Little League All Stars gearing up for provincials
By Tayla Scott
Veteran little league players are working toward the big goal of national competition, after the region’s little league all-star team was picked last night at Andy Bilesky Park.
Twenty-one baseball players, aged 11-12, tried out for the team but only 12 were chosen, six of whom are veterans from last year’s all-star team.
“[This season] is basically five weeks unless we win the provincial tournament, then it would be extended another week or 10 days because then we’d go to the nationals,” said team coach D.J.Ashman.
This is Ashman’s seventh year coaching the little league all-star team.
“I usually think we’re going to do okay [at provincials]. The teams in Vancouver are very strong,
but I do have a good feeling about this year,” said Ashman.
The all-star team consists of 11 boys and one girl.
“We have seven from Trail, four from Beaver Valley and one from Nelson,” said Ashman.“The hardest thing I ever have to do is tell an 11 or 12 year old kid that he isn’t going to make the team this year.”
For the next five weeks, the team will travel every weekend to play in various tournaments.
“It’s a lot of hard work. We do a lot of things to get the kids ready for that type of ball and that’s why we play in so many tournaments, to get us ready for it,” said Ashman.
“If you want to play baseball you have go to the States, in most cases, but I found some teams to play down in Vancouver this weekend,” said Ashman. “This weekend we’re going down to Vancouver, next weekend we’re going to Brewster, Washington.”
After that the team plays in Kalispell, Montana then Chewelah, Washington during the Chataqua festival.
“The weekend after that is North Langley provincials,” said Ashman.
Provincials are from July 18 to July 26.
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