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Have bat, will travel.
The trio of Kaia Gyorfi, Gabby Freer and Colby Cochrane got off the victory podium, celebrating the Island team鈥檚 softball gold medal last weekend in Abbotsford at the 2016 sa国际传媒 Summer Games.
This weekend, they boarded a plane with their District 7 Beacon Hill/Layritz team headed to the 15-17 Big League Girls Little League World Series today through Aug. 7 in Lower Sussex, Delaware.
The Canadian-champion Beacon Hill/Layritz squad, which opens today against the U.S. Southeast champion from Florida, is coached by Bill Hawkins, Deb Buxcey, Rob Milliken and Deron Freer.
The semifinals on Aug. 6, and final on Aug. 7, will get the big-time treatment and be broadcast in the U.S. on ESPN.
The defending champion is Jonesboro, Louisiana.
鈥淟ittle League softball is big down here and these players are getting to the point where NCAA scholarships are on their minds,鈥� Hawkins said.
The Island group in Delaware is young, with 10 first-year players for this age division, and four second-year players.
鈥淲e鈥檙e young, but with experience,鈥� said Hawkins, noting eight of the girls played in the Junior League Softball World Series last year in Kirkland, Washington.
Hawkins believes his group has the talent to go deep in the World Series in Delaware.
Hampton is also happening when it comes to girls鈥� Little League softball. Two of its teams have advanced to their respective World Series tournaments.
Head-coach Bruce Lubinich鈥檚 Hampton 14-15 team swept Calgary 3-0 in the best-of-five Canadian championships to qualify for the Junior League Softball World Series beginning today and running to Aug. 6 at Everest Park in Kirkland.
The defending champion is Inter Bay/Palma Ceia Little League from Tampa, Florida.
Head coach Pat Guiney鈥檚 Hampton 11-13 team will be off to the Little League Softball World Series Aug. 11-17 at Alpenrose Stadium in Portland, Oregon. Hampton defeated Beacon Hill 2-0 in the best-of-three Canadian final held last week at Hollywood Park.
The defending champion is Rowan Little League from Salisbury, North Carolina.
鈥淥ur team is very strong,鈥� Guiney said of his charges, who are 16-0 this season.
鈥淏ut the level of competition in the World Series will be very strong, too 鈥� the best these girls have seen. We are going there to compete and take in the whole experience.鈥�
Meanwhile, the entire female softball world will be focused on Wednesday鈥檚 IOC vote in Rio that will likely see women鈥檚 softball return to the Summer Olympics at Tokyo in 2020.
Guiney believes that will have tremendous ripple effects throughout the sport.
Milliken, co-coaching the District 7 Beacon Hill/Layritz team at the Big League World Series in Delaware, concurs.
鈥淭he Olympics will give this sport what every sport wants 鈥� increased visibility and profile,鈥� Milliken said.
Not that it has been lacking on the Island.
鈥淰ictoria has always been an avid hotbed for the sport, from these girls鈥� teams that are at the World Series, to the Hyacinth Park women鈥檚 league, to the [former national Senior A championship dynasty] men鈥檚 Payless and Budgets teams,鈥� Milliken said.
