Local Sports

The Oyen Orioles U11 baseball team just fell short of a championship at this past weekend's Baseball Alberta Division 1 Tier 3 provincial tournament, putting an end to provincial play across the border for the summer, and capping off what was a strong year for O's ball.

From the dusty rangelands near Kyle to the bright lights of the National Finals Rodeo, Gary Rempel’s legacy in the rodeo world spans more than four decades, and it all started on the Matador Ranch.

After 45 years in the arena, Rempel has officially hung up his spurs, retiring as one of the most decorated and respected pickup men in rodeo history. His career included nine appearances at the National Finals Rodeo (NFR), 21 selections to pick up at the Canadian Finals Rodeo,a record, and countless small-town rodeos where he says the heart of rodeo truly lives.

Keith Daae of southeast Saskatchewan recently represented Team Saskatchewan at the prestigious Canada Cup, a national tournament that brings together some of the top volleyball talent from across the country. Daae was part of the U17 Green Selects team, which earned bronze at the tournament and marked a proud moment in his volleyball journey.

Daae earned his spot on the team after attending the Sask. Selects camp, which invites only 25 to 30 players each year. He didn’t make the final roster in 2023, but this year, he made the cut and took full advantage of the opportunity.

Two senior baseball championships will be awarded about 90 kilometres apart on Wednesday night.

In the North Saskatchewan River Baseball League, the Unity Senior Cardinals are at their temporary home in Wilkie for the final time tonight hosting the North Battleford Beavers, while across Highway 14, the Macklin Lakers welcome in the Veteran Bulls to decide what's their third straight meeting in the Battle River Baseball League Championship series, the Lakers going for a three-peat.

In a great test both physically and mentally for the U13 AAA Eastman Wildcats, the group earned a silver medal at provincials, a boost for the team as they head to Abbotsford, British Columbia, for the Western Canadians.

Estevan Minor Football’s U14 Lions Oilers are gearing up for a fresh season with a nearly brand-new roster, but Head Coach Christian Pfeifer says the team’s culture remains unchanged.

“Five and one was our record last year and it was a historic season for us at the U14 level,” Pfeifer said. “We've never seen that kind of success before at our level. So it was really nice to go in there as my first year as head coach and bring that to the team.”

The Winnipeg Goldeyes (31-44) suffered yet another one-run loss Tuesday evening, falling 5-4 to the Sioux Falls Canaries (43-33) in the second game of a four-game set at Sioux Falls Stadium.
 
Jordan Barth delivered the decisive blow in the bottom of the ninth, driving a double off the left field wall to bring home Matt Ruíz and send the Canaries faithful home happy.

The U11 AA Strathmore Reds baseball team kept the gold at home after a provincial tournament over the weekend.

The tournament took place at the Hillview Diamond in Strathmore between Friday (Aug. 1) and Sunday, bringing in several other teams from across Alberta.

The Reds began the tournament with a victory over the Grande Prairie Reds on Friday before achieving another win against the Parkland Twin Whites the following day. 

It was a memorable long weekend for Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry.

On Tuesday, who has served as captain for the last two seasons, announced that he is engaged to his now fiancée, Laura.

The Portage Padres are closing in on their second consecutive Santa Clara Baseball League championship after a strong 9-3 win over Plumas in Game 2 Tuesday night.

Pitcher Rory Manns kept the Pirates at bay, going deep into the seventh inning, before Riley Borody came on to close out the final two outs. On offence, Tanner Jago and Tanner Boyle went back-to-back with home runs in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach.