BLE Crowns KR3 Summer Classic Tournament Champions
KR3 Summer Classic Baseball Tournament
The July 5 – 7 weekend saw 18 teams from 3 divisions make their way into Kamloops to compete in the KR3 Summer Classic Baseball Tournament hosted by the Big League Experience Baseball Camp . The weather was just perfect and city did a great job with getting the fields in great shape for the weekend of baseball. Many of the teams were looking for an opportunity to get themselves ready for upcoming district playdowns and in the Richmond Chuckers case (Bantam division) it was a matter of getting acclimated to the fields and conditions they will have to face in the upcoming provincial championships that will be hosted on these same fields in Kamloops.
In the Pee Wee division the Vernon Canadians played very well in round robin play and ended as the only undefeated team and matched up against a determined SEEBA Cardinals team out of Edmonton in one of the Semi Final match. It turned out to be a classic as it went 11 innings that saw some great pitching and defense in which the Edmonton club held on for a 3 – 2 victory. In the other Semi final match Abbotsford Angles knocked off the Little League club out of Coquitlam 10 – 2. Once again strong pitching for the Abbotsford team prevailed in this game. This led to the Championship game in which the Abbotsford Angels would once again repeat as Champions in the Pee Wee division as they had the depth needed to prevail through the five game weekend. In the consolation game, the Kamloops River Dogs team match up against the Oceanside Reds from the Island.
In the Bantam division play, it was a very strong Richmond team that was looking to get familiar to the surroundings in Kamloops prior to provincial play that was challenged during the weekend to only in the end take care of business and the championship when needed. They went 3 – 0 in round robin play and then knocked off a competitive Kamloops team in the Semi and then the Aldergrove Dodgers in the Championship game. Aldergrove qualified to the Semi Final game by virtue of a 2 – 1 record in round robin play and reached the final with a well played game vs. the North Shore Twins Prep team. In the consolation game the Abbotsford Angels knocked off the Coquitlam A’s in a game that was a rematch on their earlier game in round robin play that ended in a 2 – 2 draw.
In the Prospects division (16U) we probably had the most exciting championship game of the three divisions and dramatics leading up to it for the North Delta Blue Jays. In the Semi Final game the Jays were trailing 10 – 6 going into the final inning vs. a very good North Shore Twins team, the Blue Jays put up a 6 spot and held on to win 12- 10. With limited rest and some of the best Interior hamburgers the Kamloops concession could offer the Blue Jays played a solid baseball in the championship vs. a very good Coquitlam Redlegs team and hung on for a 5 – 3 victory. Once again, pitching and defense wins championships. Coquitlam knocked off cross town rivals the Coquitlam Cyclones to get to the Final and the Washington A’s took on the Seattle Bombers in the consolation match.
The Big League Experience wishes to thank all teams for their competitiveness and gamesmanship and hopefully we get a chance to see many of you again at our Prospects/Showcase camp being held in Oliver from August 25 – 31. Best of luck for the rest of the season