The Cairns Post
Friday 1st November 2002

Playpen Cubs will have their sights set on North Queensland domination when they take on Townsville baseball premiers Marlins tomorrow.
Cubs, refreshed from their hard-earned Cairns Baseball League Championship win a fortnight ago, will be the first Cairns team to win the North Queensland title if they triumph in Townsville.

Despite Reds' domination of the Cairns scene over the past 10 years, the club never managed to convert that success into a win in the regular end-of-season grudge match.
Last year Reds fielded a virtual development side following the unavailability of several senior players.

That does not apply to Cubs who will travel to Townsville with a full-strength side including first baseman Mick Burton who has overcome the calf injury which troubled him during the Cairns Grand Final series.
"We'll be at full strength and we're going to try to knock these guys off," Cubs player-coach Matt Bolton said. "It's not just an end-of-season trip, we're going down to win it."

Cubs beat Marlins in a pre-season tournament in Townsville at Easter but are expecting stronger opposition from the reigning NQ champions this time around.
They won the Townsville pennant with a 27-4 pasting of the PCYV Allstars last month but are likely to be missing gun pitcher Justin Schulte who is in Brisbane.

Cubs line-up includes US minor league player Brett Roneberg, reliable pitcher Greg Wicks and Grand Final hero Greg Westaway.

The game has special significance for Bolton, with the catcher planning to call it quits after tomorrow's game.
"I didn't have the best of Grand Final series here so I'll give it a shake down there," the 30-year-old said.
"All the boys keep nagging me about it (retirement) but at the moment that's definately it.
"I want to go out with a bang. You want to beat Townsville in anything you can whether it's marbles, cricket or footy....baseball's no different."