Montgomery: St. Albert Cardinals win 18U Baseball Alberta Elite League title in dramatic fashion

The St. Albert Cardinals won the 18U Baseball Alberta Elite League championship on the weekend. Photo Baseball Alberta Elite League

*This article was originally published on Alberta Dugout Stories on August 5, 2025. You can read it here.

August 7, 2025

By Gord Montgomery

Alberta Dugout Stories

There’s nothing like winning a provincial championship unless of course it comes on your home field.

And to add a bit of drama to that, when you come from behind and take the title in an extra inning of play. That was exactly the case for the St. Albert Cardinals as they captured the Baseball Alberta Elite League U18 Championship by edging the Calgary Cubs 5-4 in eight innings.

The Cubs took a 4-0 lead and looked in control, at least until the bottom of the fifth when the Cards scored four times to pull even. The teams then battled through three scoreless frames before the winners scored the final run that came from a stolen base, a balk that moved the runner to third, and then scored on a wild pitch to wrap things up.

The Cards, who finished atop their pool with wins of 8-7 over the Parkland Twins and also defeated the Cubs, actually came back twice in the playoff rounds. They trailed Red Deer 2-0 in the semi-final before pounding out double-digit runs in two innings to advance to the final with a 13-5 victory. That win set the stage for the dramatic final, where pitching, for the most part, ruled the day.

After the win, the Cardinals head coach, Kurtus Millar, spoke about his team’s belief in themselves, and their heart, to come back twice in tough situations.

“Honestly, I’ve coached a lot of teams for a lot of years and I don’t know if I’ve coached a team that’s closer than this. The last time we won, in 2022, the guys gelled. We did a team retreat and since we came back we’ve only lost two ball games. They don’t have any quit in them. They just play for the guys to the left and right.”

The St. Albert Cardinals celebrate after winning the 18U Baseball Alberta Elite League title. Photo: Baseball Alberta Elite League

With only six teams in this Elite stream tournament this year, compared to a much larger competitive field in the past, Millar explained how his club worked its way though the tourney in undefeated fashion.

“It was a different tournament this year. We’re used to that 10-team tournament which is a grind. Lots of matching pitching, stuff like that. This year we decided we were going to go pedal to the metal and let the boys thrive. They just don’t have any quit in them. It didn’t matter how many runs we were down, they believed in each other.”

One of those guys who proudly wore the championship medal around his neck was captain Carter Moffat, whose smile was almost as bright as the lights that shone down on his home ballpark.

About his teammates’ desire to win, the drive to come from behind and win those last two games in particular, he said, “I’ve never seen anything like it to be honest. We just bonded together and honestly that’s the most important part of this team. We trust each other with everything we’ve got.”

When the coach was asked about prepping the team for the final game against a team they had finished regular season play well ahead of in the standings, Millar pointed out that anything can happen at any time in sudden death playoffs and upsets aren’t uncommon. As it turned out, for almost five full innings, this looked like a major upset in the making.

“We talked about that in the pre-game,” he said of underestimating the opponent. “We did mercy them (12-1) in the round-robin but I know they’re well coached and they’ve always been a scrappy team. Our advice to the boys was to never disrespect this game. Step on the field like we’re the underdog and go after it. And, they did just that!”

One major advantage the Cardinals may have had over this busy weekend was the fact they were at home. They had their own beds, their own home-cooked meals, lots of fan support throughout the weekend, and their own daily routine to follow which plays a huge role in playoff action.

“Absolutely. Playing on our home field, and obviously I’m biased but I think this is the best field. Our fan group is unbelievable,” said Millar, “the volunteers, everyone who worked on this …. it just felt right this year. Right to win and the boys took advantage of that.”

“This is what we built if for,” replied Moffat when asked what the title meant to the team and the Cardinals’ organization as a whole. “This is everything! I’m just proud to be part of this organization.”

In looking ahead to the Nationals, the team captain said this past weekend and their ability to come from behind to win, would carry the club forward with belief in themselves.

“For sure. We can do it late. We can do it anytime!”

The St. Albert Cardinals rushed the field about scoring the winning run in the 18 Baseball Alberta Elite League championship game. Photo: Baseball Alberta Elite League

With the provincial victory, the Cardinals now begin preparation to represent Alberta in the national championships in Fort McMurray. The game-plan the squad had coming into this year will continue, said Millar, as they move on down the road. However, for the Cardinals, this upcoming pre-tourney warm-up may have a twist or two thrown in before a final roster is declared.

“It’s tricky for sure,” the coach said about staying sharp over a break prior to Nationals. “Fort Mac has a beautiful facility, for sure, and we’re excited to play there again. We’ll just do our best to keep the boys rolling. Maybe we can find some games, try to keep the energy high. This group, they stayed focused all year. They had good practices, they busted their butts all winter in the gym. That’s what we kept telling them: ‘All that hard work, trust in it. Believe in it. And have some fun out there.’ So we’re just going to do the same thing — work hard, high energy, have some fun, but we’ll also have some rest.”

An issue for the coaching staff here becomes a roster for the finals, and Millar did note that may include some juggling on his part. When asked if he’d add players to the existing roster or if he was content with this title troops, he responded, “I’m definitely happy with this roster …. um, there’s a few guys, we have eight graduates and some are going to schools, so they’re going to have to make a decision. Talk to their (school) coaches and after that we’ll decide. It’s always good to pick up some more pitching, but yeah, we’ll see.”

So no matter who troops northward to the Canadian finals, the coach and his staff are pleased with what has transpired so far with the players he has, including, of course, the provincial title.

“We started a winter program six years ago and with all the academies, with everything going on in Alberta, we’ve lost some key players. The boys, you know, some of our veterans stuck it out. They’ve been loyal to the program. They’ve taught these youngsters how to win ball games. I can’t describe how amazing it feels and how proud of this group I am.”