Kelowna Falcons

Donohue Returns

When the Falcons hit the field for their 17th summer in Kelowna, they will be led by a familiar face.

Bryan Donohue will return for his second summer as the Falcons bench boss following a 25-29 record last season.

Donohue, who is also the manager for Mt Hood Community College in Oregon explains his return along with the difference between last year and preparing for the 2017 summer.

“I began conversations with General Manager Mark Nonis before the season was even in its last weeks about coming back.  Seeing this team be successful at the championship level is really important to me.  There are so many things that go into just putting a team on the field, it makes all the work that goes into mean that much more.  This organization has all of the pieces to put together another championship year.  We have a one of a kind community that is a special place for all our guys to become a part of and I believe there is a culture up here that really stays with everyone.

After being in the league a year, it’s very apparent how consistent play can rack up a lot of wins and keep you toward the top of the standings.  We knocked on the door all year to break through from being a .500 team but lacked the consistency on the mound and at the plate to push forward.  Keeping routines simple and getting guys to buy into finding ways to win even when we’re not at our best will be key.  We also need to work more on things throughout the week to find ways to put more pressure on teams from the offensive end.

The biggest change from this year to last is how early we got on filling our roster.  It really came together well using my resources and Mark’s connections to getting the guys that we wanted.  We have some key guys coming back along with some proven players from all over the country.  I’m really excited about this roster and getting them focused on winning a title.  Knowing where we were last year with what we had, I can’t wait to get going again.

The biggest thing that stands out to me for this team is the proven depth that we have at a lot of spots.  We are much older as a whole than last year and have much more talent that has already produced at a higher level than last year.  Unfortunately, when you grab a high projected freshman or someone that didn’t play much during the spring, that guy may not be ready to produce right away.  Our first game counts, so I want guys that already have the innings and at bats to be ready to go right away.

I also think that we are going to have a lot more team speed than last year. In this league, if you want to win the whole thing, you are going to have to go through some good arms to get there.  Having the ability to take advantage of stolen bases to get into scoring position is huge.  I want to be a team that constantly puts pressure on and causes problems for opposing defenses and pitchers.”

The Falcons will open the season at home on June 2nd when they welcome in the newest franchise to the West Coast League; the Port Angeles Lefties, formally the Kitsap Bluejackets.  Season tickets and affordable family fun are available now by calling the Falcons headquarters at 250-763-4100.

Photo courtesy of Greystoke Photography

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