It looks like the St. Albert Minor Baseball Association is going to be hitting a lot of home runs this season.
That comes after a successful Early Bird tournament, the first multi-region baseball meeting of the year, and greatly anticipated by coaches, players, parents and fans alike after the horrid spring Alberta has endured.
The Early Bird featured dozens of teams in a wide range of tiers, from the little kids right up to bantam and midget.
Bantam power
According to Dave Maguire, field manager St. Albert Cardinals Bantam AAA baseball club, his team had a productive weekend, even though the scoreboard didn't reflect it.
On Friday the Bantams AAA fellows faced a final score of Camrose 4 St. Albert 3. McGuire said pitcher Dylan Gates had a brilliant game, striking out 11 Cougars over six innings and allowing four runs, one earned. He also added a single and triple and scored a run.
On Saturday, the Bantam AAA notched a 4-4 tie with the Lethbridge Bulls.
McGuire said the Bulls scored a run on an error in the bottom of the 7th inning to tie the Cardinals 4-4. Spencer Dronkelaar and Dan Gerlach combined on a five-hitter. The Cardinals stranded eight runners during the game.
On Sunday the Saskatoon Cardinals overcame the good guys by a score of 9-7.
The coach said the boys from St. Albert spotted the Cards from Saskatoon three runs in the top of the first, then scored four in the bottom of the second and were ahead 6-5 after five innings. They added another run in the top of the sixth, but Saskatoon scored four in their half and shut out St. Albert to earn a berth in the semi-final. St. Albert pounded out 12 hits. Nathaniel Brission lead the way with two doubles and Cole Seitz and James Robillard also had a pair.
"I like the direction we are heading in", said Maguire. "We continue to improve game by game, but we are lacking the consistency required in all phases of the game. The boys are working hard in practice and we believe we will turn things around very soon."
McGuire reminded ball fans the Redbirds are at Goldstick Park on Wednesday to take on the Edmonton Cardinals. They host the Calgary Cubs in a double dip on Saturday at Legion Park and then face Red Deer on Sunday, also a home game.
PeeWee showdown
PeeWee AAA head coach Darren Pratt said his team had an excellent weekend, in the championship game Monday versus the Sherwood Park As.
"This was an anticipated match-up as it was the first time these two rivals have played each other and both came into this game undefeated so far this season," stated Pratt Monday. "In the end, the game was a bit anti-climactic as the St. Albert Cardinals defeated the Sherwood Park A's 11-1 in a five-inning mercy rule stoppage.
"The story of the championship game was Cardinal pitcher Zach Froment who threw all five innings giving up only two hits and striking out 12 of the 19 batters he faced. He also helped his cause by getting three hits at the plate. The Morinville product is in his first season with the Cardinals baseball program.
"Another Morinville product also helped the Cardinals get off to a quick start as Morgan Melchert hit a three-run home run and then added another RBI later in the game for four in total. Colton Girard also led the offence with a 3-hit night."
Pratt stated the road to the championship game began Friday with an 8-2 victory over the Confederation Park Cubs, then a tough 11-5 battle against the East Central Bulls and a dominating 20-0 victory over the Lloydminster Twins on Sunday.
"This is a special group of ball players who are focused on getting a little bit better each week together," stated Pratt. "After extended time preparing for the season indoors due to the late spring weather, they have responded well going 10-0 in the past three weekends with everyone contributing to the early season success.
"The goal is to continue to grow both individually as players and as a team over the coming weeks and months. This is a group of boys that set high standards and expectations for each other both on and off the field, which helps them all to grow and become better ball players."
Midget
The Midget AA Cardinals played solid ball at the tourney, noted head coach Greg Powlik. Despite going 2-2, his team is young, eager and willing to learn.
"We were playing against 17- or 18-year-old kids," said Powlik by phone Monday, noting his players are mostly 15 or 16 years old. "So, I think they're doing well."
Powlik said the kids showed character after losing their first two games. They regrouped and won their next two.
Powlik said the late spring and nasty weather has most baseball teams in the same boat: rusty, needing a bit more field time and making those early season mistakes. "We're making the same mistakes as everyone else," he said.
Powlik said he attributes the two opening losses to errors. "Mistakes in the field," he said, when asked what caused the losses. "The other team made better decisions at the plate." He said baseball is a game of concentration.
Looking at the team's two wins to close the tournament, Powlik said the players showed more discipline, more maturity and that led them to winning games. "The reason for that, I think, is better decisions at the plate," he said.
"Not swinging at bad pitches. Every pitch is a thinking process."
Looking at his bullpen, Powlik said he was happy with the Midget AA Cards' pitching. He said the team is missing two guys right now, but still did very well. One of the Cards' lefties pitched an entire game.
"I'm proud of them," said Powlik. "They're eager to learn."
Looking ahead, Powlik said the midget team with such young players who can win games has quite a season ahead of them. "Aw, great potential," he said.
"We're playing teams two years older than us. There's great potential ahead of us."
Powlik said he wanted to extend his gratitude to parents, league officials and other volunteers for the great job they did on the Early Bird tournament.
