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The U13 AAA South Central Cubs have made their way to Chilliwack, British Columbia, and will be taking part in the Western Canadian Baseball Championships over the next few days.
Important preparation
Leading up to not only travelling, but facing some elite competition, coach Scott Edwards says the team has put in the work to be ready. "It's something different than we're used to," the coach says with a grin. "Having to travel a few provinces before a tournament is new to a lot of players and families. But, we're looking forward to playing some good ball, and representing the province of Manitoba well."
Points of strength heading in
Heading into action, Edwards feels the team has some strengths that will factor into them being successful. "I think we're in a good spot, we kind of built over the year on a lot of different things with these young guys. Losing the provincial final in a tough 7-6 battle to Winnipeg South was a tough pill to swallow, but our team proved we are right there with the best in Manitoba. We're hoping that it stays the same when we face the teams from western Canada."
"I think our biggest key is depth," Edwards says confidently. "I think that we've had a couple tournaments and we've had success because when you jam a lot of games into a short period of time, you need every guy on your roster to play a part. We have a roster of 15 kids that we're really confident in. Depth is a big part of that, whether it be pitching, hitting, and defense. I think we have a number of kids that we can throw out on the mound and give us a good couple innings. That's brought us success in other tournaments, and hopefully it does again this weekend."
Proudly Manitoban
Representing their province is special, and Edwards says the entire group is taking the honour to heart. "We've tried to relay that message, that this is an opportunity that doesn't come up every day. There are a lot of really good baseball players across the province that never get the opportunity to play in a Western Canadian Baseball Championship. We've tried to instill that in the kids, that they should have fun with it, enjoy the trip, enjoy playing in Chilliwack, but once that first pitch is thrown, it's still baseball. We have a group that is very capable of doing some very great things here."
Life long memory
Travelling to the west coast to play baseball will be a special memory the team won't soon forget, something Edwards encourages the group to embrace. "I think it adds a little bit more, the fact the families are travelling across western Canada, and the mountains. I know that'll be a first for many of them. Like I said, it's an opportunity that not everyone gets. We're going to try and take advantage of the short time we have there, play some good ball, and enjoy spending time with family and friends in Chilliwack."
Coaching thoughts
Having coached in tournaments with success before, Edwards says these events do change the way the staff goes about thinking. "It's a three game round robin, so you need to have success in those first three games. You'd like to win all three, but if you win two, you're in a good place to possibly be in a semifinal on Sunday morning. It is quick, but our depth is an advantage. We have a lot of different players, if one guy isn't going that game, we have another guy on the bench that is ready to. It's a little different than a normal doubleheader weekend, or a longer tournament, but we're looking forward to it."