Mosquito Bearcats all the buzz
Players eager to learn, team enjoys success at the top provincial level
Truro Talented, competitive and dedicated – what more could a coach ask for?
The Home Hardware Truro Bearcats have been a joy to coach this season, says skipper James MacPherson, who has guided the team at the highest level of minor baseball in the province.
The Bearcats are playing in the Bluenose league in the under-11 (mosquito) division. It marks the return of the team to the provincial rep league after a one-year hiatus.
“They’re a competitive group of kids, for sure,” said MacPherson.
The Bearcats registered this season as a AA team, however, Baseball Nova Scotia recently bumped them up to the AAA level.
Before last night’s game in Hammonds Plains, Truro had a combined 8-5 record (AA, AAA) in Bluenose league play. They host the league-leading Halifax Mets on Saturday for a doubleheader (Bible Hill Recreation Park, noon and 2 p.m.)
“The camaraderie and how they get along with each other, it’s like they’ve been playing Cam Weatherbee of the Home Hardware Truro Bearcats mosquito AAA baseball team backhands a ball during practice this week at Victoria Park.
together for years,” MacPherson said of his players. “They’re all good buddies and we’ve got a great group of parents for sure.”
The Bearcats have won two A/AA tournaments this season, going undefeated at Westville and Dieppe events.
Craig Higgins, Earl Dowe and Gino Sharpe are assistant
coaches. MacPherson said players have shown a willingness to learn the game and get better, which makes coaching easy.
“They absolutely want to learn because it gives them that competitive edge that just isn’t there in the house league,” he said. “When you’re playing those triple-A teams, there’s action all the time; they’re stealing
bases, they’re playin’ like pros.”
With the increase of minor ball players in Colchester County over the past two years, MacPherson said the timing was right to offer kids an opportunity to play at the rep level again.
He estimates the team has been on the field 50 to 60 times this season, games and practices included.
“The kids are out there all the time. It’s very seldom we have a kid missing.”
MacPherson has been involved in Truro and area minor baseball for almost 30 years. He also coached the Truro Bearcats senior team for six seasons.
Given the choice between coaching at the men’s or minor level, it’s the young guns all the way, he says.
“They’re kids. There’s no work, there’s no jobs, there’s no girlfriends; they just have a sincere love for the game and just want to play ball.”