Minor baseball has wrapped up for the season, with under-13 and under-15 teams having competed in many home and away games during the summer.
Powell River Minor Baseball (PRMB) Association president Brenden Frehlich said the U15 team wrapped up the season with a win and a loss at home against Duncan, then headed to Port Alberni for tournament action, where they won their first game 8-1.
“We had our pitcher pitch a complete game and we were great defensively,” said Frehlich.
The next morning, Powell River needed a win to make it to the final game, but came up short against Port Alberni, the host team.
“Unfortunately, we were hoping to make it through because we were going to play Oceanside, which was the host team for the provincial final, so they were automatically in,” said Frehlich. “All we had to do is make it to the finals and we would have been in as well, because one other team from the Vancouver Island zone could qualify.
“We played really well, but so did Port Alberni, and we just couldn’t get past them, so that is how our season ended. We were in almost every game during the season, and we were up against players who were baseball kids, having started practising early in the year and playing lots of games.”
Frehlich said for the most part, the Powell River team is made up of a bunch of hockey kids who decided to play baseball during the summer, said Frehlich.
“They have a couple of months of baseball and that is it,” said Frehlich. “I was really proud of our group. They sharpened up defensively down the stretch. In the beginning, errors cost us, but after a few weeks of playing, they made some big improvements. The kids also had a lot of fun, so that was good.”
Frehlich said Powell River baseball took some big steps this year and there has been a lot of interest from local youth in playing.
“I can already feel that the coaches are wanting to take the next step, so the future looks really bright,” said Frehlich. “Following this forward for a couple more years, you have the young kids who play baseball for a few years in a row. They’re going to be good by the time they get into the older age groups.”
Frehlich said there is growing interest in baseball, and having teams from out of town come here this year was the first time it has happened in a while.
“We had a lot of feedback on how nice our facilities are, so it was nice to hear that the out-of-town teams really enjoyed making the trip,” said Frehlich. “We had barbecues and music and a public address system, and these are the little things that make the atmosphere at the games that much better.”
In terms of establishing an older team, Frehlich said there are enough U18s in spring league to form three teams, but in terms of travel ball, it gets tricker at that age because there are fewer teams in the island league, meaning U18s would likely have to travel further to get in games.
Kelly Lefler, team manager for the U13s, said her son Blake plays with the team and she enjoyed the experience of managing the team. She said DA Evans Park in Cranberry, where the U13s play, is a beautiful field, and local baseball fans came out to watch the action.
“I know the players really like it,” said Lefler. “We really appreciate that people are out there cheering for them.”
Lefler said in addition to hosting teams locally, the U13s travelled to Duncan, Ladysmith, Parksville and Campbell River. She said the games were a great learning experience for the local players.
At the end of the season, the team went to Ladysmith, winning one game and losing one. After that, they had a doubleheader in Parksville, playing two close games, losing both by one run.
“We learned a lot from the other teams, which, we found out, had played up to 14 games together, and we hadn’t played any,” said Lefler. “Other teams were starting their summer ball seasons earlier than we knew possible. That made us realize we were competitive, regardless.”
Lefler said unlike the U15s, the U13s opted not to go into the playoffs this year, but next year, the hope is that the team can look at competing for the provincials. She said Duncan placed first in BC and Campbell River was second, so Powell River faced some really strong opposition, and the local team acquitted itself well.
“We came really close,” said Lefler. “We beat Campbell River in one of our games, and the fact they were second in the province makes us realize we could be competitive, too.”
Lefler said one of the components of local participation was having girls play along with the boys. Her daughter was with the U15s, and there were three girls in the U13 squad. She is hoping more girls come out for competitive ball, and maybe in the future, form a team.
“Girls baseball, all of a sudden, has become a thing,” said Lefler. “I didn’t realize this. I always thought girls played softball, but they are actually playing baseball now.”
Lefler said over and above the competition this past season, the players had fun, even with the losses.
“That’s all that matters,” said Lefler. “It’s all about having fun, getting out there, getting some exercise and getting to know your teammates. My son met one of his really good friends through baseball. The friend went to a different school, but through baseball, now they are best friends. It’s great.”
Frehlich said the baseball association is grateful to all the volunteers, coaches, parents, helpers and officials who have made minor baseball here a success. He added that the association’s annual general meeting is coming up at the beginning of October, and current members are always interested in getting people involved, so anyone interested can come out and become involved.
Last year, Meta censored Canadian news from its feeds, so we built our own social platform: syrupsocial.com – a newsfeed powered by Canadian journalists. Join the Peak on Syrup for the latest news from the Sunshine Coast and beyond, and add the Peak's email list for the top headlines right in your inbox Monday to Friday.
