The 2011 season represents a new era in Bulls Baseball as, for the first time, the team has suffered multiple significant losses in personnel on and off the field. The Bulls’ season opener on May 1 against Pickering will mark the first time in team history that Mike Masters, Steve Atkinson, and James Crawford will not be present as members of the coaching staff. The trio, who have managed the team dating back to the pre-OSBA days have retired from coaching as a result of various off-field commitments. They have passed the torch to Chris Lord, Dave Willitts, and Kyle Pitman, who will act as the team’s coaching staff this season.

On the field, the Bulls are also dealing with the loss of MVP Kip Keith, Jamie Kozak, Chris Baker, and Jeff King. Kip and Kozak have other commitments this summer and are taking some time away from OSBA. Whether or not they return in the future remains to be seen, but both of them will be dearly missed as they both contributed significantly on the mound, in the field, and at the plate. Baker moves on after 1 season with the Bulls. Jeff King, who has been with the team for 3 years, has relocated to Ajax, which is closer to home. He too will be missed.

Despite the loss of key players, the Bulls still possess a veteran core that has been around for all 4 of their OSBA championships. The team has always been built around pitching and defense, and those things remain key strengths for the team. In addition, the Bulls have added several new faces to the roster.

This year, Matt Smith and Graham Howden will become full time players for the Bulls. Smith, who has played several years with the GHBL Bulls, made his OSBA debut last summer and hit a homerun in his first career OSBA at bat. He will provide depth in the infield and has the versatility to play numerous infield positions. Graham Howden also made his debut with the Bulls last summer, going 2-0 on the mound. He will be counted on to help replace the loss of Kozak and Kip on the mound.

Thirdly, the Bulls have added 2B Steve Paciuc, who played last year with the GHBL Bulls as well. Steve played university baseball with McMaster and will help give the Bulls some versatility at the top of the order.

Josh Wasylyk will play 2B and OF for Bulls this year. Josh comes to the Bulls having played for Brock University as well as playing for the Hamilton Astros in the Connie Mack League and for the OBA teams in St. Catherine’s and Sault Ste. Marie.

The Bulls also would like to welcome back two familiar faces in P Eric Conlon and C/1B Kyle Pitman. Conlon returns to the Bulls after 2 years off and brings a wealth of experience pitching in big games for the Bulls, having been on the hill when the Bulls won their first OSBA championship and also when they knocked off Durham for their first OSBA Tournament win. Pitman returns to the team after a year in Australia where he played for La Trobe University.

OUTLOOK

Catching – Bulls’ stalwart Chris Lord will catch the majority of the games for the Bulls, as he has since the beginning. Pitman will fill in as needed, but Lord is and always has been the rock behind the dish for the Bulls.

Infield – The loss of Kozak will hurt, but the Bulls possess gold gloves on the corners in Dave Willitts and Brad Guy. Up the middle, Cam McKnight will continue to be the Bulls’ shortstop while newcomers Wasylyk, Paciuc, and Smith will fill in the gaps. Pitman will also see time at first.

Outfield – Having lost Kip, the Bulls will fill the void in Centerfield with a variety of players, including Mike Howden, Mike Mousseau, Jon Leyland, and Wasylyk. Nathan Tennant will take his usual spot in Right Field.

Pitching – The backbone of the Bulls has always been their pitching staff and it will remain that way this year. The Bulls return their two aces, McKnight and Leyland and have added Conlon and Graham Howden to an already talented pitching staff. The 4 pitchers have combined for 120 wins in a Bulls uniform, with McKnight leading the way with 60 by himself.

Defense – The Bulls will remain strong defensively despite the loss of Kozak and Kip. The infield defense remains a strength for the team and while the Outfield suffers greatly from the loss of Kip, the Bulls have very capable and versatile outfielders who will pick up the slack.

Offense – Jason Hogan has been one of the best hitters in OSBA over the past several years and anchors the Bulls’ offence in the middle of the order. He will be flanked by Nathan Tennant to form a potent 3/4 combination. Guy continues to be the catalyst for the Bulls at the top of the order. The Bulls do not possess the offensive depth that they’ve had in previous years with hitters such as Kozak, Kip, Swagers, and Hayes, but there are capable bats up and down the lineup who have much experience in big games.

Overall, while this is a very different Bulls’ team than in past, but nonetheless can be counted on as a threat to make a deep run in the playoffs as they try to capture an unprecedented 4th straight OSBA championship, and 5th overall.