Lakers eyeing trip to Nationals with Divisionals tournament win

By Lethbridge Herald on July 7, 2022.

Lethbridge Canadian Tire Lakers’ Bowen Weaver throws a ball to first as Sammy Chow looks on during one last practice on Thursday at Lloyd Nolan Yard.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Canadian Tire Lakers senior Little League team are hoping to come out on top as hosts of the Little League Alberta divisional tournament at Lloyd Nolan Yard this weekend.

The team is feeling prepared to play their familiar foes in the Calgary Reds and Calgary Blue Jays for the right to represent Alberta at the National Little League Works Series  in Nova Scotia beginning on July 16.

“I think we’re feeling pretty good,” said head coach Michael Schwab.

“We did pretty solid in our league play. I’m pretty sure if the league games mattered for anything, we’d be first. So that’s a nice feeling to have going into a weekend like this. But I mean anything can happen right.”

The team has been cleaning up on the basic fundamentals in preparation for this tournament.

“(Just) taking care of our cut-offs, running the bases aggressively, pick-offs — the little things that matter coming into a weekend like this because they can decide a baseball game,” he said.

“As far as I guess talk goes, just taking it a game at a time, not getting complacent, because I mean they’re 16-year-old kids right and so they’re young. You win a couple games and you think you’re the best team in the world and  you don’t think anybody can beat you. I guess just making sure we don’t  get complacent and we show up …  and do what we need to do.”

The success for the Lakers will lie in their approach at the plate and their pitching depth.

“I think our bats have come alive against these teams and I think if we stick to that then we should be in a pretty good spot and we have some really good arms going for us,” he said.

Brayden Risling thinks the team is excited for this opportunity.

“All of what we worked for the past weeks and months is all kind of accumulating into these next couple of days, so it’s going to be exciting,” said Risling.

Risling said defence has been a big thing to work on.

“Communicating and just kind of being there and knowing where to be at all times type thing,” he said.

“Say if a mistake does happen, we’re able to come back and keep moving forward.”

Infielder and pitcher Bowen Weaver was asked how the team will stayed focus through the tournament.

“When I played hockey, we had this saying, it’s just ‘Pucks in deep, four lines banging, unselfish hockey,” he said

“So I think that’s kind of  just been our mentality. I think play for the team, not for yourself and all the guys out here, we’re just playing for each other trying to get to Nova Scotia.”

The Lakers will be playing their round robin games at  noon and 6 p.m. today at Lloyd Nolan Yard.

The championship game is slated for Saturday at noon.

The champion will represent Alberta  in Sydney Mines, N.S. for the National Little League World Series  Tournament from July 16-23.

Scores can be found on Twitter at @LethLakers.