Saskatoon Berries gear up for playoffs as regular season winds down

On Monday, the Saskatoon Berries faced off against the Moose Jaw Miller Express in their final regular season game.

Like their season, the game had a slow start but gained momentum in the latter half, with the Berries emerging victorious with a 4-3 win. The team is now gearing up for the playoffs.

Berries coach Joe Carnahan said clinching the playoff spot was just the first of many goals for the organization.

"I mean, at the start of the season that's always our goal, and we have more goals that we want to achieve throughout the playoffs, and that's step one. We're glad we've got that, but we're also looking forward to reaching some of our other goals," said Carnahan

Next up, the Berries will face the Medicine Hat Mavericks in the East Division semi-final on Wednesday.

The team has recently played against the Mavericks, splitting the games with a loss and a commanding 11-3 win.

Jalen Freeman, an outfielder for the berries spoke to their previous games against the Mavericks.

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"They really can swing it. The day before they had like 20 hits. They can swing it, so we gotta be ready to go swing it as well," said Freeman.

The Berries struggled at the start of the season to secure wins, but midway through the season, something changed, leading the team to clinch their playoff spot.

"Right away we didn't come out with a lot of wins at the start of the season. We were waiting for some players to get here. The players did a good job sticking with their routines and being in it for the long haul. Not riding the roller coaster of ups and downs. If you have a good approach and you have that consistency, it usually pays off in the end," said Carnahan.

The team has come a long way since its inception and is grateful for the fans' support along the way.

Berries infielder Anibal Rivera says he's seen strong fan support both on and off the field.

"The ones that are really supportive, and like if you go to the store, and you have a hat or something representing the Berries, they'll go like, 'Yo, what do you play?' It's awesome, I love it," said Rivera.

The Berries hope that fan support will continue as the playoff season kicks off.