Posts in Sandlots
Betts: Abbotsford Cardinals a program on the rise heading into Road to Okotoks

“The Abbotsford Cardinals believe they can compete with the best programs in the country.

And what better opportunity to prove it than the Road to Okotoks national championship?

“Over the last few years, our program has grown significantly in numbers, as well as overall talent and performance,” Cardinals Director of Baseball Operations Max Ishikawa said.”

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Betts: AHP Renegades believe preparation will guide them on Road to Okotoks

The time has almost arrived for the AHP Renegades Baseball Academy.

The team will hit the field for its Road to Okotoks qualifier beginning on May 28 in Lethbridge, but the tournament has been on the minds of players and coaches since it was announced back in September.

It may be a relatively new program, one that was founded in 2021 by former Central Missouri Mule right-hander Taylor Burns (St. Albert, Alta.), but the sights are set high.

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SandlotsMatt Betts
Wilson: 10 years later, remembering how the Fort McMurray Giants became a team forged by fire

“Baseball lends itself to dramatic comeback stories.

When Dutche Iannetti spearheaded the creation of the Fort McMurray Giants in 2015, he no doubt dreamt of those captivating tales that would await his ball club. The ninth-inning rally, the unlikely walk-off win, the playoff upset, a home-run robbing catch at the wall, the grand slam after battling back from an 0-2 count. That’s the good stuff.”

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Elliott: Son of former Leafs draft making a name in South Carolina -- what could be finer?

“Blue Jays scout Austin Wells was sitting in Hugo Marchand’s house in Charleston, S.C.

It was a routine, pre-draft meeting that scouts make to the home of the top prospects each year. Wells was asking questions to Hugo and his son, shortstop Taj Marchand, when all of a sudden the scout stopped mid-sentence. The Jays Atlanta Metropolitan area scout asked, “Wait a second ... where are you from?” according to Marchand.

“Montreal,” Hugo said, “I’m a proud Canadian. My parents are still in Montreal, I used to take part of the summer off to go home until baseball took over.”

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Fitzpatrick: HRSTC hoping to rep Manitoba at Road to Okotoks

Despite the upcoming Road to Okotoks only holding regional qualifiers in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C., the other provinces won’t go without a representative in the tournament.

Making the trip from Manitoba to the Ontario regional qualifiers is the Home Run Sports Training Centre (HRSTC) team out of Winnipeg. The training centre, which is the only indoor training space specialized for baseball in the city, will feature a 19U team which will compete at the tournament.

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