Some baseball players like a game of cards on a long bus trip.
Others will pop in their earpods to listen to some music or binge their favourite show.
For Nathan Yunick, he’s good if you hand him a Rubik’s Cube.
The Estevan native remembers the first time he picked up the square puzzle, then watching a few videos to figure out how to solve it.
After a while, he understood the processes and patterns to look for, and then it was game on.
“I’ve gotten good at it,” Yunick told Saskatchewan Dugout Stories. “I can solve it in under a minute for sure, but that’s my only claim to fame I can make.”
It’s a modest comment from a young man who is now into second college baseball season, looking to continue making a positive impact at Trinidad State College before coming back home for another summer with the Moose Jaw Miller Express.
A PRETTY GOOD MENTOR
As if the Rubik’s Cube skillset wasn’t enough of an oddity, Yunick may also be one of a select few Canadian kids who never really took to hockey.
He played several other sports growing up, leaning on baseball and basketball after a growth spurt put him over 6-feet tall before high school.
Yunick decided to prioritize his time on the diamond during his 15U season and started making the 2.5-hour trek northwest to Martin Academy in Regina.
While he’s quick to credit the entire coaching staff including Rob Cherepuschak and Justin Eiswirth, it was getting to work with former Major League Baseball hurler Dustin Molleken where he realized what he wanted to focus on the most: pitching.
“He was the biggest boost in my career,” said the now 6-foot-3 twirler. “He’s the guy that I go to talk to if I have any problems or if I have a good weekend.”
The Regina Wolfpack product calls it a turning point in his career as he looked to take his game to the next level.
SHAKING IT OFF
His first year at Trinidad State didn’t exactly go according to plan for Yunick.
He ate up a ton of innings out of the bullpen as a freshman, going 1-2 with 21 strikeouts in a little more than 25 innings of work in 13 appearances.
However, his earned-run average was a hefty 13.50.
Despite the challenges of the 2025 season, Yunick quickly learned to brush it off and keep moving forward.
“I have the stuff and gained the experience to show that I’m resilient enough and have a baseball makeup to really go out there and compete,” he said. “Even if I do get hit around, I’m still able to bounce back.”
Yunick has been leaned on even more in the early going this spring, going 1-3 with a 6.31 ERA in six appearances, striking out 29 batters and already accumulating 25+ innings of work.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
One of the highlights of his baseball season now is coming back home for the summer.
Not only is he getting a home-cooked meal (he likes a barbecue steak and potatoes from his parents), but he’s able to pitch in front of friends and family with the Moose Jaw Miller Express of the Western Canadian Baseball League.
The righthander’s first taste of the summer circuit was as an affiliated player in 2024, posting a 7.94 ERA in six appearances.
While he didn’t get a chance to pitch during the Millers’ extended playoff run, Yunick used it as a learning experience for when he was ready to play a bigger role.
He did exactly that last summer, becoming a favourite arm out of the bullpen with a 4-2 record, 17 strikeouts and 6.20 ERA in 18 relief appearances.
“Moose Jaw feels like home now having been there for a couple of years now,” Yunick said. “It’s really special getting to play in front of the fans and having friends and family watch.”
He’s hoping he gets the opportunity to do it again this summer and play an even bigger role as the Miller Express look to get back to the WCBL championship for the third time in the last five seasons.
SETTLING IN FOR SPRING
For now, Yunick is focused on helping the Trojans become a force in the National Junior Colleges Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region IX.
They have spent the last few weeks playing non-conference games, many against teams in Texas, which he says is a good barometer for where the team is at.
While they picked up more losses than wins, Yunick believes it also showed his teammates what “the standard” should be.
From a personal perspective, the sophomore wants to be a leader on and off the field to help the team win.
“I knew this sophomore year was going to be a big one for me,” Yunick said. “I also know it’s going to be an uphill battle with all the elevation in Colorado, so I’ve settled in and kept the ball down, which is the biggest thing for me.”
He hopes his failures and challenges faced also show kids back home that it’s not the end of the world if things don’t go your way – it’s how you respond and learn from them that make you better down the road.
“Even if it gets hard, I’d say just have fun with the game because it’s a fun game after all,” Yunick said. “If you’re having fun, you will play it for a long time.”
And if you’re like him, maybe you’ll pick up a few hobbies for the team bus along the way.
Tales of Baseball 