The top U15 softball teams in the province will be in Prince Albert this weekend as Softball Saskatchewan provincial tournaments begins.
The Prince Albert U15 A Aces will host provincials at the PMP Kinsmen Diamonds starting on Friday while the Prince Albert U15 Astros begin provincials at the Rotary Diamonds on Saturday.
Coaches for both teams say it’s a good chance for local residents to see high quality competition.
“I think it’s exciting that Prince Albert gets to host such a great weekend of ball,” Aces coach Mel Boulet said. “The residents get to come and watch the other teams compete and watch the Aces compete. The boys are also competing. I think that having both the Aces and the Astros together is a great opportunity.”
“(We’re) just looking forward to a great weekend of ball,” Astros head coach Brad Casavant added. “(We) hope we get some fan support out there. It’s going to be a great weekend.”
Aces ready to face strong U15 field
The Aces head into this weekend’s tournament on a positive note. When the games start Friday morning, it will be one of the few times they’ve had their entire line-up ready to play after injuries mounted during the season.
Boulet said the squad’s strength has been their ability to work hard and come together, despite the injuries.
“(They have to) work hard, believe in each other, and work as a team,” she said. “They are strong athletes, and they’ll come together as a team.”
“Our aim is to play unified (and) come out strong,” she added. “It’s exciting to see the girls play.”
The Aces are one of 14 teams competing in U15 A provincials. They open the tournament at 8 a.m. on Friday at the Kinsmen Diamond against the Saskatoon Selects Surge. They round out Friday action with matches against the Yorkton Crush (Kinsmen) at 2 p.m. and the Regina Royals Reign (Optimist) at 8:30 p.m.
On Saturday, the Aces take on the East Central Wolverines at the Optimist Diamond at 2:30 p.m. in their final group game. The Championship Round begins at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, with the Gold Medal Game scheduled for 3 p.m.
“I think it’s very exciting opportunity for the girls to compete in Prince Albert and have our community come and cheer them on and be there and come watch them play,” Boulet said.
“Our aim is to play unified, and come out strong. It’s exciting to see the girls play.”
Astros one of three U15 teams competing in provincials
The Prince Albert Astros are eager to host the top U15 boys teams in Saskatchewan, but coach Brad Casavant said they wish there was more competition.
The Astros are one of only three Saskatchewan teams in the U15 ranks. While more would be ideal, Casavant said it will still be a great weekend of softball.
“(It’s) a smaller tournament on our side and but we’re excited about it,” Casavant said. “We know the other teams quite well because it’s the only two we get to play during the season. Three good ball teams should be a really good tournament.”
Since games have been hard to come by, many of the U15 Astros have joined the Prince Albert Men’s League. Casavant said that’s given the squad valuable development time.
“That’s really helped fill the gap with the lack of games we get at our age division. They can get some extra reps and some extra practice playing with these men’s teams, so that part has been really good for us.”
The Rosebud Royals and Parkland Wildcats join the Astros in the U15 Open Boys Division. The Astros will look to continue the success they had against both clubs at the Grand Slam event held at Prime Ministers’ Park at the end of May.
The Astros’ bats sizzled that weekend, as the boys swept all four games, and outscored their opponents 47-5 in the process.
“We have solid pitching and really good defence. I think the key will be hitting the ball and scoring runs,” Casavant said. “We’re confident our pitching and defence will hold that side down. We’ve just got to put up some runs and I think we’ll be okay.”
Rain is the biggest concern heading into Friday’s action. Casavant said the small number of teams means they can be flexible in case of rain delays, but they’re still hoping for a dry weekend.
“We’re hoping the rain stays away,” he said. “I was just at the diamonds, actually, and they’re looking pretty good all things considered, so we’re hopeful.”
News and Notes:
• Prince Albert’s other U15 softball team, the U15 B Aces, will travel to Saskatoon for northern provincials on July 10. They face the Saskatoon Lasers at noon on Friday in their opening game.
• Prince Albert will also play host to the U20 Men’s and U17 boys provincial tournaments. Both are scheduled for July 10-12.
• The Prince Albert U17 Aces are also in action this weekend. They’ll travel to Saskatoon on Saturday for the U17 Girls Provincial Championship. Their first game is at 8 a.m. on Friday against the Saskatoon Selects McDonald.
