HUMBOLDT, MUENSTER, MARYSBURG — The Muenster 13U Tier 1 Red Sox players captured a provincial championship – again.
The squad was one of a number of Humboldt and Muenster baseball and softball teams to come home from provincial tournaments with something shiny. The host Muenster 13U Red Sox won the provincial title at home with a 4-0 victory over the Prince Albert Royals.
“It was a lot of fun to win at home,” coach Derek Rude said. “This may be the last time this group is all together as a Muenster Red Sox team so fortunately we could top it off with another provincial championship.”
The core of the 13U Red Sox won provincial titles in 2018 (11U AA Tier 4) and 2019 (11U AA Tier1). Rude said, “The players’ dedication to many practices, games, and tourneys has been rewarded with an impressive run of success that they should be proud of.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Saskatchewan did not hold provincials in 2020. Regarding the 2021 tournament in Muenster, Rude said, “It was obvious all teams and fans that attended were happy to hear the sounds of provincial baseball and experience that feeling of competition again.”
The coach said that on the field, excellent pitching and defence with hitting throughout the lineup were keys to the team’s success. Off the field, Rude emphasized it was a team effort to host a successful event.
“Hosting provincials for eight teams requires numerous volunteer hours, mostly by the parents. We couldn't do it without them,” he said. “Also, we really appreciate the umpires, most of them from our local 15U and 18U teams who were on the diamond early morning to evening in the heat. Big thanks to Gord Kiefer for lining up the umpires for the weekend. We received many positive comments from the visiting teams on an enjoyable weekend of baseball.”
Silver
Humboldt U19 Thunder
The Humboldt U19 Thunder girls softball team earned the silver medals at their age category’s open provincials in Regina. The team fell 10-3 to Battlefords in the finals. Coach Tara Hofmann said the entire team contributed to the As’ success at provincials.
“We’ve been practicing together since February and it helps when this core group has been together since they were young,” she said. “Jorden Marianchuk was our top pitcher and threw a lot of quality innings for us at provincials. Our hitting played a factor for most part of the weekend to get us to the finals.”
In the provincial semifinals, the squad, which included players from Humboldt and Muenster, overcame a Kindersley team that entered the contest with a 4-0 record. The Thunder avenged their loss earlier in the tournament with a 9-4 win. Humboldt scored runs early to build a lead and got some big hits.
“Nicole Girolami had a home run and two doubles, while Kaylee Hofmann had a triple and two doubles,” Coach Hofmann said. “Defensively, the girls were strong and made plays to allow our pitcher to keep her pitch count down and go the entire game.”
Marysburg Royals
In Regina, the Marysburg Royals placed second at the Senior AA Tier 1 provincials. The Royals compiled a 3-1 record in the round robin. They advanced to the finals where they fell to the Regina Trappers, 10-8.
“Our success was due to timely hitting and good pitching,” Royals player/representative Curtis Strueby said. “All of our pitchers threw really well. I have to make mention of Thomas Lessmeister. He dominated the game against the Outlaws. He threw a complete game and the one run he gave up was unearned. Our offence was good all weekend as well. I must make mention of Tom Hooker and Cole Bauml. Those two guys lead the way on offence.
“We had great fan support all weekend long. It was great to see so many people there from home and all over the province supporting us.”
In the provincial finals, Marysburg held a 3-1 lead. However, the Trappers would hold the advantage later at 10-4. The Royals rallied to make it 10-8 but could not knot up the contest.
“Both teams had good pitchers throwing so it goes to show how good the teams did hit,” Strueby said. “All the pitchers threw well, but the bats were big too. It was a really entertaining game played in front of a large crowd. The caliber of ball was really good.”
The Royals wrap up their Saskatoon Senior Baseball League regular season this week. They will finish in either first or second place. The league playoffs will start the week of Aug. 23.
Humboldt 11U Tier 3 Dodgers
The Humboldt 11U Tier 3 baseball team won the silver medals at the provincials in Unity. The team won its first two games. In the quarterfinals, the Dodgers beat Biggar, 14-0, and downed Unity in the semifinals, 11-1. Matching up against the Prince Albert Royals in the finals, Humboldt fell, 4-1.
“This was the first provincial level experience for 10 out of 12 players on the team and I think they were extremely excited and happy with how it turned out,” said Jeremy Clark, one of the team’s coaches. “A lot of the kids and parents didn’t really know what to expect committing to play ball into the summer like this and I think they were very happy how it turned out and how fast it truly went by. This was by far our best all around performances this season as a group. All aspects did exceptionally well from hitting, pitching and especially our defence in the field.”
Clark enjoyed watching the group develop as players this summer.
“They truly started to understand the game and positions they were placed in,” he said. “Most came into the season playing every position on the field and not really understanding what their jobs were or what to do at different spots in the field and batting order. The kids grew a huge amount from the beginning and started to understand the game in ways they didn’t just 2-3 months ago.”
Bronze
Muenster U12 A’s
In Prince Albert, the Muenster U12 A’s softball team secured the bronze medals at the Open North provincials. It was the first time any of the players had attended provincials.
“We were told by the spectators [parents, grandparents, etc.] that our girls played really well as a team; they were supportive of one another and genuinely shared in the success of their teammates,” coach Amy Yeager said. “They are a very committed group of girls that made my job easy as a coach. I think that this positive experience will have them hooked on the game for life.”
The provincial tournament is usually held the first weekend in July. The event was originally slated for Meadow Lake, but it was pushed back due to the pandemic and moved to Prince Albert.
Muenster U14 A’s
Comprised of players from Muenster, Humboldt and the surrounding area, the Muenster U14 A’s won the bronze medals at the Open North provincials in Saskatoon. The team opened the tournament by beating Delisle, 19-9, and Shellbrook, 7-0, before losing a tight game, 13-12, to
Battleford in spite of a valiant comeback attempt. The A’s fell to Watrous, 10-3, in the semifinals. That set up a battle with Battleford for bronze.
“Having just lost against Watrous in the semifinals we had to regroup quick to play as they were back-to-back games,” coach Shawn Baril said. “What I enjoyed watching at provincials was our girls never give up attitude and they proved it in the bronze medal game. After losing to Watrous an hour earlier and losing to Battleford in pool play the girls stepped onto the diamond with something to prove. They won the game 12-5 for the bronze.”
The coach enjoyed the team this season – noting it was a pleasant group of personalities, no egos, and a great group of parents.
“None of them settled for mediocrity,” Baril said of the players. “They are all super competitive and were always trying to personally improve. They were very coachable and always tried new things because they didn’t fear failure. As a group, they meshed well and there was always someone smiling and goofing off to keep things light.”
Provincial Competitors
Other Humboldt and Muenster teams that competed at provincial tournaments included: Muenster 11U Tier 1 baseball, Muenster 11U Tier 6 baseball, Humboldt 11U Tier 3, Humboldt 11U Tier 6, Humboldt 13U AA Tier 1, 15U AA Tier 1 East Central Dodgers, and the 18U AAA East Central Red Sox. The 15U AAA East Central Dodgers will compete in the provincials in Regina on Aug. 20-22.
