Beacon Hill ready for B.C.’s best
Club hosts Little League provincials in July
One month out from the 2017 Little League provincial championship, the host Beacon Hill 11-12 team’s collective enthusiasm continues to grow as the association will play host to the event for the first time in its existence, having formed in 1973.
Seven teams will compete at Hollywood Park on Fairfield Road, beginning July 22, including two from the Island — host Beacon Hill land the eventual District 7 victor.
“We’ve worked really hard to get to this point, hosting many tournaments. We’ve never had one quite at this level, except on our softball side, which did a fantastic job with the Canadian championship,” said Tammy Anderson, the 2017 provincial co-ordinator. “So now it’s our turn to take this on and see what we can do with it.”
The committee is hoping it leads to bigger things as the provincial champion will advance to the national championship tournament in Medicine Hat, Alta., Aug. 3-12. The national winner qualifies for the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Aug. 17-27.
“We’re all fired up here at the park,” said Beacon Hill manager Tak Niketas. “First time ever — almost 60 years of Little League in the Fairfield community and the first time to host makes it a big deal. What makes it a bigger deal is this team is really good and we’re excited.
“That’s one reason I climbed on board,” added Niketas. “I saw the skill level on this team. I think we can maybe do something and we’re talking World Series, if we can. I’m hoping we get to Canadians. That’s the big picture and I think these kids are good enough to get there, too.”
Niketas said coach Craig Shaw deserves a lot of the credit, as does assistant Yudy Lee.
“The kids have been working so hard,” said Shaw. “Some of these kids I’ve been coaching since they were five and now they’re 12. These kids are baseball crazy. If we’re not coaching them, they’re practising in the [batting] cage and working on their own. They’re pretty excited.”
Two of the team members, Tess Sawkins — the lone girl on the team, a left-hander like the Victoria HarbourCats’ Claire Eccles — and Sam Shaw have competed in provincials the last four years in a row.
Beacon Hill also has the HarbourCats behind them, as one of the tournament sponsors.
“In 1975, I was a Little Leaguer at this same park, so it’s an honour to be involved in this,” said HarbourCats general manager Brad Norris-Jones. “Tak came to me six months ago and we’re a proud partner of this tournament.
“I’ve had two boys play in the B.C.’s so I understand the magnitude of this tournament and how important it is to these kids,” added Norris-Jones, who played with Niketas and also coached against him.
“We played here [at Hollywood Park] and at McDonald Park and then the family moved out to Layritz,” Norris-Jones recalled. “We lived just down the road from here and it’s great to be on this field again.
“We never forget the 12-year-old tournament. It’s something special as the kids get to dream about the Little League World Series in Wiliamsport. It’s a longshot, but it’s still a dream for these kids.”
The HarbourCats players will attend portions of the tournament and competitors will also be welcomed to a West Coast League game.
EXTRA INNINGS: Beacon Hill is still fundraising for the event and sponsors are still being accepted. The association can be contacted online through beaconhilllittleleague.org.