BY GREG SAKAKI
The Nanaimo Coal Miners will try to win a championship at Nanaimo’s first baseball tournament played under the lights.
The city’s senior men’s baseball team is hosting Baseball B.C.’s provincial championships from Friday to Monday, Aug. 4-7, at Serauxmen Stadium.
The tournament will involve six teams and any of the six will go in feeling like they have a legitimate chance to win.
“I think it’s going to be a really strong competition of the six teams and I think this year’s a toss-up more than any other year,” said Joey Sabo, one of the coaches of the Coal Miners. “I think any one of the six teams can win it, I think they’re all going to be strong.”
The Coal Miners have had chances to hone their game throughout the season, playing well against the Ladysmith Pilots and Mid Island Pirates, and had more exhibitions scheduled in the lead-up to provincials. Sabo said the Miners have gotten younger this year, which has served them well. The Coal Miners play their best ball, he said, when they’re pitching well, backing it up with solid defence, and playing the game hard.
“We’ve got pitchers that have come back and we’ve got new pitchers, young guys, so our pitching’s really strong this year,” he said. “And we’ve got some really gritty, hard-nosed players that play to win the game and play as a team. We’re going to hit the ball, but we’re also going to play really good defence and play a gritty style of baseball.”
As for the Ladysmith Pilots, they aren’t the home team, but they’re excited to play close to home and will bring a cheering section of supporters. The’ve been able to add players while maintaining a core.
“You have to adapt and continue to bring in new bodies. In doing that, the real challenge is holding on to a strong team culture where people want to be a part of it, and I think we’ve done a good job with that,” said Tyler Armstrong, the team’s founder.
The Coal Miners are excited to be putting on Nanaimo’s first baseball tournament with night games and they will play in the feature games Friday and Saturday against the Coquitlam Angels and the Pilots, with the quarterfinals and semifinals on Sunday and then the final on Monday.
“I think we’ve got a really good shot this year so I’m hoping we get a lot of fans out and a lot of support from the community,” Sabo said. “It’s going to be really good baseball, I think the fans are really going to enjoy it.”
GAME ON … The Miners play the Angels on Friday, Aug. 4, at 7 p.m. at Serauxmen Stadium.
-files from Bailey Seymour/News Bulletin
editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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