Evaluation Over Results: Lancers Use Opening Weekend to Test Depth (pic gallery)

For the Windsor Lancers baseball team, the opening weekend wasn’t about the scoreboard — it was about seeing who’ll be ready in October.

Despite an 0-4 start after dropping a pair of doubleheaders, head coach Frank Jeney is staying focused on development, not wins. "I was pretty happy with the first weekend because I got to see everybody," Jeney told Powerplay Sports. "It's different seeing people in practice versus in game reps, so that was an important part of this weekend."

The early season games don’t affect standings, giving teams like the Lancers the flexibility to prioritize evaluation. Jeney used the weekend to get looks at his full roster — something he sees as crucial heading into the key part of the season.

"In an ideal world you get them in when you're up ten,” he said, “but it is what it is and we were able to see everybody."

The real focus is on building toward October, when the games begin to matter. The Lancers will host the Far-West Regionals on October 3–4 at Libro Field in Amherstburg, with additional games in Woodslee. The championship weekend is scheduled for October 11–12 at the Ajax Sportsplex.

“We've had records that weren't great and gone to regional and competed well,” Jeney noted. “The biggest goal for me is to be able to see everybody, get people into the right positions, and then really push that body management part where they're healthy and ready to go by the time we host in October.”