Mavs split weekend series with Regina ahead of 6-game week

jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb The Medicine Hat Mavericks came out even after a pair of games against the Regina Red Sox. The Mavs beat the Red Sox 10-6 on Friday before losing an 11-8 slugfest on Saturday, a contest that saw nine different hitters hit home runs over the Athletic Park fences. Head coach Ryan Reed liked his The post Mavs split weekend series with Regina ahead of 6-game week appeared first on Medicine Hat News .

By JAMES TUBB on July 14, 2026. jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb The Medicine Hat Mavericks came out even after a pair of games against the Regina Red Sox.

The Mavs beat the Red Sox 10-6 on Friday before losing an 11-8 slugfest on Saturday, a contest that saw nine different hitters hit home runs over the Athletic Park fences. Head coach Ryan Reed liked his team’s ability to go back and forth with Regina. “Any tough, tight situation game, I think it prepares you for a postseason run,” Reed said.

“Obviously we’d like to come out on the other side of these, but this group’s so tough and they’re going to continue to bounce back and grow from these moments.” Third baseman Nick Hill had a solo home run in the second inning, his second home run in three games. Through his first three contests in the red and white, Hill has six hits, four RBIs, two home runs and a .462 batting average.

“Nick’s a stud, anytime he plays, I’m impressed,” Reed said. “I’ve been lucky enough to work with that guy for two years now and I know what he’s capable of doing. But he always continues to impress me.”

Evan Morrison and Blake Dale went back-to-back with solo home runs in Saturday’s loss, the fourth and seventh of their respective seasons. Reed hopes those big flies can build confidence for the first two hitters in their lineup. “Those guys, if they put the ball in play, something good’s gonna happen,” Reed said.

“They have elite bat speed. They’re strong kids and when they put the ball in play, good things are going to happen.” The Mavs and Red Sox traded runs on Saturday, with Medicine Hat leading 5-2 through three innings before Regina led 7-5.

Morrison and Dale’s home runs tied the game before Regina scored four straight runs en route to the win. On Friday the Mavs led Regina 2-0 after three innings before the Red Sox tied the game up at 2-2 in the fourth. A seven-run sixth inning propelled the Mavs to the 10-6 win.

All-star starting pitcher Derek Archer worked seven innings with seven strikeouts for his team-leading third win on the summer. It was the second outing for Archer against Regina, also working seven innings against the Red Sox in the Mavs’ season opener on May 29, an 8-6 loss that saw Regina score eight runs in the ninth en route to the win. That loss provided an extra boost for Archer.

“Knowing how well I did the first time, I was able to kind of come out and compete,” Archer said. “There’s maybe a little more fire than there would have been before, but at the end of the day, I was just going out doing what I knew how to do and it paid off.” Frankie Giacalone hit a grand slam in the seven-run sixth, his 10th home run of the season to lead the Mavs and sit second in the league.

He says the home run felt good, a step forward from work he’s put in pregame. “I just keep working on things during early work with Reed and it feels good finally making it pay off,”Giacalone said. “It keeps paying off at home, that feels good.”

Reed, who coaches Giacalone at Mid-American Christian University, hopes to see his first baseman get a chance to represent the Mavs in the home run derby at the WCBL all-star game. “I don’t know if they’re going to allow him in there since he wasn’t an all-star selection, but he’s second in the league in home runs, he needs to be in there,” Reed said. “I’ll do whatever I can to make that happen.”

The Mavs enter a busy week ahead of the all-star game. They hosted the Swift Current 57’s on Monday in a game not complete by press time. They have a doubleheader today at Athletic Park, hosting the Sylvan Lake Gulls at 1 p.m. before facing the Weyburn Beavers at 6:45 p.m.

They’ll head to Okotoks on Wednesday to face the Dawgs before hosting the Saskatoon Berries for a two-game set on Thursday and Friday. Reed says it will be all hands on deck as they navigate the tough stretch. “A couple divisional matchups, we’re going to have to use everybody in the bullpen, hitters need to stay fresh and healthy,’ Reed said.

“We’ll try to find a way to get some guys some rest but it’s a big week and we need to go build some momentum going into the all-star break.”