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August 21, 2010 ~ Coquitlam was up bright and early yesterday morning for their US cross-over game against New Jersey on the senior diamond at Herritage Park. A 9am start meant the boys were up for breakfast at 7 and at the park for warm up by 7:30. Representing Coquitlam in our home greens, Team Canada took the field at 8:30 for infield-outfield fist pumping to DJ Pauly D and the Jersey Shore soundtrack. Their opponents finally showed up to the park at 8:49 and the first pitch was delivered at 9:05am. In switch-it-up game, Team Canada's coaching staff started this year's rookies and the boys got to play in positions they wanted to play, but would not normally play in.
'The Dealer' Jonathan Keltie got the start and his curveball dominated the New Jersey offence in his 2 innings pitched. Keltie was followed up by Hayden Jaco who also limited runs by serving up a steady diet of junk. Cameron Williams closed it out and picked up the save.
On offence the A's were patient at the plate, taking advantage of limited warm-up time by the East's pitching staff. Walks were aplenty and Canada had runners on base in every inning. Timely hits plated 7 runs over 5 innings and the game was called at the 2 hour time limit. The A's won their first game of the JLWS 7-5!!!!
Finishing the tourny at 1-4 the boys from Team Canada had the time of their lives as the World Series. They played against some world class teams, watched some GREAT baseball, and bought a TON of souveniers. They made some friends (and some enemies), took in the sights of Detroit and Toledo, Ohio, and got to go to Hooters for lunch! Pictures, videos, pranks, wrestling matches, water slides, and fist pumping car rides all capped off a 3 week road trip that was an absolute blur. Tonight we head to Herritage Park to watch the Championship game, Texas vs Chinese Taipei, and will participate in closing ceremonies. We board our bus for Toronto at 1am, and are scheduled to arrive back in Vancouver between 12:30 and 1:00pm PT.
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August 19, 2010 ~ Team Canada took on Latin American regional champs, Guatemala this afternoon at Herritage Park in their final game of the round robin. The International Semi-Final matchup was already set, Guatemala (LA) vs. Chinese Taipei (AP) regardless of the outcome of Canada vs Latin America, so our boys were looking to take advantage of perhaps mediocre pitching for their first win of the tournament. Mitchell Anderson got the nod for his second start of the tournament, and would be allowed to go the distance, to be followed up by Tyler Jaco and Cameron Williams.
The game started out in Canada's favour, as the boys threatened to score in every inning and our defence shut down the Guatemalan batters in order until the 5th. Finally in the 4th, the A's offence broke out and they plated 4 runs including a 3 run homer by catcher Javeed Khankashi! Taking a 4-0 lead into the 5th, Guatemala finally answered back with 2 in the bottom half of the inning on not 1 but 2 questionable balk calls by the 3rd base umpire. With a 4-2 score heading into the 7th, the A's were unable to tack-on any insurance runs, and Latin America strung together a ralley and scored 3 for a walk off victory.
Team Canada finished round robin play with a 0-4 record finishing last in the International Pool. Their US cross-over game is scheduled for 9am ET tomorrow morning versus the US East reps New Jersey.
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August 19, 2010 ~ In a must win situation last tonight versus Mexico, Team Canada had their backs against the wall if they hoped for a semi-final berth on Friday night. Staff ace Brandon Becking took the mound in what the coaches believed was a very win-able game tonight. The weather had cooled off, and the A's were playing in conditions closer to what they have played in all year at Blue Mountain. Becking would be limited to 50 pitches tonight so he would be eligible to pitch in a championship game, or the consolation cross-over on Saturday. He would be followed-up by Austin MacDonald, and Curtis Taylor.
Acting as the home team Canada would shut down the Mexican offence and did not allow a run scored in the 1st inning for the first time in 4 games. The Canadain bats however, still struggled against a hard throwing righty with a big curve. The A's went down 1-2-3 again, and fell behind in the 2nd inning 4-0 due to walks and timely hits as Mexico batted through the order. There was some commotion however in the 3rd as the A's Manager Wes Taylor noticed a parent passing bats to Team Mexico over the fence. Taylor questioned the umpire and requested the game to be played under protest, however it was deemed a non-protestable offence and the bats in question were removed from the game. Too little too late for Canada as Mexico again batted through their order plating another 4 runs.
Behind 10-0 in the 4th, the A's offence finally perked with 2 outs as they plated Alex Romanowski for 1, and almost another at a play at the plate involving Tyler Jaco. Jaco, a menacing figure barrelling down 3rd base at any catcher, was called out in a collision at the plate and was lucky to remain in the game. That would be all the A's could muster as they dropped another by a score of 11-1. With an 0-3 record, Coquitlam's semi-final hopes have been extinguished, and the team now looks to win at least 1 in pool play as they take on Latin America's Guatemala tomorrow at 2pm ET.
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August 18, 2010 ~ Game 2 of the JLWS for Team Canada was today at 11am ET. Your hometown Coquitlam A's took on Chinese-Taipei, and the A's were again the visitors. Mitchell Anderson got the start, and was limited to 35 pitches in order to be eligible for later in the tournament. He would be followed up by Jonathan Keltie, and Cameron Williams.
In a situation that has become all too routine, the A's fell behind in the 1st against Asia-Pacific. The top of Canada's order has struggled at the plate so far in the tournament, however it was the entire order that struggled today. Iin the 2nd the score was quickly getting out of had as the A's fell behind 7-0. The second of two massive homers by the clean-up hitter for Chinese-Taipei got his team well ahead in the 3rd 8-0. In the bottom of the 5th the final nail was driven in, as the A's lost to Asia-Pacific by a 10-0 mercy.
Hitting for Team Canada has been sub-par at best as the A's were held to just 3 hits today. Defensive errors have been held to a minimum, but Coquitlam has struggled to string together any sort of rally against world-class pitching. Back to the drawing board for Canada's coaching staff as they try to pick-up their players and put together a winning combination for tomorrow's game versus Mexico. They boys aren't out of it yet! If Canada can pull off a win against Mexico and Latin America's Guatemala, they stand a chance at a semi-final in the JLWS.
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Yesterday was an off-day for Team Canada, and the team decided to work out some kinks at the batting cage. An intense half hour work-out in the indoor facility in Taylor, the boys looked like they were back to the team that lead the tournament in average, slugging and on-base percentage in Lethbridge. After the cage, they had some free time and took a road-trip to Toledo, Ohio to take in a Mud Hens game. The Mud Hens (AAA affiliate of the Detroit Dodgers) were playing the Scranton Yankees (AAA affiliate of the New York Yankees) at Fifth-Third Park.
First stop was the famous Paco's at the park, for gourmet hotdogs and chili! Man can these boys eat. On the menu is the MOAD dog, the biggest hotdog you will ever eat, and was it BIG. It can only be describe with pictures, which will soon follow.
After dinner the team headed over to the park, of course half the team and 2/3 of the coaching staff are intense Yankees fans, and we let the stadium know who we were cheering for. Glares from the home crowd started when Coach Tyler Olinyk and Manager Wes Taylor broke out in a "Lets Go Yankees!" chant, and then continuous banter at the home team, and home fans started a war of words. The Scranton Yanks dominated the game, and if a Mud Hens fan came up with a smart remark, the quickest reply from the A's was "Scoreboard!"
It was a great day-off, and a great team building experience. The boys and coaches picked up some souvenirs and made plans to try to make it back for another game.
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August 16, 2010 ~ Team Canada opened the tournament on an extremely hot Sunday afternoon in Taylor. Their first opponent, EMEA representitive Ukraine, was a big game for the team as they wanted to start the tourny on a winning note. Due to pitch counts rolling over from our Nationals, Brandon Becking, Mitchell Anderson, and Austin MacDonald were not available for our opener, however the team felt confident behind Curtis Taylor who got the nod for game 1. With the Ukraine taking home in the opening toss, the A's looked to keep their hot bats rolling from Lethbridge.
In the 1st inning the A's were shut down in order, and unfortunately fell behind 2-0 on a couple of base hits and un-timely walks. However, in the 2nd the boys managed to put the ball in play and string together a few hits themselves, taking a 4-2 lead. Taylor lasted 2 1/3 on his 50 pitch-count, handing the ball over to Tyler Jaco to shut down the Ukrainian offence. Unable to tack-on mroe runs, the A's took a 4-2 lead into the 5th, in which the EMEA reps plated their first 2 batters, both reached base on HBP. Jonathan Keltie came in for relief in the 5th, and started pitched through the 6th. Unable to regain the lead the A's were down to their final at bats and again stranded runners on 1st and 2nd. In the bottom half of the inning, Ukraine's lead-off reached base, and was bunted over to 2nd. With Keltie reaching his 20-pitch limit, Hayden Jaco was put in to close it out, and the first batter he faced slapped the game winning hit up the middle. The A's lost a tough one to the Ukraine 5-4.
Unfortunately in the extreme heat the boys of Team Canada learned that their coaching staff wasn't kidding when they instructed their players to drink water throughout the day before they were thirsty. Curtis Taylor had to be removed from the game due to over-heating in the 5th inning. He was treated in the on-site ambulance and returned shortly after the game had ended. After the final pitch was delivered, HAyden Jaco was also taken into care of the on-site EMS attendents. Jaco would be taken to hospital and treated for dehydration taking 2 bags of IV. He later returned to the hotel with Coach Larry Park in good spirits feeling much better. All the boys are now forcing water and gatorade down on a regular basis.
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August 15, 2010 ~ Since winning the JLCC in Lethbridge, Alberta, the newly crowned Team Canada has been on a whirl-wind ride and they boys are finding it hard to take EVERYTHING in. From Lethbridge we bused back to Calgary, only to find out that our flight had been cancelled! Quick action taken by WestJet got all the boys on the next flight, however they could not transfer Coach Larry Park do to limited seating. Park had to catch an alternate flight that passed through Winnipeg, instead of a direct flight to Toronto. Further problems were encountered as WestJet double booked Coach Tyler's seat (22C). An easy solution and a 'white lie' remedied the situation as we told the attendent that 1 Coach (Wes Taylor) would not satisfy Little League rules for travel with 13 players, it Olinyk left all 13 boys would need to be rebooked. Win for Coquitlam.
The boys arrived in Toronto on Friday evening, only to discover that the Calgary travel agent responsible for booking Team Canada's rooms did not confirm the reservation, and that there were not enough rooms to book all the boys 4 to a room. Manager Wes Taylor stepped up for the 2nd year in a row laying down the cash to book Coquitlam in for the night, as the boys were tired and hungry. Little League Canada will be reimbursing Taylor ASAP. FINALLY, Friday the 13th was over and the boys passed out as soon as their heads hit the pillow with a 7am wake-up for the bus to Taylor in the morning.
Saturday was a great day for Coquitlam's Junior A's! After suffering through a long 5 hour bus ride on 2 airport shuttles from Toronto to Taylor they arrived at Herritage Park at about 2pm ET. As Team Canada pulled into the park, the team was directed immediately to the Rec Centre where they were fitted for their new colours! Same jerseys as 2009, blue with red and white trim, white pants and the team this year decided as a group to rep high socks. They look SHARP! They were also fitted for red dry-fit practice shirts, and green batting jackets, both with the new 30 year JLWS anniversary logos! Coaches were fit for green polos and warm-up jackets as well.
After team photos, the boys headed to the hotel to get checked in and drop off their gear before opening ceremonies. At 7pm they marched out on the field at Herritage Park to O Canada proudly waving the Canadian flag and the 2010 Canadian National Champs banner. Team intros, the Little League Pledge, speeches by the tournament committee and the Mayor of Detroit all filled the bill for the ceremonies, and then as the sun set over Taylor the skies were lit by a fireworks show representing each country participating in this year's Junior League World Series. Catcher, lead-off batter and Nationals MVP, Javeed Khankashi was Coquitlam's representitive for the first pitch as the tournament was officially opened!
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August 12, 2010 ~ Now that the Coquitlam A's are Provincial and Canadian Champs, our next stop is Taylor Michigan for the Junior League World Series. The tournament runs August 15-21 and will showcase the best of the best. Be sure to check back for regular updates from the JLWS here, or check out the City of Taylor Website for tournament info, schedules etc. You can also follow the @jr_allstars on twitter!
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FINAL
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The JLCC final went as scheduled at 11am MT today. It was hot and humid, and the mosquitos were out early as the boys got to the park for an 8:30am warm-up. Being in the Championship final had the players buzzing and the coaching staff on edge, and it took everything we had to win. But win we did!!! It took 8 innings, but Coquitlam pulled off the victory and have been crowned Junior Canadian Champs for the 3rd year in a row!!!
Brandon Becking got the start, and was throwing gas, peas, smoke, and everything in between. Over 4 2/3 Becking threw 95 pitches, for 6 K's 3 BB and 5 runs (only 3 earned) and had to be taken out while the A's were behind 5-4. He handed the ball over to Austin MacDonald who pitched 3 1/3 also with 6 K's and 1 earned run. The 1-2 combo was DECENT JIMMY, and all Coquitlam's pitching staff needed was run support.
Being the strongest, best hitting team in the tournament, the A's have grown accustomed to putting large numbers on the board. Today wasn't the case as we struggled to get runners on, and when we did, we had trouble on the basepaths. Changing gears and playing some small-ball and becoming VERY selective at the plate paid off in the end as Coquitlam loaded the bases in the 8th with 1 out. With a victory in the crosshairs, Cole Dowing pulled the trigger on a 3-1 count and drove a single back up the middle for the winning run! Winning 7-6 in walk-off fashion the Coquitlam A's are headed BACK to Taylor! Thats a 3-peat!!!! Boxscore
BIG props to Alex Romanowski for his outfield assist on a play at the plate in the 2nd inning. The 9-2 double play ended the inning and gave BC a big boost. At the plate, Romo has taken a beating all tournament. He lead all batters with 7 HP's, and in the finals he finally got one that hurt. Kudos for sucking it up and going back in to hit in the 7th.
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SEMI-FINAL ~ Yesterday was the start of the playoff rounds in the 2010 JLCC. The nooner featured a rematch of BC vs Quebec, and the Praries took on Ontario in the evening game.
Coquitlam sent Mitchell Anderson to the mound for his 4th start of the tournament, however in this start Anderson would go the distance. Maxing out at 95 pitches, Anderson went 4 2/3 with 6 earned runs leaving the game at a 9-9 tie. The A's coaching staff then went with a 20-20-20-20 pitching plan in order to keep some pitching 'just incase'. Brandon Becking, Jonathan Keltie, Austin MacDonald, and Hayden Jaco all took turns dealing our biggest game so far.
On offence the A's absolutely MASHED. Over the course of 7 innings, BC plated 19 runs leaving 11 runners stranded. The 'core 4' as they have become locally known, Brandon Becking, Curtis Taylor, Austin MacDonald and Javeed Khankashi all had multiple hit games and Jeeks stood above all going 5 for 6 with 7 RBI including a monsterous grand-slam in the 7th.
The A's used thier 19-17 see-saw battle with Medicine Hat as a posivite experience and again showed resiliency when Quebec refused to go-away. From being tied at 9 in the 5th, to exploding for 8 in the 7th, the A's came to hit and they did their job. Boxscore
With the win, the A's improved to 5-1 and advanced to the Canadian Championship finals for the 3rd year in a row! A scheduling change moved the final to 11am MT due to forcasted thunder-showers.
Tournament Update:
Ontario came up with a HUGE upset over the Praries in the second semi of the day winning 10-3. Ontario advanced to the semi by defeating Host Lethbridge in the last game of the round robin, with a 3-2 record. The boys from Orleans, Ontario but forth an effort that was nothing short of amazing, as the Hat's pitching struggled early.
They now advance to the finals versus Coquitlam.
In The News
Coquitlam Now:
A's bats, arms get them into final four ~ t's turning into the arms' race that the managers anticipated.
The Canadian Junior Little League Baseball championship tourney is down to four teams, and the Coquitlam A's currently sit at the top of the pile.
The squad's pitchers helped...
Lethbridge Herald:
Back to the final for Coquitlam ~ You’ll find the word “quit” in Coquitlam. But you won’t find such a word in describing the Coquitlam Little League Junior All Stars following their 19-11 victory over the NDG Junior Lynx from Quebec during the semifinal of the... Written by Dale Woodard
Coquitlam wins ~ The Coquitlam All-Stars entered the Canadian Junior Little League Championship as favourites to win a third consecutive Canadian crown.
They did, but it wasn’t easy... Written by Dylan Purcell
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August 10, 2010 ~ Another wickedly warm day in Lethbridge, as the boys of summer took the field in the final game of the round robin portion of the tournament. Coquitlam squared off against Quebec's NDG Lynx in a game that was a must win for both teams if they wanted to keep control of their own destiny. A win for Coquitlam would secure top spot in the pool with a 4-1 record, and would put Quebec's future in jeopardy. At 2-3, NDG would have to wait for the outcome of later games in the day. A win for Quebec would secure a playoff berth for the Lynx, and would drop Coquitlam to 3-2 threatening a 2nd place finish.
What has quickely become all to routine, the A's fell behind in the top half of the 1st 1-0 even after retiring the first and second batters of the game. But again our bats were our saving grace today and the boys answered back with 2 quick runs in the bottom half of the inning. In the 2nd the A's again committed costly errors that allowed 3 more NDG runs to score. But before Quebec could pull away, A's catcher Javeed Khankashi mashed a no-doubter to straight away centre to bring it back to a 1-run game. The progressed quickly after the 4th, A's starter Curtis Taylor was handed the ball over to recieve a no-decision at a 4-4 tie. Reliever Tyler Jaco shut down the Quebec offence with an good fasball and an effective change-up. As Quebec put up zeros on the board the A's continued to mash as Austin MacDonald and Tyler Jaco hit back-to-back doubles to lead off the inning, and were followed up by doubles by Alex Hunt and Javeed Khankashi. After the dust cleared, the A's plated 4 and took an 8-4 lead into the 6th. Top of 6, Quebec refused to go away as they scored 1 and left 2 on base, but the A's got it back in the bottom half, only needing to shut down NDG in the top of 7 for the win. Tyler Jaco started the inning, but was removed at a 35 pitch-count replaced by brother Hayden Jaco for the final outs. Boxscore
The A's closed out the round robin with a big 9-5 win over the NDG Lynx and secured first overall. With the best record they will play the 4th place team in the first of 2 semi-final games tomorrow afternoon. Playoff seeding is still to be decided by the outcomes of Praries vs Maritimes and Host vs Ontario later today. The boys have hit extremely well so far in the National Tournament, but need to pick up their defensive play if they expect to dominate in the playoffs. Coquitlam is also looking for thier pitchers to step it up a notch as they will be expected to go the distance with thier pitch limits removed. Mitchell Anderson has been given the nod for his 3rd start of the tournament. First pitch tomorrow is at 12:05 MT.
Tournament Update:
Medicine Hat squeeked past the Maritimes this afternoon in a 4-3 victory. The Hat was behind 3-2 with 2 out and runners on 2nd and 3rd when Colton Carlson hit a single that would score both runners. With the win, the Praries end Atlantic's hope of a national championship. The Praries lock up 2nd spot and await an opponent from the the final game of the day, Host vs Ontario.
Ontario upset the Host Lethbridge today with a huge 11-6 victory! As was the case with many teams this afternoon, pitching was difficult to come by and the better hitting club came out on top. At press time it is not known how the final standings look, but it is rumored that the Host has been eliminated putting Ontario and Quebec through to the semis tomorrow. If that is the case, Coquitlam would face Quebec, and the Praries would face Ontario.
Potential weather problems have forced scheduling changes for tomorrow's semi-final match-ups. With severe thunderstorms accompanied by rain in the forcast the games have been bumped up. The A's now play at 10:30am MT so set your alarms to watch the webcasts! Also be sure to follow us on twitter @jr_allstars.
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August 9, 2010 ~ Due to tournament time constraints, Monday's schedule underwent MAJOR changes for all teams. The tournament committee did not account for potentially long games due to numerous pitching changes, and other in-game delays so Maritimes vs Quebec was played at an alternate field, while remaining time slots were re-arranged at Spitz Stadium. What this meant for Coquitlam was our double-header was made a true double, while the other teams had a 1 or 2 game break between games.
First up was the Host Lethbridge at 11:00am. The first game of the day for both squads proved to be an interesting affair, but unfortunately the A's were on the loosing end, as Lethbridge won 8-7. Complete details on the game to follow.
The second game of our double featured a rematch of the 2009 final in Langley, BC as the A's squared off against Medicine Hat. Both teams were on the back half of a double (the Hat played at 8:00am) so pitching was scarce on both sides and this turned out to be an absolute MASH-fest. Gone were the days of tight 1 or 2 run games versus the Praries from '08 and '09 as this game ended in a 19-17 victory for your home town boys, the Coquitlam A's. Complete details of the game to follow.
Tournament Update:
After playing 4 games over the last 3 days the standings are as follows: B.C. (3-1), Praries (3-1), Quebec (2-2), Host (2-2), Maritimes (1-3), Ontario (1-3). With Coquitlam atop the standings after the 3rd day, the A's have locked up a position in Wednesday's semi-finals, however their overall placement is yet to be decided. The A's look forward to their game against a heavy hitting Quebec team that is looking for a win to secure a position in the playoffs. For immediate updates on our games and tournament status be sure to follow us on twitter @jr_allstars, and don't forget to watch our game broacast on the Lethbridge Canadian's website www.jrllcanadians.com
In The News
Lethbridge Herald:
Silencing the critic ~ The 2010 Canadian Junior Little League Championship served up some crow to one fan Monday, when the Coquitlam All-Stars beat the Medicine Hat Diamondbacks 19-17 at Spitz Stadium.
There isn’t a lot of heckling in Little League baseball... Written by Dylan Purcell TOP
August 8, 2010 ~ In game 2 of the National Tournament, the Coquitlam A's looked to work their way to the top of the standings as they took the field against Ontario. As the home team, the A's pitching staff had minor struggles with the 20-20-20 plan the coaches had, and gave up 2 runs in the top of the 1st. However, in the pre-game discussion the coaches also discussed taking quality at-bats, and the boys executed perfectly. Being selective at the plate and coming up with timely hits, Coquitlam put 11 runs on the board chasing 3 Ontario pitchers before the inning ended. In the 2nd Ontario threatened, however the A's defense came through and stranded 2 on base. After a monsterous first British Columbia's bats fell silent and they failed to score again until the 4th. In the top half of the 4th Ontario broke-out and plated 6 runs on 3 hits bringing the score to 11-8, and the A's scored 1 to make it 12-8.
After the 4th, the A's coaching staff pulled the boys in for a little pep-talk, and they responded with authority as they shut down Ontario's offence and took it to their depleated pitching rotation. Going back to the plan that had scored them 11 in the 1st, the A's were selective at the plate and managed to score 4 quick runs. However, with 2 runners on and a mercy victory in their crosshairs, they couldn't pull the trigger and the side was retired at 16-8.
In the next inning Ontario's bats again came alive as they rode the hot bats of their 6 and 7 hitters for 3 runs bringing the score to 16-11. BC answered back with 2 of their own in the bottom half and they took an 18-11 lead into the 7th. The A's only needed 3 outs to claim their 2nd victory of the tournament, however Ontario refused to quit as they plated another before the final out of the game was made. An 18-12 victory for the A's didn't feel like a successful game, but not all wins need to be pretty ones. Boxscore
Bringing their record to 2-0 the A's are proving to the rest of Canada that they are indeed the team to beat, and they look forward to a meeting with the Host Lethbridge in the first game of a double-header tomorrow morning. Game time is 10:30am MT with first pitch at 10:37. The back half of the double is versus the Praries representitive Medicine Hat and is set for 3:30pm MT. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter @jr_allstars and to check out the tournament homepage for other info from Lethbridge.
Tournament Update:
Medicine Hat was victorious over Host Lethbridge 8-7 last night. Boxscore
Host Lethbridge overtook the Maritimes 18-17 in a barn-burner this afternoon. The game featured timely hits by both clubs, and included an ejection of Lethbridge's left fielder and lead-off hitter, Tristan Thiessen on a play at first-base. He will not be eligible for play in Lethbrige's first game tomorrow morning versus the A's. Boxscore
Praries vs Quebec was just getting underway at press time. Results to follow.
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August 7, 2010 ~ The defending Canadian Champions arrived at the ballpark early this afternoon to begin preparing for battle. The A's opened the tournament at 1pm vs the Syndey Mines Ramblers and it was a game that will go down in the books at an unfortunate begining to what is expected to be a legacy in Lethbridge, Alberta. The game was unfortunately slowed down by an umpiring crew that was larger than life, but the A's coaching staff kept a tight lip and we battled hard to come out on top 15-5 in a 5 inning game that lasted 3 hours.
In the top of the first the Ramblers scored 1, but the A's answered right back, batting through the order which plated 5. A tribute to the Atlantic boys as they did not fold under pressure and managed to chip away at the A's defense scoring another in the 2nd, and 2 in the fourth. The A's bats fell silent after the first, and they put up 0's in the 2nd and 3rd. Taking a 5-4 lead into the bottom half of the 4th, the A's were definitely feeling some pressure.
The game was progressing slowly from the start, with each team not wanting to burn any pitchers they were following the 20-20-20 pitch limits to a tee. However, in the 4th with 2 outs the Rambler's pitcher reached 20 pitches, and the Manager called time to replace him with their starting catcher. After throwing his first pitch, A's manager Wes Taylor called time to protest the substitution as Little League rules state that a player who catches any part of 4 innings is no longer eligible to pitch in that day. Teams were sent to their dugouts as the umpiring crew met to discuss, and shortly after came to the decision that the Rambler's manager had made an 'honest mistake' and that the player could not pitch, but no further action would be taken. Manager Taylor and coach Larry Park then argued that there MUST be some reprocussion for breaking the rules, and that the Atlantic manager should be removed from the game. According to the Umpire in Chief this was not open for discussion and there would be no further action.
As the game restarted, Austin MacDonald came to the plate and belted a mile high shot to straight away centre.... back back back... GONE!! A 2 run homer that put Coquitlam up 7-4. In the top of the 5th the Maritimes plated another making it 7-5. In the bottom half the A's bats EXPLODED scoring 8 runs with 2 out capped off by ANOTHER 3-run homer by Austin MacDonald. The monster blast was a no-doubter and the A's walked off on a RBI single by Jonathan Keltie. Boxscore
The 15-5 mercy victory came at the 3hr 10min mark as the A's started and finished strong. Props go out to all our players this afternoon for staying focused throughout the long game. Game 2 is set for tomorrow morning against team Ontario at 10am MT, with first pitch at 10:05. Mitchell Anderson gets the nod for the 2nd game in a row.
Be sure to check back regularly for tournament updates, pictures to follow. Also check out the Lethbridge homepage for play-by-play, audio broadcasts as well as webcasts. You can also follow us on Twitter @jr_allstars
In The News
Lethbridge Herald:
Staying the Course ~ Members of the Coquitlam Little League Junior All Stars have shown they have little problem getting with the program.
Now, as the All Stars head into the Junior Little League Canadian Championship... Written by Dale Woodard.
Tournament Update:
Ontario was victorious over Quebec 15-14. Boxscore
Praries were ahead 8-7 over Host Lethbridge in the top of the 7th at press time. Boxscore
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August 6, 2010
~ The Juniors took off bright and early this morning from YVR. An 8am flight meant the boys (and their parents) had to be at the terminal for 6am! A short flight to Calgary and a long 2hr bus ride to Lethbridge resulted in a LOT of tired eyes, but their excitement definitely held out as we rolled into town. The team was buzzing when we got to the park, eyes wide open as we walked into Spitz Stadium for the first time.
The ballpark runs 325 down the lines and 400 straight away, however they have put up a temporary fence at 300 for the Juniors. A brand new, full size scoreboard looms over the left field fence, and the grandstand surrounds the field including a patio for the parents! Real dugouts, and a media booth put the staduim over the top and the boys are more than excited to get the tournament started!
After the team BBQ at the stadium, the skills competition got underway showcasing a total of 4 events. First was a timed infield relay where Tyler Jaco took 3rd base, Jon Keltie took short, Haden Jaco took 2nd, Alex Hunt took 1st and Cole Dowling caught. Unfortunately, Coach Larry Park ate an extra bowl of Wheaties this morning and air-mailed a line drive over Tyler on the first hit, which put us out of contention. Finishing with a time of 40 seconds, the A's finished in last place. The next event was a throwing accuracy competition, which the A's entered Kevin Heidema and Curtis Taylor. With 3 clanks Kevin racked up 9 points, and Curtis followed up with 4 clanks and a bulls-eye tacking on 18 points of his own. The A's finished 1st overall in the event topping Medicine Hat by 1 point! Next up was the running relay, in which Coquitlam entered our speedsters Javeed Khankashi, Alex Romanowski, Cam Williams, and Mitchell Anderson. Running the bases in a mere 1 minute 8 seconds the A's finished in 1st again! The final event was a hitting competition entered by Austin MacDonald and Brandon Becking. Unfortunately the boys couldn't find a groove and came up short with the long ball. This event showcased some HUGE homeruns by all teams, capped off by a MONSTEROUS shot by the NDG Lynx clean-up hitter. He bounced his final hit off the scoreboard some 340ft from home plate!
Congrats to Team Quebec for finishing 1st overall, and a big congrats to our boys for placing 2nd overall! Bragging rights aside, we didn't come to Lethbridge to win the skills competition, we came to win another Canadian Championship!
The boys bedded down early after a long day, and are looking forward to playing in the tournament opener tomorrow afternoon at 1pm MT (thats 12 noon at home). We will be at the park for 11am, first pitch at 1:06pm. Don't forget to check out the Canadian's Website for play-by-play and webcasts of all our games.
In The News
Coquitlam Now:
Coquitlam aims at repeat World Series ticket ~ They've been there, done that. Now it's time to do it again.
The Coquitlam junior A's enter this weekend's Canadian Little League Junior baseball championships focused on doing what they've done before.
The defending national champions...
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Provincials (if game) ~ Whalley sent hard throwing righty, Robbie Bevaqua to the mound in his second start against Coquitlam this tournament, while the A's countered with young right hander Johnathan "the dealer" Keltie. This was also the second start for Keltie, who made his first appearance in game 2 verus North Van Central. He was hot on Sunday, and he was smoking on Wednesday.
The game started tight, just as their previous games had with both teams failing to score int he first. The A's took a 1-0 lead out of the 2nd however, as Alex Hunt made the Warriors pay for walking #5 hitter Curtis Taylor. Johnathan Keltie found his rhythm and utilized his team mates' defence to shut down Whalley's bats and keep runners off base. A 1-run lead is never enough between these teams, and the A's broke it open in the 3rd scoring 4 with big hits by Alex Romanowski and Brandon Becking. Chasing the Warriors ace early paid in dividends for the A's as they looked to take advantage of a depleted Whalley pitching staff. Jonny Keltie got the A's as deep into the game as he could, only allowing 2 runs in the 5th as he maxed out his pitch count at 92. The inning was ended on a FANTASTIC catch by A's 3rd baseman, Cameron Williams as he picked the ball on a short-hop to tag out the runner trying to advance.
After 5 complete the score was Coquitlam 5, Whalley 2. Handing the ball to A's closer Austin MacDonald for a 2 inning save, Mac was quick and effective at shutting down the Whalley offence, and was supported by the A's tacking-on another 3 runs in the top of the 7th! With the Whalley infield playing in to cut-off runs, the A's hit the ball hard and were rewarded with base hits capped off by a massive double by Alex Hunt. With the Warriors only behind 8-2 in the 7th, they were very capable of pulling off an upset, but the A's never waivered. With 1 out, and the bases loaded for clean-up hitter Braedon Alaman, he stroked a MASSIVE shot to right centre which was sure to be extra bases, if not for speedy centre fielder Kevin Heidema!!! In a full out sprint, he extended his arm to make a game saving catch, and proceeded to get the ball in to his shortstop Brandon Becking as quickly as possible. With the Mason Verge tagging up at 2nd on the catch he was going to attempt to score. Becking threw a strike to catcher Javeed Khankashi from shallow centre... and the park erupted as plate ump Howard Maisey called the runner out on the tag!!
Coquitlam takes the Provincial Title for the 2nd year in a row, and is now practicing hard before they leave for Lethbridge, Alberta to defend their National Title.
CONGRATS COQUITLAM... ON TO NATIONALS!!!
In The News
Coquitlam Now:
Junior A's are headed back to nationals ~ Coquitlam's junior A's are once again in familiar territory.
The A's dusted off Whalley 8-3 in the back half of a two-game set Wednesday to capture B.C. baseball supremacy in the 13/14 age grouping. The victory came one night after Whalley doubled up the A's 2-1.
"The boys were really relaxed... Written By John Kurucz
Junior A's on the cusp of B.C. title ~ As of Tuesday evening, Coquitlam's junior little league side was on the cusp of making history repeat itself -- again.
Representing the 13/14 age group, the junior A's were slated to take on their archrivals from Whalley in the B.C. finals Tuesday night after NOW deadlines. Had they won the contest... Written By John Kurucz
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Provincials (finals) ~ Wow... What a game! Coquitlam vs Whalley is always billed as a thriller and this year in the Junior Provincials, there have been absolutely no disappointments. Starting for Whalley was hard throwing lefty Jordan Adkinson, facing off against Coquitlam righty, Mitch Anderson. Coquitlam scored early to take a 1-0 lead, but that would be all they could muster with just 3 hits on the night. After 5 complete, the A's coaching staff elected to pull their starter as the top of the order was due up for Whalley for the 3rd time in the game. Coming in for relief was hard throwing right hander, Brandon Becking, who looked to use past experience pitching in Provincial, National and World Series games in 2009 to his advantage and close the door on the Whalley Warriors. Unfortunately, he did not have his A game and couldn't get overtop of his curveball. Whalley managed a couple of base hits, and capitalized on key Coquitlam errors to plate the tying run in the 6th, giving Whalley's starter, Jordan Adkinson a no decision after pitching a masterful 6 inning 2 hit game. Catcher/Pitcher Breadon Alaman came in for relief looking to keep the A's bats quiet, and to give his team a shot at victory. Tied at 1 a piece after 7 innings, this game was heading to extras! In the top of 8, the Warriors again capitalized on another Coquitlam mistake, and as the go-ahead-run crossed the plate cheers from Whalley fans shook the grounds of Blue Mountain Park. Coquitlam re-entered Mitch Anderson as a pitcher to get the final out in the 8th, as the home team A's needed 1 to force another inning, 2 for the win. Unfortunately for A's fans, the Coquitlam boys went 3-up, 3-down and Whalley took a thrilling victory to tie the series at one a piece. Boxscore
With the double knockout format, tomorrow night's game is do or die for both squads, as both have now tasted a bitter defeat in extra innings. The "IF" game is necessary, so come out to the park and support your local clubs! Game time tomorrow night is 6:30pm with first pitch at 6:36.
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Provincials (game 2) ~ A rematch of a pre-provincials exhibition game, Coquitlam faced N. Van Central in the winner's bracked Sunday afternoon.
Result: Coquitlam put rookie Johnathan Keltie on the mound against N. Van's tough lefty Graddy Z. The A's took advantage of batting first and plated their lead-off hitter Javeed Khankashi in the first inning. Johnny Keltie was absolutely dealing: striking out 6 over 4 1/3 innings of work. Unfortunately he was pulled at a 50 pitch count so that he will be eligible to pitch if needed Wednesday night. Curtis Taylor came in for relief in the 4th and got into a jam early. With the bases juiced he forced an inning ending double play to escape unscaved. Still scoreless N. Van's bats came alive in the 5th as Coquitlam's defence fell apart. The Reds were able to plate 5 after the dust cleared, and had taken a 5-4 lead! Coquitlam quickly answered back tying it up in the 6th, and then took advantage of North Van. Central's tired arms and scored 7 in the 7th to claim a 12-5 victory. Boxscore
N. Van now faces a tough Whalley squad on Monday night. Each with a loss, the loser will be knocked out and the winner will move on to face Coquitlam in the Finals on Tuesday night. Coquitlam receives a day off Monday and looks forward to Tuesday's final.
Provincials (game 1)~ Coquitlam vs Whalley is being billed as the "Clash of the Titans" as Whalley looks for redemption from the 2009 Provincials against the defending champion Coquitlam A's. The battle began on July 2nd as both these teams squared off in the KR3 U14 tournament in Oliver, and will end on the field at Blue Mountain Park.
Result: This clash of D3 heavyweights lived up to its hype and the players left everything out on the field. We all know that both Coquitlam and Whalley can talk the talk, but this game proved both squads can walk the walk, needing extra innings to declare a winner!
Mitchell Anderson got the nod for Coquitlam, and Robbie Bevaqua started for the Warriors in what would turn out to be a pitching duel between squads. Whalley jumped ahead early scoring once in the first and again in the second, only to be answered by Coquitlam run in the bottom half of the second. The A's shut Whalley out in the next inning, and took the lead on back to back doubles by Austin MacDonald and Alex Romanowski. Heading into the top of the 6th, Coquitlam was ahead 3-2, however, Whalley would tie it up with back to back doubles by Robbie Bevaqua and Breadon Alaman. Whalley threatened to re-take the lead with a close play at the plate but A's catcher Javeed Khankashi stood his ground and denied them the go-ahead run. Tied 3-3 after 7, this game headed to extras! A's closer Austin MacDonald shut out the Warriors in the 7th and 8th to give his team a shot, and the A's took advantage. Coquitlam jumped on Warriors' closer Breadon Alaman, loading the bases in the 8th with no outs. With Kevin Heidema pinch hitting for Coquitlam,the Whalley infielders were crashing, and Heeds laid down a perfect bunt crossing up the Warriors' 3rd baseman scoring the winning run!
A great game by both teams, Whalley drops down to the loser's bracket where they face Cypress Park, and Coquitlam moved on to face N. Van Central in a battle of today's winners. Boxscore
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July 15, 2010 ~
2-a-day practices are finished tonight, and the boys are focusing on game 1 of Provincials at 3pm Saturday. We host Provincials, its OUR park, lets remind everyone why we are such a strong league with a BIG win against Whalley. Come out and show your support, first pitch is at 3:05pm. Don't forget to follow us on twitter! @jr_allstars
July 12, 2010 ~
Returning from their second road trip of the season, the Junior A's took the opportunity to rebound after a disappointing tournament in Oliver.
Game 1 - Ferndale vs Coquitlam
At 11:00am the weather was warm, the grass was cut and the dirt was raked. A perfect day for baseball, and the Juniors came to play. Our boys put on a hitting clinic for an under prepared Ferndale squad. Javeed lead the way and was a homer short of the cycle as he put one off the top of the fence. Truely a stats building game the A's put away Ferndale 26-4. Boxscore
Game 2 - Coquitlam vs Riptide
Coquitlam's hot bats carried over into their second game of the day, against the Riptide. Tyler, Keltie, X, and Mac all had multiple RBI games and we were backed up by stellar pitching from Brandon and Alex. The A's were firing on all cylinders today and they took game 2 from the Riptide 11-2. Boxscore
Game 3 - Coquitlam vs N. Shore Twins
Going undefeated on day 1, the A's placed first in their pool and moved on to the semi-final round versus the N. Shore Twins. We took the lead early, 7-1 into the 5th, however the mid-morning heat caught up to our pitching staff and we squandered the lead. The Twins capped off a 6 run 5th with a homer by their 5 batter, and managed to hold off the A's in the bottom half of the inning. Brandon took to the mound looking to shut down the Twins offence and struck out the side, allowing for the A's to open a can and put up a 5 spot in the bottom of the 6th. Romo lead us off with a mile-high 3 run dinger, and X followed his lead mashing a long 2 run shot just 2 batters later. The Junior A's defeated the Twins 12-7. Boxscore
Game 4 - Coquitlam vs Richmond Chuckers
The A's fell short against an older, more experienced AAA squat from Richmond. The Chuckers played small ball and were able to take advantage of a tired A's team. The Juniors lost a tough tight game, 6-3 and placed second overall in the tournament. Great showing guys! Keeping it light, the A's beacked Richmond's manager Alex Klenman for his "stay on it" speech. Just remember boys, chicks dig the long ball ~ Coach Ty. Boxscore
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July 5, 2010 ~
The Junior A's have just returned from their first road trip of the post-season and though they were not named champions on the field, the experience was a good one. The A's are taking today off to rest up for 2-a-day practices this week, as they look to build on what they learned in Oliver.
Game 1 - Whalley vs Coquitlam
In what was billed as a preview for game 1 of the Provincial Tournament, Coquitlam took on a rival Whalley squad. Unfortunately the game did not live up to its hype, as both teams kept their A-games under-wraps looking forward to July 17th. Whalley took the win 9-7.
Player of the Game Honours: Jonny K
Boxscore.
Game 2 - Coquitlam vs Mizuno Lime
The BLE summer campers were divided into 2 teams, Red and Lime, and were entered in the U14 tournament this year. In game 2 Coquitlam took on Lime in what was hoped to be a redemption game after a disappointing loss to Whalley. Our boys took a 5-3 lead into the 5th, but were unable to close it out and dropped the decision 9-5 after the 6th. Errors again were our downfall and the boys will be taking a new approach into practice this week to solve these minor glitches in their game.
Player of the Game Honours: Romo
Boxscore.
Game 3 - Coquitlam vs Sherwood A's
Our juniors took on an A's squad from Edmonton, Alberta in game 3 of the KR3 tournament and emerged victorious after 7 complete. Coquitlam had no problems jumping ahead early, scoring 7 in the first, however they could not close the door as the Sherwood A's battled back. After the final out the score was 7-6 in Coquitlam's favour.
Player of the Game Honours: Kevin
Boxscore.
Game 4 - Okanagan A's vs Coquitlam
In the consolation round our boys
took on yet another A's team, this one a local squad from the Okanagan. The teams battled hard, however the OK A's took the lead in the 4th on 3 straight squeeze plays and managed to shut our boys out until the 7th. Tyler Jaco broke the goose egg on the scoreboard and the final score was 5-2.
Player of the Game Honours: Jeeks
Boxscore.
Finishing the tounament 1-3 the A's have a few things to fine-tune, but overall the coaching staff feels this was a positive experience. The trip wasn't just a baseball tournament, it was a team bonding experience and the boys are geling well. Next up for the A's is a weekend tournament in Lynden, Washington July 10-11.
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