‘We’ll go as far as pitching takes us’
Colonels to lean on veteran experience at Canadian Little League Championship
Hudson Clarke learned firsthand how hard it is to win a national championship.
The 12-year-old pitcher played in the Canadian Little League Championship with the Glace Bay McDonald’s Colonels last season – a team that posted one win at the weeklong tournament in Lethbridge, Alta.
However, Clarke doesn’t think much about last year’s event anymore. His focus has shifted to the 2018 tournament where he will once again suit up for the Colonels, starting Thursday in Mirabel, Que.
“We had a pretty good team last year, but I think we have a better team this year,” said the Port Caledonia native. “I think we have a better chance of winning this year.”
Clarke, a Grade 7 student at Oceanview Education Centre in Glace Bay, is among six returning players from last year’s team including Dylin White, Brayden MacDonald, Kyle Locke, Garrett MacIntosh and Keegan O’Neill.
Colonels manager Henry Boutilier will lean heavily on his veterans to lead the club throughout the 10-day tournament.
“It’s great to have those players with experience because they know what to expect and they know how to hopefully react under pressure,” said Boutilier, who will coach in his 29th national tournament.
“Those six players will help the younger guys prepare – it’s going to be a good time for them and it’s a good learning experience too.”
Earlier this month, Glace Bay captured the Nova Scotia Major Little League Championship, posting four wins against teams from Sydney and Sydney Mines.
The Colonels, consisting of players ages 11-12, later hosted Lancaster in the Atlantic championship, sweeping the bestof-three series with the New Brunswick squad with a pair of decisive wins last weekend.
“Our team played well overall,” said Boutilier. “You have to remember they are young kids and with 11-and-12-year-olds, anything can happen on any given day.”
Glace Bay, who will leave for the tournament on Tuesday, will open the Canadian Little League Championship with a game against Ontario on Thursday, before playing the host Mirabel Diamond Academy on Friday.
The Colonels will have a day off on Aug. 4., before playing the Prairies on Aug. 5, and the Quebec representative on Aug. 6. The club will wrap up the round robin portion against British Columbia on Aug. 7 and Alberta on Aug. 8.
Boutilier believes his team is well balanced but considers pitching to be its greatest asset.
“We’ll go as far as pitching takes us,” said Boutilier. “Right now, Hudson Clarke and Brayden MacDonald are our two main pitchers – we have five pitchers we will be counting on at the tournament.”
Clarke, who’s favourite baseball teams are the Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals, is confident the team is ready to compete for a national title.
“We’re all really excited to play,” said Clarke, who’s favourite major league pitcher is Blue Jays ace Marcus Stroman.
“We have a good defensive team – we know there is some really good competition there and that it will be hard to win, but we’re prepared.”
The tournament semifinals will be held on Aug. 10, while the championship game will be played at noon Atlantic time on Aug. 11.
All games will be streamed live on www.cbcsports.ca.
“Winning a Canadian championship would mean the world to me,” said Clarke. “It would be an awesome experience and I think we can do it.”
The winner of the tournament will advance to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA., Aug. 16-26.