The regular season has elite under-16 bantam softball players travelling all over the province to play. Starting Friday, however, 14 of those teams will converge on Helmcken-Centennial Park in View Royal for the Under-16 sa国际传媒 Girls Softball Championship. The tournament is being hosted by the Victoria Fastball Club, Vancouver Island鈥檚 only organization with 鈥楢鈥� level girls softball teams, which will be represented by the Devils 97 (under-16s) and the Devils 98 (under-15).
Visiting clubs include the Abbotsford Outlaws 97, Delta Heat 97 and 98, Fraser Valley Fusion 97 and 98, Richmond Islanders 98, Ridge Meadows Pride, Surrey Storm 97 and 98, Vancouver Wildcats 97 and the White Rock Renegades 97 and 98.
Tournament director Paddy Strandlund said most of the young athletes play ball year round and the calibre is top notch.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e so devoted, it shows,鈥� Strandlund said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing to watch them play.鈥�
鈥淟ooking back at nationals, you鈥檒l see three or four sa国际传媒 teams in the top five placings every year.鈥�
The top teams in the tournament will go to the Canadian championship in Prince Edward Island, Aug. 7-11, and some will qualify for the Western Canadians in Winnipeg, Aug. 2-5. The Devils 97 is the only team definitely not going to either championship in sa国际传媒, even if they win the sa国际传媒 title. As Team sa国际传媒, the Devils have already booked a trip to Delaware for the Little League World Series next month.
鈥淭hey鈥檒l compete well there,鈥� coach Rocky Vitale said, adding his team is probably one of the most improved in the province. In the 2012 provincials, Vitale couldn鈥檛 remember them winning a game, but this year it鈥檚 a different story. He said the Devils are solid throughout, rather than being star-studded, and the girls are quite capable of medalling.
鈥淎ll these girls can play, they鈥檙e all very good softball players,鈥� Vitale said. 鈥淚f we can put it together 鈥� the future looks bright.鈥�
The Devils have finished in second place in two recent tournaments, behind White Rock 97, and Vitale figures White Rock will be the team to beat.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e pretty much won everything this year,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got to score some runs to help our pitchers out.鈥�
Pool games run at 8 and 10 a.m., noon, 2, 4, and 6:45 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with opening ceremonies at 5:45 p.m. on Friday. Saturday鈥檚 late game marks the beginning of playoffs, which continue on Sunday at 8:30, 9, and 11 a.m., and 1 and 3, with the final at 5 p.m. One of the playoff games at 6:30 p.m. on Friday will be played at Hyacinth Park, as well as the 8:30 a.m. draw on Sunday.
As host club, the Devils 97 had their pick of game times 鈥� they鈥檝e chosen 2 and 6 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday, while the other teams will discover their schedule and opponents in a coaches鈥� draw tonight.
EXTRA-BASE HITS: Layritz is playing host to the Canadian Little League Major Girls Softball Championship, beginning next Thursday. The winner goes to the Little League Major Girls Softball World Series in Portland, Ore.
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