With a number of key off-season acquisitions and a retooled roster, hopes are high for the Barrie Baycats to return to the form that saw the team win the league championship in 2005 and the Intercounty Baseball League.

Things got off to a rough start in the first game of the 2008 season, though, as new Barrie starting pitcher Paul Spoljaric went a strong four innings, allowing one run on four hits, but the bullpen squandered this effort, as another newcomer, Jake Hines, was tagged with the loss, was charged with two runs in 1 2/3 innings, as Barrie fell 3-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs at Christie Pits.

Drew Taylor, a rookie pitcher for the Leafs, went six innings, allowing one unearned run on four hits with six strikeouts and no walks to pick up his first win. Doug Dimma went three scoreless innings in relief.  

The Maple Leafs only had five hits in the game, but made the most of their opportunities. Dan Gibbons and Gamin Teague drove in runs, with the winning tally scoring on a wild pitch by Baycats reliever Chris England in the sixth inning. England had inherited base runners from Hines.

Another new acquisition for the Baycats, veteran slugger Todd Betts, cracked a home run in the ninth inning, while speedster Glen Jackson had two hits, including an RBI single.

Spoljaric is expected to not only add a veteran presence to what is now a very deep pitching staff for Barrie, but also continue his superior pitching. Spoljaric has been the winningest pitcher in the league since coming to it five seasons ago.

He said at practice on Saturday, he likes what he sees from this year’s edition of the Baycats.

“I look forward to some big things for us. We made a lot of but changes offensively and of course with pitching, and I think we’re all going to contribute to a winning season, and hopefully come July, near the end of the year, we’re at the top of the ranks and we’ll be able to proceed into the playoffs with a good stride,” Spoljaric told Simcoe.com, adding that he also like the personality of the Baycats’ clubhouse.

“I like the camaraderie. It’s a great bunch of guys. They come out here and they work hard, they get their work done.”

Spoljaric played a key role in luring professional baseball veteran Betts to Barrie, as the two were members of Team Canada at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

“Well, he was looking for a place to play, and just after I has signed (team president Dave Mills) and I were talking about what we can do to improve the offence here, and I was talking to Todd before I signed about possibly coming here. And then when I signed, it made it a lot easier for him to decide,” said Spoljaric. “And I think it was a pretty easy decision for him to come here.”

Betts was originally a draft pick of the Cleveland Indians in 1993, and was a member of Canada’s national team from 1990 to 2006.

He played AAA baseball in both the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees systems and was either an all-star or MVP in many of the professional leagues in which he has played.

Betts has also played in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Japan, and was a top player in the Chinese Professional League in 2006.

“He’s got tremendous pop, and some very good plate coverage, and a well-advanced understanding of the game, how to manipulate hitting to his advantage, and I think what we’ll see with him is things that you may not have been able to see in the past,” said Spoljaric of his teammate.

“With his experience, he’ll be able to hit behind runners, he’ll hit guys over, he’ll hit in the gaps, use all fields. He’s a really well-rounded hitter.”

Ryan Spataro, a Baycats outfielder and former IBL MVP, likes what he sees from Betts, particular the fact that he adds the big bat that was lacking on the Baycats roster last season after the departure of catcher Jordan Lundberg and Alex Borgo leaving partway through the campaign.

“(Betts) was taking some swings at BP here … and he definitely has got a lot of pop. I think he looks like Matt Stairs. He’s got a swing just like Matt Stairs,” he said. “But not only is his swing and his offence real good, but he knows a lot about the game, he’s been around like Spoljaric … I think he’s going to be a key guy on this squad.”

Spataro, like Spoljaric, has high expectations for the 2008 edition of the Baycats.

“I would say if we’re not in the championships, vying for the trophy there, we’d be disappointed. We definitely have to team this year to go all the way. I think we should be on top most of the year,” he said.

The Baycats are in Kitchener on Sunday afternoon. The team’s home opener is Saturday, May 17, at 2 p.m., against the Guelph Royals.

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- Jim Barber is the Sports, Arts and Lifestyles Editor for the Barrie Advance. Contact him at jbarber@simcoe.com.