkins started six games posting a 1-0 record, a 2.63 ERA, 32 strikeouts while giving up two walks in 24 innings of work.

Shortly after being drafted, Hawkins traveled to Peoria, Arizona, to join the Padres rookie team that plays in the 18-club Arizona Complex League.

With the ACL Padres, Hawkins put up solid numbers. The graduate of the Saskatoon Giants under-18 AAA program appeared in seven games with the ACL Padres posting a 3-1 record, a 2.35 ERA, 27 strikeouts while giving up two walks in 15.1 innings.

“I enjoyed it,” said Hawkins, whose main pitches are the fastball, slider and change up. “I just kind of got my toes wet in how it all works going forward.

Garrett Hawkins was picked in the MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres.

“I got to meet a lot of people, see lots of like different cultures like lots of Latin players that I haven’t had a chance to be around a tonne and kind of just meeting all the new draftees that got picked in my year also. It was pretty good, and I am excited to kind of get going again and move my way up.”

Hawkins said he benefitted from the fact he got some real good coaching with the ACL Padres, which he thought helped his performance on the field.

“I think I just kind of maybe took another step once I got there,” said Hawkins, who can throw his fastball at 93 to 95 miles per hour. “Eventually, something stuck, and I kind of just used it to my advantage.

“I think just the increased input from the coaching staff and all that helped a lot.”

Throughout his life, Hawkins said baseball was the sport he was always the most passionate about. That passion took root from simple beginnings.

“I kind of just started playing baseball at a young age playing catch with my dad (Ian Hawkins) at home,” said Hawkins. “Eventually, I was just playing minor baseball.

“All my friends were kind of doing it at the time.”

When he started playing minor baseball, Hawkins said he started to experience success on the mound early on.

“I’d say it happened right away,” said Hawkins. “Obviously, I hit and pitched at a younger age, but I kind of had a knack for pitching when I was younger.”

Hawkins ultimately caught the eyes of the high-performance coaches with Baseball Sask. He helped Saskatchewan win gold at the 2016 Baseball Canada Cup in Fort McMurray, Alta., and at the 2017 Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg.

Garrett Hawkins had a good season with the Padres rookie team.

The standout hurler credited Greg Brons, who is the High Performance Director for Baseball Sask, with getting a core group of players playing together or against each other on younger teams and training together in the years heading into those gold medal wins.

Hawkins said the players became good friends and a realization grew that they might be able to accomplish big goals together.

“We had a core group of guys that (Greg) Brons kind of brought up together and kind of knew we had the potential to do something like that,” said Hawkins. “That group had been together for maybe three years before that, so when it came time to put it all together, I just kind of remember all the guys that we had and just how good we were and how ready we were to kind of be on that stage.

“It was exciting.”

Besides those gold medal wins on a national stage, Hawkins enjoyed playing against and with a number of his provincial team teammates in the provincial under-18 AAA league. He has lots of good memories throwing for the Saskatoon Giants at Cairns Field and Leakos Field.

“I enjoyed it just because most of the time it is like Saskatoon team versus a Saskatoon team, so you kind of want to beat the other one,” said Hawkins. “I enjoyed my time playing here for sure.”

After his season wrapped up with the ACL Padres, Hawkins elected to live in Saskatoon during the off-season in order to train at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. On top of doing his own training, Hawkins will help out the crew at the Going Yard Training Centre coach young pitchers.

Jordan Draeger, who is one of Going Yard’s top instructors, was one of Hawkins past coaches.

“It is pretty cool just seeing (the young pitchers), because I was in those guys shoes kind of when I was in high school,” said Hawkins. “It is kind of cool seeing those guys build up and be around them as much as I can trying to help out, if they need it.

Garrett Hawkins aims to keep moving up the professional ranks.

“I like going in there and doing my work and getting to watch some other guys do theirs, so it is pretty cool.”

Hawkins, who will turn 22-years-old in February, said all the coaches he had through the years have had a big impact in allowing him to have the success he has had.

Going into his second season as a professional, Hawkins said his main focus is improving his consistency.

“I kind of like where my pitches are at now,” said Hawkins. “I think just continuing to learn about hitters and stuff like that and just trust myself.

“I just have to continue to get better each day and try and move up.”