The Moose Jaw Miller Express might not quite have the kind of player pipeline with Keystone College as they did with Doane University last season, but it might only be a matter of time.
The Express announced their second signing from the NCAA Division III school late last week, with infielder Bobby Pokorney set to join the Western Canadian Baseball League squad for the coming summer.
And like Julio Acosta before him, the Margate, Fla. sophomore brings all sorts of pop to the Millers' batting order.
Pokorney hit .297 with three home runs and 26 runs batted in through 45 games with the Giants in the Colonial States Athletic Conference, scoring 32 runs and putting together a solid .804 on-base-plus-slugging-percentage in the process.
For large chunks of the Keystone season, Pokorney also proved plenty reliable when producing at the plate. He put together a string with hits in 22 of 25 games from Mar. 8 through Apr. 28, including a 2-for-3 night against Rosemont College on Apr. 2 that included five runs scored and three RBI.
No sooner did that hit streak end than did Pokorney go off again -- this time with a 3-for-4 game that saw the 6-foot-0, 155-pound right-handed hitter hit a home run, score four runs and knock in three against St. Elizabeth College on Apr. 30.
In signing with the Miller Express, Pokorney pointed to the team’s goal of returning to the WCBL final as a major reason for his joining the team
“I look forward to playing in Moose Jaw for many reasons,” he said. “I have never been to Canada. Everything I’ve heard and everyone I spoke to seems to be all about winning and that’s the culture I want to be involved in!”
Pokorney and Keystone College did plenty of winning last season, putting together a 10-2 record in CSAC play and finishing 26-20 overall. Keystone reached the NCAA Division III regional final before falling to Ithaca College.
The Miller Express put together a 33-23 record last season and held onto first place in the East Division until the final day of the season. They then knocked off Swift Current in the division semifinal and Medicine Hat in the division final before taking the Okotoks Dawgs to the limit in the WCBL championship series.
You can follow Pokorney and Keystone College this coming season at www.gokcgiants.com, with their season opener on Mar. 29 against Montclair State University.
The Miller Express open their 2023 WCBL campaign on Saturday, May 27 when they host the Weyburn Beavers at Ross Wells Park.
