The Ladysmith Cannons are preparing to host the AA Island Zone Baseball Championships this weekend at High Street ball field.
Coach Darren Rasmussen said if the past three weeks of play have been any indication, people can expect an exciting and unpredictable weekend of baseball.
“This tournament is going to be very good, it’s going to be very competitive,” he said. “From what I’ve seen, I think every team coming to this is going to have a chance. It’s been real close.”
The summer ball field season comes to a head July 22-24 when the Ladysmith Cannons, Port Alberni Athletics, Oceanside Reds, Saltspring Islanders, Comox Cardinals compete for a place at the provincials in Surrey.
“We’re right in there with everybody,” he said. “There’s a lot of pressure and every game’s going to mean something.”
The Cannons were hard at work over the weekend with a three-way doubleheader with the Oceanside Reds and the Saltspring Islanders. The team played a very close game against the Oceanside Reds Sunday morning (July 17) but took a 9-6 loss. Later that afternoon, they had a very exciting battle against the strong Saltspring Islanders and won 10-9 after being down 6-1 in the initial innings.
“We definitely made a good comeback,” Rasmussen said. “Bats are hot, bats are cold, that’s the way the baseball goes.”
Until next weekend’s championship, the team will continue to ‘work on their A-game’, making sure players are familiar with every position on the field and able to pitch.
“It’s all developing right now,” Rasmussen said. “When there’s only 12 kids on the bench you need at least 10 of them pitching.”
Rasmussen said the Ladysmith community has really stepped up to the plate to support the team financially. In addition to supporting team fundraisers, a number of organizations have come forward with funds to help cover the cost of the team’s uniforms.
“The way the community has been is just awesome,” he said.
The AA Island Zone Baseball Championship will begin at noon Friday and end about 5 p.m. on Sunday at the High Street Ball field. You can catch the Cannons in action on the field at noon and 6 p.m. on Friday, and 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.