The 2010 Midget AA Bonnyville Braves accomplished one of their team goals this season. They made it to Tier 1 for the Provincial Championship Round, which took place from July 23 through July 25. It took a full team effort.
“They played strong ball right from the start,” said Coach Jim Church, adding he enjoys coaching at this level of baseball because the league does a good of job keeping a “balance between getting experience and being competitive.”
The Braves played well all three games but were only able to win one, while losing two during the Provincial Championship Tier 1 Finals. They finished fifth overall out of 30 teams, when all was said and done.
As a team, Church said that hitting was a strong point, with eight players batting close to or above a .400 average.
The Braves began their season in May, with the regional seeding round. They finished up the month with a solid 4-2 record, which placed them in Division 1 going into June.
June is the divisional seeding month, which determines their placement for the first two weekends of July. The Braves followed their strong month of May with another impressive record taking on Division 1 teams, finishing June with a 4-3 record.
The Braves struggled slightly during the first two weekends of July, only picking up one win. But their strong play all season paid off. The boys from Bonnyville found themselves seeded in the Tier 1 division going into the Provincial Championship weekend.
Coach Church was excited about his team reaching Tier 1. The strongest teams play each other in this division, “anybody can beat anybody,” he said.
Church said a highlight for him and the team as a whole was hosting many of the provincial championship games on the newest fields in Bonnyville. The fields are located in a developing business park, near the old Duclos Hospital. Church said he would like to give kudos to Drew Ramsay and all those involved in getting “these great new fields” completed and ready for baseball.
