So far this season, the Loggers are undefeated, winning the Kelowna May Days tournament, which qualified them for the International Softball Congress world tournament in Quad Cities, Iowa, in August. Last weekend, the squad took care of the competition, including three teams ranked in the top 10, to win gold in the North American Fastpitch Association Open-Holm Classic in Fargo, North Dakota.
Made up primarily of players from Sooke and Langford, the Loggers came to life five years ago, when catcher and outfielder Brian Banner made the 40-man Team sa国际传媒 roster.
鈥淭hey told him they鈥檇 only look at him, if he played better ball,鈥� Brian鈥檚 dad and Loggers鈥� field manager Len Banner said.
Friend and teammate Chad Bryden decided to help out by putting a team together, and he didn鈥檛 have to look far afield to round up talent. Banner has yet to make a national cut, but the Loggers turned into a powerhouse.
鈥淎 lot of it is guys knowing each other,鈥� Bryden said. 鈥淗alf the guys are from Sooke 鈥� a bunch of friends who knew each other growing up.鈥�
Previously, Banner and several others played 鈥� and still do 鈥� in recreational leagues, such as the Macdonald Park Fastball League. On most weekends through the spring and summer, though, they鈥檙e on the road for six or seven tournaments a year. This weekend is the sa国际传媒 Cup in Vancouver, and they鈥檙e off to San Diego in two weeks.
The commitment of both time and money is huge, Banner said.
鈥淭hey can鈥檛 just be good ballplayers. We go out and look for character guys.鈥�
The players range in age from 24 to veteran 44-year-old pitcher Rich Haldane, and the most recent star is 29-year-old Kris Walushka. The part-time teacher at Dunsmuir blasted eight home runs in Fargo, including the game winner in the final. He also made a spectacular diving play at shortstop 鈥� one he had no business making, Bryden said 鈥� to get the team out of trouble.
鈥淚t was pretty unbelievable. I just felt nothing could go by me,鈥� said Walushka, the tournament鈥檚 most valuable player, while Logger Scott Lieph was the most valuable pitcher. 鈥淚鈥檝e been in the zone before, but this was different all together.
鈥淎ll I was thinking was hit the ball hard, and it just kept going out.鈥�
Last season, in their first go-round at the Senior A level and the ISCs, the Loggers were a little overwhelmed by the stadium full of fans in Midland, Mich., not to mention the hot-shot teams, whose annual budgets run to a quarter of a million dollars, compared with the Logger鈥檚 $75,000. The top teams regularly bring in ringers from far off lands such as New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, Venezuela, and Argentina.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a small budget team trying to take on the goliaths,鈥� Banner said.
Bryden thought the team was a little too 鈥渞amped up鈥� with excitement last year. This time around, a more experienced group of Loggers, who are ranked 15th, are confident by focusing on doing all the little things right.
鈥淎 lot of players are willing to do the small things,鈥� Bryden said.
To bolster the ranks this season, the Loggers went outside the area, although not too far, to pick up hitters and all-around players Blake Hunter, from Cedar, and Dan Whiteford of Duncan. Walushka feels the newcomers have made for a complete team, one ready to take on the world.
鈥淲hatever nine guys are in the lineup, there鈥檚 not one of them that won鈥檛 come through,鈥� Walushka said. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 really changed. We鈥檝e just gotten better.鈥�
