Skip to content

Home field advantage for Chilliwack Cougars at bantam baseball provincials

The U15 ball team hosts three foes for the year end tourney, July 29 to Aug. 1 at Fairfield Island
29902393_web1_copy_220727-CPL-BantamBaseballProvincials_2

A Chilliwack baseball team will have home-field advantage this weekend as they host bantam AAA provincials.

Chilliwack’s U15 Cougars host the four-team tournament Friday (July 29) through Monday (Aug. 1) at Fairfield Island.

Head coach Colin Currie said his team has worked exceptionally hard for the opportunity and can’t wait to get started.

“This is the first time Chilliwack has ever been the 1-seed at bantam AAA,” he said. “That’s a pretty big deal.”

Currie’s crew steamrolled opponents this season, racking up a record of 34-10. That’s the best record Chilliwack has posted in eight years at the bantam AAA level, and marks a fourth straight winning season.

“The year before that, the program was like 4-40, so it’s been quite the turnaround,” Currie said.

Chilliwack’s roster includes Ian Vandepol, Logan Booth, Logan Rodgers, Kailyn Guenther, Karsen Guenther, Eli Robinson, Mathew Chater, Carter Mclachlan, Carter Bestebroer, Sam Hall, Rheece McAuley, Evan Maloney and Andrew Suttie.

Seven of those boys are returning from the 2021 team that missed out on qualifying for provincials by a scant .04ths of a run.

RELATED: GW Graham launching baseball phys-ed offering in 2020

RELATED: Chilliwack’s Liam Campbell reflects on his time with UFV Cascades baseball club

“So it’s a pretty hungry and determined group,” Currie said. “They’ve kept their focus all year and done exceptionally well considering their last full season was their first year of peewee, when they were 13 years old.

“For them to do as well as they’ve been doing is pretty special.”

Provincials will pit Chilliwack against the Ridge Meadows Royals, North Island Cubs and Richmond City/Ladner (West Coast) Wolves.

The Royals are a regional arch-rival that the Cougars beat four times in four tries during the regular season. They went 11-1 against the Cubs and Wolves.

Currie described his team as well balanced, good with the bats and gloves and pitching, calling them a win-at-all-costs group.

“If there’s one guy struggling, there’s always another guy that will pick them up,” he said. “I think we have almost 300 runs for and just over 100 runs against, so whether it’s pitching, defense or hitting, it’s been a combined effort all year.”

Hosting the tourney will be nice.

Currie said it’s super important knowing how the field plays, and having the ‘hometown crowd’ will be great. Being able to sleep at home and not have to get up at an insane hour to get to the ballpark will be nice too.

Hosting in a heatwave may be challenging, with daytime temperatures still expected to be in the low to mid 30s, but Currie said the boys are committed to conditioning.

“Day one is going to be the hottest, but our depth will play well for us,” he noted. “They’ve been doing long distance running and sprint work all through the year. I think they’re ready for this.”

The Cougars open Friday, 3 p.m. against Ridge Meadows and play Saturday morning at 9 a.m. against the Cubs.

Track provincials online at bcminorbaseball.org/provincials-15u


@ProgressSports
eric.welsh@theprogress.com

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.



Eric Welsh

About the Author: Eric Welsh

I joined the Chilliwack Progress in 2007, originally hired as a sports reporter.
Read more