Regina baseball fans celebrate Blue Jays' wild win

In an improbable comeback, the Toronto Blue Jays defied the odds Tuesday. After being down 2-0 in the American League Division Series they managed to defeat the Texas Rangers in a fifth and deciding game.

Fans in Regina were taken along for the nerve-wracking yet wild ride.

A classroom full of roughly 30 to 40 Martin Collegiate students watched the game on a projector screen. They were all part of either the junior varsity or varsity Martin Academy baseball team.

Not a bad gig to watch one of the most important games in Jays’ history during school time.

“To us it’s more than just watching the game. We go in-depth. It’s more of a learning experience than just watching the game for us,” said grade 12 student and shortstop Robbie Wilkes.

Players dissect plays and coaching decisions. Wilkes said they had a big class discussion about various situations and what kind of pitches they might look for.

“You get to learn but then you also get to watch a team that’s representing your country and representing you,” said grade 10 catcher Brandon Logan.

A number of students were decked out in their blue Jose Bautista jerseys, reacting to calls they thought were weak and applauding when Toronto scored.

“You actually look forward to coming to class and learning about something that you actually have a passion for and the love for the game,” Logan explained.

As you can imagine a classroom is relatively subdued compared to a bar, and at Leopold’s Tavern fans weren’t shy about letting their passion for the Jays out.

A boisterous ovation rang out when Bautista belted a three-run home run in the seventh inning, sending the Blue Jays up for good. When the final out came, so too did the high fives, the clinks of cheering beer glasses and the hooting and hollering among fans inside the tavern.

“It has been a long time coming and the Blue Jays deserve this, the fans deserve it. It’s just amazing,” said fan Mari Elena.

“These boys played their hearts out,” she added.

“They never gave up,” echoed Greg Van Eyck.

For him, the current Toronto team is reminiscent of the two championship teams from the ’90s. The team has momentum, but do they have what it takes to win the World Series?

It’s an easy answer for Van Eyck.

“They definitely do. They’ve got a whole nation behind them.”