Mounties gearing up for World Series
These Mounties are getting ready to head to the U.S.
The Lethbridge Mounties 12U baseball team are taking their game south of the border and experiencing some international competition for the first time in the process.
That will take place at the end of the month when the Mounties head to Shelton, Washington for the American Amateur Baseball Congress World Series starting July 30 to Aug. 5.
On Saturday afternoon at Dave Elton field, it was time for one more tuneup before the trip as the Mounties hosted Calgary in a double-header that was interrupted early in the second game when stormy skies and some lighting and thunder rolled in.
Weather played a factor Saturday afternoon, but it won’t keep the Mounties from a spot in the World Series in two weeks.
“We’re guaranteed six games and we’ll play in the International pool, we’re just getting ready to rock and roll,” said Mounties head coach Shane Toker. “They’re excited. We’ve been playing a lot of games. In the first (tournament) I think we got fourth and in the second one we got second. We were in Cranbrook last weekend and they won the tournament.”
The Mounties are an independent team, getting their games when they can.
“We’re good with the Calgary Coyotes,” said Toker. “We’ve been to Airdrie and Whitefish and all over the place (as well as) Medicine Hat.”
There was no qualifying process for the American Amateur Baseball Congress World Series.
“The AABC is new in Canada,” said Toker. “We’re the first franchise in Alberta. So joining them, they give us a bye to go. We’ll have that for a couple of years. We have opportunities for other age groups, but right now, this is the 12U.”
There wasn’t a qualifying process, but that doesn’t mean the Mounties haven’t been preparing for the international event.
“It’s a process, that’s why we’re playing this game (Saturday),” said Toker. “This Calgary team is probably a year older than most of these kids. We have a fairly young team. So this is a good challenge. This is probably a lot of what we’re going to see down there. It’s just taking it game-by-game and getting them ready to go.”
That process will continue over the next two weeks until the team departs for Washington.
“I think we’re going to go to Medicine Hat for a couple of games, a couple doubleheaders,” said Toker. “Other than that, we’ll be pretty much practising every day and getting ready."