By Chris Jaster
Swift Current
The Swift Current Indians’ pitching staff is complete once again and ready for the playoffs.

Reliever Joey Evans returned to the Tribe after a brief stint playing professional baseball with the Yuma Scorpions in the Golden Baseball League. Starter John Snyder also came back to Swift Current after a failed tryout for an independent team in the Chicago area. Evans made Yuma’s team, but decided to return to Swift Current.

“It really wasn’t that tough of a decision to leave,” said Evans, who gave up 10 runs in 10 innings of work during his three appearances with Yuma. “I guess I had some major expectations of what pro ball would be like and it didn’t really meet them. It might have been that situation or it might have been just a lot of little things adding up to not the right time and not the right place.

“As far as leaving a pro team, I don’t regret it at all because this is just as good a level of baseball as what I have been playing. I’m very satisfied to make the decision to come back.”

Evans’ return to the Indians should reinforce the bullpen’s strength. He finished fourth on the team for the number of batters faced this season with 150, which is the most for a pitcher who hasn’t started a game, and he had a 2.10 earned-run average.

He also played a key role by often being the first pitcher out of the bullpen and trying to get the Indians out of a tough situation, a role he got back after he returned to the team. The Tyler, Tex., native came in relief of Jason Oatman in the eighth inning of Monday’s 5-3 10-inning loss to Okotoks, down by a run and with a runner on. Evans pitched three innings during the game.

“Being that guy who comes out of the bullpen first, it’s not a big deal because I happen to be the right guy at that place and there are other guys who stepped in when I was gone and there are other guys who are the right guys in other spots,” said Evans, who left the Indians July 15 and returned July 24. “It’s a lot less pressure when the manager says ‘Here you go. It’s a pressure situation. Here’s the ball’ when you first come back.”

Snyder, meanwhile, pitched 51.2 innings this season, the most of any Indians’ pitcher, and won five games this year.

Even though he would have liked to make the independent team his college coach got him the tryout for, he’s happy to be back in Swift Current.

“It definitely wasn’t a bad thing that I didn’t make it. I love it here. I love the team and I love the environment. I’m definitely glad to be here for sure.”

Snyder marked his return to the Indians by throwing eight scoreless innings in the Tribe’s 3-0 win in their season finale against Moose Jaw Tuesday. That win secured Swift Current the best record in the WMBL, and guaranteed them home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Both pitchers will fill in their regular roles as the Indians, which finished the season with a 30-12 record, target their first WMBL championship since 2006.

Swift Current, however, will have to get through Medicine Hat and two other teams before they can raise another pennant. The Mavericks finished third in the West Division with a 25-23 record and the Indians aren’t overlooking their first-round opponents.

“When you start the post-season it’s a clean slate so what you did in the regular season doesn’t matter,” said Snyder. “We just have to go out there and play our game and hopefully put some runs together.”

“Medicine Hat is a well-rounded club and a well-coached club,” added Indians’ manager Joe Carnahan. “It’s going to be a battle. It will probably be a long series and an exciting one.”

The best-of-five series kicks off today at Mitchell Field at 7:05 p.m. Game 2 will be played Saturday at Mitchell Field at 7:05. Games 3 and 4, if Game 4 is necessary, will be in Medicine Hat Sunday and Monday and Game 5, if it’s needed, will be back in Swift Current Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.

The winner of the Swift Current-Medicine Hat series will play the winner of the Lethbridge-Okotoks series in the West final.