Preparing to play

Junior Islanders gearing up for return to the diamond

The P.E.I. Junior Islanders are hoping for a return to action in the New Brunswick Junior Baseball League this summer.

The Isles were granted formal acceptance into the league during a meeting on Sunday. Everything is dependent on an Atlantic bubble being established and public health officials in both provinces permitting the action on the diamonds to occur.

“We are going through preparations in the hopes that we are going to have a season,” said coach Kevin MacLean, who is on head coach Mark Jones’ staff with the junior Islanders.

The 22-and-under league did not hold a 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Islanders had played the previous few years in the circuit with Chatham, Saint John, Fredericton and the Moncton-based Metro squad.

It enabled P.E.I. players to face top competition during the summer while also serving as a feeder system for the Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders senior squad.

“We feel it’s really important to have this junior league,” said MacLean. “(And) they’re super pumped to have us.”

The junior Islanders are putting out a call for players. Anyone interested in playing for the junior Islanders are asked to email peijuniorislanders@gmail.com.