Mike Stevenson is valuable to his hometown Elkhorn Expos for many reasons.
In 2014, Stevenson and Dennis Kyle spearheaded Elkhorn’s entry into the South West Baseball League. The team had success right away and still draws a good home crowd.
“I knew there was a lot of guys who were good at ball and still wanted to play after they graduated,” Stevenson said. “I’ve enjoyed how it’s a community event now. Lots of people come out to watch and it’s a good group of guys and we have a lot of fun.”
When asked what Stevenson brings to the team, Expos player Bryce Kyle said “heart and dedication.”
“It kills him to miss a game if he has to,” Kyle said. “He's the guy who basically runs the team, whether it's getting the diamond ready to go or making sure the equipment is looked after and even making sure the guys have a cooler full of waters for the game and some pops for after! He puts in a lot of time and loves the game.”
Stevenson, whose squad went 0-2 last week, is a key player for the Expos at the plate and in centerfield. At the start of this week, he was second on the team with four runs batted in – two behind Steve Bonchuk’s six. Stevenson was batting .375 on the season.
Elkhorn Expos update
On June 8, the Expos fell 16-4 to Oak River. Miniota product Keenan Lewis earned the win for the Dodgers. He allowed two runs on five hits over six innings.
Although the Expos pushed four runs home in the top of the seventh and final inning, they fell 9-6 on June 10 to the host Hamiota Red Sox. Bonchuk batted in four runs for Elkhorn.
The Expos were 1-5 on the season as of June 10. The Rivers Comets were slated to visit Elkhorn on Wednesday after the Empire-Advance’s deadline.
The Expos are in Reston on Friday and Deloraine on Sunday.
Virden Oilers update
Last week the Oilers were 0-2. As of Monday, the squad was 4-3 on the season. The Oilers sat fourth in the SWBL North behind Hamiota (5-2), Reston (4-2), and Rivers (4-2). Elkhorn was sixth in the division.
In a midweek contest on June 6, the Oilers fell 9-6 at home to Reston. Virden led 4-3 after two innings. The Rockets outscored the hosts 3-1 in both the fifth and seventh innings to secure the road win. Danny Cochrane drove in two runs for Virden.
Rivers bested Virden, 14-11, in a June 10 run fest. The Oilers trailed 11-3 after the fourth but scored six runs in the fifth to put the pressure on. The Comets were able to prevail. Justin Holder had four RBIs for Virden.
The Oilers were to host Rivers on Wednesday. On Sunday the team is in Boissevain to play the Centennials.
