KENTVILLE, NS - A group of young baseball players from the Kentville area have a lot to be proud of after reaching the pinnacle of play this season.
The 11-U AA Mosquito Kentville Wildcats baseball team represented the town by hosting – and winning – provincials on Labour Day weekend and going on to win the Atlantic Canadian championship for their age group.
The Mosquito Wildcats faced off against the Sydney Sooners in the final of the provincial tournament on Sept. 2, securing the win and the championship by a score of 13 to 2. This earned the team the right to represent the province at the Atlantic championship tournament in Moncton on Sept. 14, 15 and 16.
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Every province played against the others in the round-robin style tournament at Atlantics. The Wildcats lost to Newfoundland by a score of 5 to 2 in Kentville’s second game. However, the Kentville team redeemed itself, facing Newfoundland again and defeating them by a score of 12 to 1. This advanced the Wildcats to the championship game against New Brunswick.
Kentville defeated New Brunswick 4 to 3 to take home the Atlantic Canadian championship. The accomplishment means reaching the pinnacle of play for an Atlantic Canadian mosquito team.
The managers and coaches are very proud of all 13 boys on the team. Many of them have been playing together for several years already and they’ve become a cohesive unit.
Coach Matt Pearl said it’s been a dream season in every aspect, one that the players should be very proud of. He said the coaching and management this year has been something he’ll never forget and the support provided by the parent group has been “nothing short of incredible.” This all combined for a great team effort and contributed to this season’s success.
“Our mission from the first time we got together as a group was to be the hardest working team in the province,” Pearl said. “We knew as coaches that if we could impress upon the players the very best work ethic and create a team atmosphere we would have a successful season just on that alone.”
He said the kids bought in, resulting in a fantastic season. Their overall record was 38 wins, 11 loses and one tie.
Team co-manager Greg White said the boys were “just ecstatic” to win the Atlantic championship, having experienced some ups and downs mid-season.
“Those boys represented their town and their team just like first-class athletes,” he said. “It’s quite an achievement.”
The team started the season with a tournament in Fredericton in June. Somewhat ironically, the first team they played was Fredericton, the same New Brunswick team that they went on to defeat in the final at Atlantics.
“From the minute the boys stepped on the field in Fredericton as a group, we kind of had the feeling that something special was going to happen this year,” White said.
He said the new players gelled well with the more established core and the Atlantic championship is the culmination of quite a journey for the young players.
The team members and coaches were presented with certificates of recognition by Mayor Sandra Snow and Kentville town council at the Sept. 24 council session.
Did you know?
The 2018 U-11 AA Mosquito Kentville Wildcats baseball team’s championship roster included #2 Ben Croteau; #3 Cameron White, #4 Gabe Fuller, #5 Loghan Wallace, #8 Nolan King, #9 Quinn Keddy, #10 Carsen Pearl, #12 Connor White, #14 Jacob Trask, #15 Brody Nauss, #16 Drew Zettler, #20 Nathan Dill and #22, Sam Butler. The coaches include Matt Pearl, Trevor Croteau, Joel Fuller and Mike Trask.
