The Millwood Logistics Orillia Majors are in the hunt for their first playoff berth in over a decade.
Through the first half of the season, the Majors are 4-8-0 and sit in the eighth and final playoff spot of the North Dufferin Baseball League.
Third baseman Pierson French has been playing with the Majors since the team was brought back from a nine-year hiatus in 2022.
"Things are really starting to come along," he said, noting the team has already doubled its win total from last season. "We have developed a good core of guys who are truly pushing the team forward."
French, 26, says the Majors have the youngest roster in the league by a large margin.
"A lot of the games that we are losing are by only a run or two," he said. "Our first year was a little tough, but we are now becoming a dangerous team in the league."
Shortstop Brett Jones played with the Orillia Majors in 2013 as a 16-year-old. After playing at Durham College, he is now getting back into the swing of things with his hometown team at 27.
"From playing on the team when I was younger, I can remember the energy that surrounded it," he said. "People took it seriously and guys worked really hard."
Jones says he's excited to return to the team and hopes to help re-establish the culture that once made Orillia a winning organization.
Third-year manager Mike Provenzano is being joined by assistant coaches Greg McMillan and Mark Obee this year.
"They are so valuable to the team," French said. "They have so much expertise and knowledge of the league and baseball in general."
McMillian (Mac) was a catcher for the Majors for 25 years and helped the squad win three All-Ontario Championships. Obee was a left-handed pitcher who played 10 years with the Majors during a span when Orillia hosted five all-Ontario championships.
French says having the two former Majors back in the dugout establishes a championship mindset for the players of today.
"It's a determined and hungry culture for winning," French said. "We aren't doing this to hang out with the boys on the weekend; we want to win games."
French hopes the Majors can inspire the next generation of ball players to continue their careers in Orillia.
"For a while, a lot of our best young players would go to Barrie or other places that have solid teams," he said. "Why not give them a chance to stay home and represent the city they are from?"
Jones says he remembers growing up at a time when the city was "buzzing" with Majors baseball.
"I remember having an opening day where guys like 'Mac' were teaching me how to lace up my catchers' pads," he said. "I got to benefit from that."
Jones hopes to see young fans and families fill the bleachers for the Majors' remaining home games this season.
"This is a special thing that we can potentially build," he said. "To have the interest and have people know about the Majors again, I think it can go a long way for the sport and can get some young kids eager to get into baseball again."
McMillian says he's enjoying being back at the diamond as a coach this year.
"I love the guys," he said. "This is a really good group of kids and working with them has been rewarding."
Obee says it's important to all Majors alumni to see the team continue and have success.
"Thanks to Mike (Provenzano), the Majors are a team again," he said. "This is a quality group of guys, and we are teaching them good fundamentals that lead to winning."
The Majors extend a huge thanks to Millwood Logistics owner Andy Long who sponsors the team.
"If we didn't have Andy Long there would be so much more pressure on us financially," Provenzano said. "It takes that off the players’ minds so they can just focus on playing baseball."
The next Majors home game at the Jerry Udell Diamond in Tudhope Park is on Tuesday, July 2 versus the New Lowell Knights. First pitch is 8:30 p.m.
For a full Orillia Majors schedule, click here.
