With the SWBL 2022 season headed to the record books Oilers will be remembering highlights and thinking about the next season. Here is some info on a guy who's been here before.
Mat Strain will do whatever he can to help Virden Oilers on and off the field.
Strain has been suited up for the team in the South West Baseball League since 2019. He juggles playing for the senior Oilers with his responsibility as a farmer. His family has been showing and breeding heavy draft horse for three generations.
“He is a great team first guy, willing to do anything for the team and everyone loves when Door (Mat) shows up to the ballpark,” player/organizer Jeff Peel said. “He puts a smile on everyone's faces and is very dedicated to the team, helping out at every work party we have, which is difficult since he is showing horses all summer.”
Strain plays third base, left field and pitches for the Oilers. This past season he batted .429 in 14 at bats. Strain drove in four runs. On the mound, he had a 1.75 earned run average in four innings of work.
“Mat is a strong farm boy who can hit the ball extremely hard, and he has batted really well for us this year,” Peel said. “He can come in to pitch and eat up innings where he surprises batters with his fastball and has a slow, looping curveball that keeps them guessing.”
Strain enjoys his time with the Oilers.
“I really enjoy coming to the ball diamond and seeing all the guys knowing that we are going to be competitive and have fun whether we win or lose,” he said.
On the Oilers, Strain has had the opportunity to be teammates at times with his brother Ethan. Ethan Strain recently wrapped up his last year of veterinary studies at Washington State University and will be graduating from St. Matthew’s University in the Cayman Islands.
