Bantam AAA games
The bantam AAA St. Albert Cardinals fly into action this weekend during a doubleheader homestand at Legion Memorial Park.
Today the Cardinals host the South Jasper Place Jays at 12 noon and the Fort McMurray Oil Giants at 6 p.m. and Sunday’s start times are 10 a.m. against the Oil Giants and 4 p.m. against the Jays.
Wednesday the Cardinals and Sherwood Park Athletics hook up at 6:30 p.m. in St. Albert.
The 2017 Baseball Alberta U15 Tier I provincial finalists were 24-9 in league record and at westerns recorded one win in five games.
Peewee AAA games
The peewee AAA St. Albert Cardinals are going hard this weekend with three games on tap at Legion Memorial Park.
The Cardinals swing for the fences against the Okotoks Dawgs today at 12 noon and Sunday against the Fort McMurray Oil Giants at 10 a.m. and Parkland Twins at 4 p.m.
Last year’s Cardinals placed fifth in league play at 20-10, finished third at the U13 Baseball Alberta Tier I championship and at westerns lost four games.
Junior/senior games
Sunday’s exhibition between the junior AAA Cardinals and senior AA Cardinals starts at 7 p.m. at Legion Memorial Park.The senior AA team is also up to bat today against host Stony Plain Mets at 2 p.m. in pre-season play in the North Central Alberta Baseball League.
The league opener for the Cardinals is Thursday against the Sturgeon Paladins at 7 p.m. in Bon Accord.
Last year’s Cardinals fell one win short of advancing to the NCABL playoffs for the first time in team history after losing the wildcard elimination game 4-1 to the Westlock Lions. Both teams finished in a three-way tie with the Edmonton Primeaus for the fourth and final playoff spot with 8-8 records.
The last league game was the 8-5 come-from-behind victory by the Primeaus over the Cardinals in St. Albert and a win would have clinched a playoff spot for the Red Birds.
The Cardinals joined the NCABL in 2013 and in 2016 finished at the bottom of the standings at 3-15.
Hayden Chies of the Cardinals was the runner-up for the 2017 NCABL batting crown with a .474 average.
Meanwhile, the first league game for the junior AAA team is the May 13 doubleheader against the Innisfail Merchants and Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox in Innisfail.
The Cardinals are coming off a fifth-place 10-11 showing in the seven-team junior AAA circuit and this year the league consists of five teams.
