The U13 South Central Cubs capped off an incredible year by bringing home the silver medal from Westerns that were held in Chilliwack, British Columbia.
Striking silver
Coach Scott Edwards says he couldn't be prouder of the group, and he knew they would be a team to be reckoned with. "I'm not overly surprised. Looking over the year, our team has gotten better every time we went out. We have a lot of really good baseball players down in this area, and we put together a good team. We were kind of building toward the end of the season, and luckily, we punched our ticket to the Western's in Chilliwack, and we had a really good showing."
When it comes to why the group was successful, Edwards says it's because of some key things. "We were a team," he says proudly. "We had depth, we had fifteen kids, and we can only play nine or ten of them at once, and the others would be starting players on any other team. We were very fortunate, from that aspect. We had a lot of really good pitching, the majority of our players played positions, but also pitched, which really helps. Also, our hitting was contagious, all season, when we had a couple of our regulars, when they were swinging the bats, everyone seemed to follow. That's what happened in Chilliwack, too."
Team success
Team confidence was high heading into the event, and Edwards says they built on that while in British Columbia. "I think that what successful teams have, is players that buy in. We had fifteen kids, and each one of them is a really good player, so for us to have support from everyone, in the lineup or not, cheering guys on, being ready to go in, and being a part of the team, it makes life easier. It brings success, at the end of the day, to our team."
A lot of emotions go into a final game, and Edwards says that the team, while disappointed, understood what they accomplished was special. "It was bitter sweet. We had put ourselves in a spot to make it to the final as the second seed Manitoba team. I think we took a few teams by surprise, and to play in that final, we had a lot of family and friends supporting us. Played a really good team from Kelowna, they had a lot of good players, but we clawed our way, we made a good game of it. We fell al little short, but nothing to be ashamed of, bringing home a silver medal home to South Central."
Programs have bright future
Moving forward, Edwards acknowledges that the Cubs program is looking to continue a strong build, and the younger aged programs are important to that. "The 13U program, it's your first taste of regional AAA baseball, and for all but five or six of the kids, it was their first chance to play AAA ball. We felt like we put a good team together, an the results kind of followed us. To come home with a silver medal from Western Canadians, it's special, a lot of players never get the chance to play in that tournament, let alone bring home a medal. I know it bodes well for the region, and it was awesome to see other South Central teams bring home medals. Very excited for what the future holds for South Central baseball."
Messages of support
Through it all, a big consistent thing that Edwards appreciates was the support around the team, and he can't thank them enough. "First and foremost, the parents, they travel with these boys, get them to and from games, and practices. The extended family and friends, it's something us coaches were talking about, all the messages of support that we were all receiving from back home, whether it be our family and friends, or people from the region who had been following the team, and wished us well. I couldn't be prouder of the boys, and coming home with a medal is icing on the cake."