Getting ready to play ball
Charlottetown Islanders begin senior season July 11 in Moncton
Grant Grady and his Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders teammates are raring to go.
The Islanders begin their 16-game New Brunswick Senior Baseball League regular season July 11 in Moncton with a doubleheader against the Fisher Cats beginning at 4 p.m. They will host the Saint John Alpines July 17 for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. at Memorial Field in their home opener.
The Isles have been unable to play in the three-team league so far this year due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“You kind of feel like a little kid, looking out the window at your friends playing,” said Grady, a 26-year-old South Freetown native. “You want to be out there playing with them, but you understand there’s rules you have to follow. It’s exciting now that things are easing up. …
“We’re excited to get going again and feel like we’re actually part of the group again.”
Jake Beck is the longestserving member of the team, having played with the Isles since 2010 when the squad was formed. He also played with the Summerside entry in 2008. The pitcher from Charlottetown is excited to see senior ball return to Memorial Field.
“It’s certainly been a long time coming,” he said. “Whenever we finished our season in 2019, we had a lot of things to be optimistic about for the next season.”
And having watched some of the young players turn in strong seasons in the Kings County Baseball League (KCBL) in 2020, he is excited about the upcoming year.
Saint John had won five of the eight meetings with
“You kind of feel like a little kid, looking out the window at your friends playing. You want to be out there playing with them, but you understand there’s rules you have to follow. It’s exciting now that things are easing up.”
Grant Grady
Moncton before July 7’s scheduled game. Grady said he doesn’t think his team’s lack of senior contests will put Charlottetown too far behind the 8-ball.
“The majority of our players play in the KCBL, so we’re getting lots of live at-bats and live reps in the field, and pitchers have been throwing,” said Grady, a catcher and infielder who plays with The Alley Stratford Athletics in the KCBL. “That’s a huge help.”
Beck said they are going to Moncton with the intention of winning, but he also wants to keep things in perspective as well.
“That’s going to be the goal – to go over and win. At the end of the day, whatever happens, I think everybody will be grateful for the opportunity we’ve had to play,” he said.
“They’ll be in mid-season form where we’re shaking a little bit of rust, but we’ve got guys that are playing games right now and have been working all winter.”
The team is a mix of returning players and up-andcomers getting their feet wet at the senior level. Charlottetown has a committed group of 14 players, and coach Myles Grady anticipating more players getting involved with the season now a go.
The team is waiting for a couple of its players to have the required 21 days since receiving their vaccine in order to get the P.E.I. pass. The pass will allow inter-provincial travel without the requirement to self-isolate upon returning to the Island.
The Islanders will be able to use some of the players competing in the Island’s under22 league to help fill out the roster.