THE MELVILLE ADVANCE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 2011

The Melville Millionaires have at least one player from last year’s squad returning, along with a few teammates. Nick Senior, a six-feet, two-inch outfielder, has committed to rejoining the White and Blue for the upcoming season. Currently in the fold for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, Senior is hitting at a .242 clip with 11 runs, 11 RBI and a couple of round-trippers in this, his sophomore season. Torontonian Miles Verweel is a southpaw hurler with the Thunderbirds. The six-feet, two-inch pitcher threw nine games last year with a total of nine and 1/3 innings pitched and sported a 1.93 ERA. This season Verweel is 2-1 with 28 and 2/3 innings pitched, nine strikeouts and a 2.83 ERA, over four starting assignments.
Burlington, Ontario’s Ryan Taylor brings the leather and some solid middle-infielding to the Millionaires. The five-feet, 11-inch, 150 pounder is a red-shirt freshman, currently hitting .208 over 11 games and improving after suffering an injury to start the collegiate season.

Yet another Thunderbird, Andrew Madsen joins the fold. Another red-shirt freshman, the outfielder is batting .192 in nine contests. Previously, Madsen has led the BC Premier League in RBI and has played for Team BC, in the Canada Games.

If the team seems to be younger than most seasons, team governor Jeff Bouvier admits there is a reason for the youth movement. “With some of the new rules, you have to be younger and with Michael Crabtree coaching, the players he comes across are mostly at the Junior College level,” says Bouvier. “We also feel by bringing in the younger guys we can establish some continuity for the future.” Also, in order to qualify for the Sask Lottery rules, the team may only have 25 per cent of the roster over the age of 21. “Most teams in the league have a young roster and I’m pretty sure this is the direction the league is going, to a much younger league in terms of players.”