London Badgers Baseball - News Archives 2008 - 2009

FIVE TIMES A CHAMPION
By Dan Haugh, Badger Media Liaison

Paul Lytwynec thinks he may have been in the right place at the right time, but an old saying certainly comes to mind when thinking about this member of the 2009 London Midget Badgers – "You have to be good to be lucky."

Paul not only was the starting third baseman for the Badgers team that captured the triple crown of midget baseball, (Baseball Ontario AAA champions, Baseball Ontario Elimination champions and Baseball Canada Midget champions), but he played that same position for the both the Thames Valley Region Athletic Association (TVRAA) champion A.B. Lucas Vikings and the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) champion Western Mustangs.

"I do think I was at the right place at the right time. On all three teams we had everything you need to win championships. Commitment, teamwork and the drive to win," says Paul. "Everyone I played with believed in each other and believed in the team goal to win everything we could. Winning any championship is a great accomplishment, but to win five in one year, at the high school, AAA, and university level, is incredible. It's a year I will never forget."

It isn't likely that Paul will win five championships in one season any time soon, but that doesn't mean he won't be just as busy during the 2010 baseball season.

"I am looking forward to playing with some of my former teammates with the St. Thomas Tomcats as well as playing some games with the London Majors. I have also been asked to help coach the Lucas Vikings baseball team and hopefully I can contribute to a third consecutive TVRAA high school championship," Paul says. "Then in the fall I will return to play with the Western Mustangs to try and repeat as OUA champions."

At Lucas, baseball is not recognized as a team sport, which caused the players and coaches to scramble to borrow equipment from North London Baseball and the London Badgers. But, when former Badger Jamie Romak heard of this he decided to help out.

Jamie, who recently signed a Double-A contract with the Kansas City Royals, made arrangements with a shoe supplier and bought all the players brand new cleats. "It was awesome, they were really nice cleats," says Paul. Roger Carp, the Lucas head coach, called Paul, "The heart and soul of his team," and added he was pleased to accept the contribution from Jamie. "It was wonderful to see that a former student was kind enough to remember where he came from and share some of his good fortune."

Picking a personal highlight in a season like this might be just as hard as winning five championships. "The season highlight has to be the gold medal game against Quebec at the Baseball Canada Midget championships in Fredericton, New Brunswick, but the Eliminations were quite memorable for me as well," says Paul who also pitched when needed for the Midget Badgers this past season. "After playing a 14-inning game on the Saturday at the Baseball Ontario Eliminations in Sarnia they needed me to pitch. I was put in to get the last out in the semi-final against the Toronto Mets to get us to the nationals. And then I pitched a complete game 2-0 shutout win against Tecumseh in the final. That was our first step to a Triple Crown."

When asked if ever during the season he felt tired and thought that he had enough baseball in one year, Paul's response was, "Never. Winning is contagious, and I looked forward to every time we stepped on the field."

Paul had some advice for young players who may follow in his footsteps. "The most important thing is to have fun," Paul says. "Every time you come to the ball park you have to work hard and have a smile on your face. That's why we play the game."

About his decision to stay at home in London and play for the University of Western Ontario Mustangs in the OUA, Paul says he always knew where he wanted to be.

"I had offers from colleges in the U.S., but I knew Western would give me all the opportunities I wanted. Mike Lumley also was a big influence. He has coached me for over four years and when he told me I had an opportunity to start at third base in my freshman year, I was sold on coming to Western. It is a perfect fit for me," Paul says. "I'm getting an education from one of the best universities in Canada, and I am also playing competitive varsity baseball."

Paul also has praise for the London Badgers program that he has had the opportunity to play for "Mike runs an amazing program. Every year we compete in a variety of tournaments to gain exposure to schools all over the United States," Paul says. "The program not only teaches you physical skills but also the mental side of the game, which is even more important in baseball. I had a great four years with the London Badgers and I couldn't ask for a better way to end my Badger career."

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MEMORIES FROM FREDERICTON..."THE HOME RUN"
By Dan Haugh, Badger Media Liaison

The 2009 London Badger team by all accounts was like FAMILY.

Starting catcher Cam Firth says it best, “I will go out and say that there will never be another Badger team as close as we were. It was like having 15 brothers. I can’t even describe how much it meant to our success. We were probably the goofiest team in the country, with the quirkiest habits, but that just made us a force to be reckoned with.”

When asked about their memories and the one moment they will remember forever, most of the players will say they will never forget the final out of the championship game versus Quebec when Marty Spencer picked up a ground ball and stepped on first base and the celebration began.

That was the moment that crowned the champions. But, if we are talking about exciting, amazing and unbelievable moments it would have to be the bottom of the seventh inning of a scoreless tie against British Columbia in the semi-final game. Cam Firth stepped to the plate with Trevor Barton on second base and two out. Third baseman Paul Lytwynec referred to what was about to happen as … “Without a doubt, the best hit under the circumstances that I have ever seen.”

The best person to get a description from of course would be the semi-final hero himself, Cam Firth. Here is how Firth describes in his own words what was going through his mind entering the final inning, “Going into the bottom of the seventh, I was fourth in the order, meaning I needed someone to get on base for me to get up. I told myself that if I got the chance to be up, I was going to win it. I needed some positive thinking after going 0-for-3 in my first three at bats. When Trevor Barton got on base and extended a routine single into a double, I realized that was my chance. As I was stepping into the box Trevor yelled from second base, ‘C’mon Cammy this is what you were made for buddy’, and I just zoned in and saw a first pitch fastball which I put my best swing on. Luckily, my best swing drove the ball well over the 304 ft. I needed to clear the left field wall.

I absolutely flew around the bases, my heart was racing. I couldn’t believe what I just did. After rounding second base I saw Mike Lumley jumping up and down in the coach’s box, and gave him a huge high-five. When rounding third, all I saw was my entire team, the Midget Badger brotherhood, crowded around the plate. I tossed my helmet and jumped into the crowd. It really meant a lot to me that when the crowd started dying off, my brother Andrew was still there and he had me wrapped in a big bear hug. I could see my mom in the crowd on the phone with my dad, who was back in London. It really made it that much more special.”

Despite being named top catcher of the Canadian Championship tournament and representing Ontario at the Canada Cup along with teammate Ryan Zimmer, it was all about the team this past season for Cam Firth and all of the Badgers. Firth will not likely ever forget the game-winning home run, but when asked what the highlight of the season was Cam said, “The highlight of the year for me was being in the pile near first base after the last out against Quebec. It just capped off everything that we had worked for all year.

The time.

The energy.

The blood.

The tears. …

It made everything so worth it.”

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MIDGET BADGERS - UNDEFEATED CANADIAN CHAMPIONS!
by Dan Haugh, Badgers Media Liaison

August 17, 2009

The London Midget Badgers are coming home with the GOLD!

The London Midget Badgers representing Ontario defeated Quebec by a 7-1 score on Sunday night in Fredericton New Brunswick to capture the Baseball Canada Midget Championships.

The win over Quebec completed a perfect tournament record of six wins without a loss.

Left handed pitcher Ryan Zimmer picked up the win. He pitched five strong innings allowing only one run on three hits while striking out nine. Baird Kelly came on in relief of Zimmer in the sixth inning and picked up the save, recording three strikeouts while allowing only one hit.

Offensively, the Badgers were led by Baird Kelly who went 3-for-3 at the plate. Andrew Firth and Ryan Zimmer each had a pair of hits while Trevor Barton, Cole Stewardson and Paul Lytwynec had one hit each.

The Badgers got to the championship game by defeating British Columbia 2-0 on the strength of a two-run walk off home run with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning by Cam Firth. Firth was named top catcher of the tournament.

The Midget Badgers won the Canadian Championship in 2001.

2009 BASEBALL CANADA MIDGET CHAMPIONS – LONDON BADGERS

Ontario - 14
Saskatchewan – 1

Ontario – 9
Alberta – 3

Ontario – 5
Fredericton – 3

Ontario – 5
Manitoba – 2

Medal Round

Ontario – 2
British Columbia – 0

Gold Medal Game
Ontario – 7
Quebec - 1

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

November 11 , 2009.

There is a link between 2001 and 2009...

The London Midget Badgers captured the ‘Triple Crown’ of Ontario Midget baseball in 2009 for the second time in the history of the program by winning the Baseball Ontario Midget Eliminations, the Baseball Canada Midget Championship and finally the Baseball Ontario Midget AAA gold medal. The same feat was accomplished by the Badgers in 2001.

As we all know Mike Lumley was the head coach of both of these teams, but there is another link between the two championship teams.

For the past eight years Ronnie Oneson was able to walk into his room in his parent’s southwest London home and be reminded of the 2001 baseball season when the London Badgers Midget team captured the ‘Triple Crown’. Photos and newspaper clippings on the walls of his room kept the memories of 2001 fresh in his mind, but now he has new memories to cherish and compare to the experience of 2001.

Oneson served as an assistant coach with this season’s Badgers Midget team that traveled to Fredericton, New Brunswick and brought home the second National Championship in Badgers history.

We recently had a chance to spend some time with Ron Oneson and ask him some questions about the two experiences and how they compare.

“The memories of 2001 are some of the best of my playing career,” said Oneson. “It’s something pretty special to say you were part of a national championship team. It was an amazing experience everyone on that team got to share in, and I consider myself lucky to have been a part of it.”

It’s something that I will never forget, and each time I see a member of that 2001 team no matter how long it has been, winning the title is always something we go back to.”

We asked Ron how the two teams compared, “The two teams were similar in the sense that in 2001 we lost our top pitcher Sean Grimes to the MLB draft, and then this year we lost one of our top pitchers Jon Fitzsimmons to injury.”

Ron went on to talk about the feeling he got from winning as a coach compared to winning as a player. “The thrill was just as big being a coach this time around. It was fantastic to see this team come together and be a part of that. By no means did all this come out of nowhere. Even as far back as last year's tryouts and seeing the talent that was available, the possibility of winning the title was being thrown around as something that was within this team's grasp. As a coach you have a better perspective just from having seen so much baseball over the years. When you’re a player you go into these things a bit wide eyed. This time around I really believed that this was something we could do, knowing already what it had taken to win a national title and seeing what this team was capable of.”

While it is tough to compare the two “Triple Crown” winning teams, there were names like Chris Robinson, Mike Ambrose and Will Stewardson in 2001. The question that remains is whether players like Cam Firth, Ryan Zimmer and Andrew Firth from the 2009 team will go on to achieve the level of success that some of those 2001 players have achieved.

In doing a previous interview with Chris Robinson who this season played for the Chicago Cubs Triple-A affiliate in Des Moines Iowa, he referred to the 2001 “Triple Crown’ as being a highlight of his baseball career and something he would never forget.

Every member of this season’s Baseball Canada Midget Championship team will be able to carry those memories with them for the rest of their lives. Ron Oneson has had the great fortune along with Mike Lumley to have experienced that ‘feeling’ twice, but we all know they are already preparing for a chance to do it again.

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RYAN ZIMMER: "A SUMMER I WILL NEVER FORGET!"
By Dan Haugh, Badger Media Liaison

If you ever find yourself waiting to hear important news for what seems to be an unreasonable length of time, just imagine how frustrating it would be to wait for that news if it was being delivered alphabetically and your last name started with the letter Z. Ryan Zimmer found out what that was like this summer as the coaches of the Ontario Youth Team called 40 players into a room one at a time alphabetically to tell them whether they made the team and would be representing Ontario at the Canada Cup in Kindersley, Saskatchewan.

Zimmer who was named Baseball Ontario senior Player of the Year for 2009 explained how that felt, "The coaches called us into the clubhouse one by one in alphabetical order. So of course, being a Zimmer, my name was called last. I walked in and heard what I wanted to hear, "Congratulations Ryan. You have made the team." I was truly honoured and thrilled to represent Ontario at the Canada Cup."

That Canada Cup experience saw Ryan reach one of his pre-season goals. “From an individual standpoint, my ultimate goal was to make the Ontario Youth Team. I also wanted to continue to have a winning season with the Badgers.” Those goals were achieved in a big way and Ryan went on to talk about goals he and his Badger teammates had before the season began, “From a team standpoint, our goals were to work as hard as we could in the off season. We always believed we had the potential and talent to win Eliminations and Nationals.”

When asked about his teammates and coaches Ryan had this to say, “We were a very tightly knit group of guys. Being one of the younger Midget players, the older guys were more than welcoming to us. This group of guys all had the desire to win and the passion for baseball.” This was the first season that Ryan played for head coach Mike Lumley and he shared some comments about Lumley and all of the Midget coaches, “Mike and the Badger program have taught me to always give 100 percent whether it's in a game or practice. When I'm on the mound, try to stay focused and keep my composure. He is a great coach who expects nothing but the best from his players. He wants each and every player to succeed. Trevor Greenway has been my pitching coach for the last three years and he has a lot of confidence in my ability” Ryan says, “ Ron Oneson was the hitting coach. He is always looking for ways to improve my swing. Paul Stafford was the bench coach. He was great at lifting our spirits on the bench. I would also like to mention my former Badger coach Mark Chambers. He was my head coach for four years, and he was an awesome coach who always believed in my potential as a ball player.”

“The highlight of my season would be pitching in the championship game at Nationals. It was an honour to pitch in such an important game. My goal was to go out, throw strikes and let my defence work behind me.” says Ryan, “I reached all my goals this summer. As far as development, I hope to get stronger,gain more velocity on my fastball and continue to develop as a top notch player. I know there is always room for improvement”.
When asked about his future Ryan had this to say, “My immediate goals are to have another great season as a Badger and try to repeat as Triple Crown Winners. Currently, I am going through the college recruiting process. Coaches have contacted me from all divisions. I just have to find the right fit.”

Ryan had praise for his Badger teammates, “Winning the Triple Crown was a total team effort. Every player on our team played a large part in our success this year. Whether it was a key hit, stolen base, turning a double play, making a diving catch or getting that last out, all contributed to our Triple Crown victory.”

Ryan Zimmer and his Badger teammates experienced a great deal of success, but you can be sure that they are focused on repeating as Canadian Midget Champions. “I had an outstanding summer of baseball. Looking back at all of my accomplishments and my team's accomplishments leaves me with a sense of satisfaction and a lot of pride.”

Finally Ryan says “It's a summer I'll never forget. I hope all young Badger players get the chance to experience what I have.”

“Believe in yourself and your teammates, and it just might happen!”

CAM FIRTH SIGNS AT UBC

London Badger catcher Cam Firth has agreed to follow the path of his brother Andrew and attend the University of British Columbia next fall where he will continue his education and further his baseball career.

UBC baseball head coach Terry McKaig had this to say about Cam Firth, “We are extremely excited to have Cam join us at UBC next fall. He is exactly what we look for in a player given his athletic ability, academic focus, dedication, and character. His brother Andrew is presently with us and is enjoying it. Cam really could become an impact catcher for us in the next few years. In the meantime he is getting a world class education while pursuing his dreams in baseball."

Firth was the starting catcher for the National Midget Champion Badgers, and was named 'top catcher' at Nationals in Fredericton, N.B. He hit a memorable two-run home run with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a scoreless tie against British Columbia in the semi-final game in Fredericton.

Cam is currently completing his final year at Oakridge S.S. and will be playing for the London Midget Badgers in 2010 as they attempt to repeat as Canadian champions.

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BADGERS AND ZIMMER WIN BASEBALL ONTARIO AWARDS FOR 2009

The London Badgers were named Team of The Year, and Badgers left-handed pitcher Ryan Zimmer was named Adult Player of The Year for 2009 at the Baseball Ontario Awards Banquet November 21, in Toronto.

Ryan Zimmer had 11 wins and two losses with 93 innings pitched. His ERA was 2.09 and he had 79 strikeouts. He helped the Midget Badgers at the AAA Midget OBA tournament with a record of 1-0, at the Elimination tournament with a 2-0 record, and at the Nationals with a 2-0 record.

Ryan, a left-handed pitcher, pitched for the Midget Badgers in the PBLO league and in the LDBA Junior league. He was chosen to play for the Ontario Youth Team and pitched in the Canada Cup going 1-0. He pitched one inning of relief to earn a 4-3 win over the eventual gold medalist B.C. and five innings of scoreless pitching in the 4-0 semi-final loss to the eventual silver medalist Quebec.

In the Canada Cup tournament, Zimmer pitched a total of six scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Ryan is a humble person who takes his accomplishments in stride, because he is "really only one part of the team".

Ryan attends John Paul II High School and is the son of Tom and Lisa Zimmer. Previous London Badger players to win this prestigious award were Chris Robinson in 2001 and Jamie Romak in 2002.

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ONE MORE HONOUR FOR CAM FIRTH
By Dan Haugh, London Badgers Media Liaison

It wasn't earned on the baseball diamond, but Cam Firth has received another individual honour to cap off an already impressive list of athletic achievements in 2009.

Firth was named the 2009 winner of the Greg Anderson Memorial Award that is given each year to the graduating football player in the Thames Valley Region Athletic Association who best combines football skills, academics and citizenship.

He was the captain and starting quarterback for the Oakridge S. S. football team, he is an 'A' student, and he is very involved in student parliament and the school's United Way program. Firth will have one more season in 2010 with the midget Badgers before heading out west to UBC to play baseball next fall.

This award comes on top of several individual and team achievements Firth racked up as the starting catcher of the Triple Crown winning London Midget Badgers. Firth along with fellow Badger Ryan Zimmer represented Ontario at the Canada Cup and he was named 'Top Catcher' at the Canadian Midget Championships in Fredericton, New Brunswick in mid August where he led the Badgers to the Gold medal.

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LUMLEY NAMED 2009 OUA COACH OF THE YEAR

Mike Lumley was named OUA ‘Coach of The Year’ for the fourth time since 2001. Lumley guided the Western Mustang baseball team to a first place finish and eventually the OUA playoff championship by sweeping the Laurier Golden Hawks in two games.

The OUA coach of the year award was just another in a long list of achievements this past baseball season for Lumley. Mike coached the London Midget Badgers to a ‘triple crown’ by winning the Baseball Ontario Midget Eliminations which earned them an invitation to the midget baseball Nationals in Fredericton, New Brunswick in mid-August. At the Canadian Championships down east the Badgers posted an undefeated record and captured the Gold medal by defeating Quebec 7-1 in the final. London got to the Gold Medal game by pulling out an exciting late inning win over British Columbia.

Lumley’s coaching achievements also included taking the Badgers Midget team to the Baseball Ontario AAA championship which capped off the ‘triple crown’ which duplicated the same feat that Lumley’s midget Badgers achieved in 2001.

Another link to the first Triple Crown team was Ronnie Oneson who pitched for the Badgers in 2001, and this season served as an assistant coach for both the Badgers Midgets and the Western Mustang baseball team.

On their way to winning the OUA championship under the guidance of Mike Lumley, the Mustangs posted a record of 13 wins and five losses, while scoring a league high 104 runs and allowing the fewest runs in the league at 48.

September 1st , 2009

LONDON BADGERS ADD MIDGET AAA CHAMPIONSHIP TO 2009 ACHIEVEMENTS

The London Midget Badgers have added one more achievement to their already impressive list of achievements from the 2009 baseball season. The Badgers knocked off the Toronto Mets in the final game of the Baseball Ontario Midget AAA tournament this past weekend in Windsor by a score of 5-1. That victory completes the 'triple crown' of Ontario Midget baseball. Earlier in August the Badgers won the Ontario Midget Elimination tournament in Sarnia, the Baseball Canada Championship in Fredericton, New Brunswick and now the Baseball Ontario Midget AAA championship.

Along the way to the 'triple crown,' several members of the team have earned individual recognition. Ryan Zimmer and Cam Firth traveled to Saskatchewan to help Ontario capture the bronze medal in the Canada Cup. Cam Firth was named top catcher at the National tournament while his brother Andrew Firth was part of the Ontario team that won bronze at the Canada Summer Games in Charlotttetown, PEI last week.

The championship weekend in Windsor started with rain on Friday that led to the cancellation of all but one game. After a day full of rain the Badgers' bats came alive in their first game on Saturday against Brampton. Josh Tetreau was the starting pitcher and recorded the win by a 9-1 score with the help of one inning of relief pitching by Marty Spencer. Minor Midget callup Mitch Lumley went 3-for-3 with three RBI to lead the Badgers offensively.

The second game of the day put the Badgers up against a very good Windsor Selects team. Paul Lytwynec started and went five strong innings to pick up the 3-2 win. Brent Greenway and Baird Kelly each pitched an inning to close out the game and preserve the win.

On Sunday morning London lost 2-1 to the Toronto Mets in a game that feaured strong pitching, but the Badger bats remained cold throughout the game. Left-handed pitcher Aidan Smith got the start, and he went a very strong five innings. Brent Greenway pitched the final inning in relief.

The Badgers had an easier time in the next game against Thornhill as they scored early and often on their way to an 8-0 victory. Left-handed pitcher Ryan Zimmer started and went six innings to get the pitching win. Marty Spencer came on to finish the game in relief. Cam Firth had a good day at the plate going 2-for-3 with three RBI.

The championship game was the third game of the day for both the Badgers and the Toronto Mets. Baseball Ontario rules state that no team is obligated to play three games in one day. With neither team being able to field teams after the weekend, London and Toronto agreed that co-champions would be declared if London won because at that point both teams would have one loss each.

Baird Kelly started the game on the mound for the Badgers, but was only able to pitch one inning as he was ejected because of a collision at home plate with the Toronto catcher.

Brent Greenway was forced to quickly warmup and put on a fantastic performance as the offense rallied behind him with some clutch hits for a 5-1 win to capture the championship and the Triple Crown for 2009. Travis Black pitched the seventh inning.

This marked the end of a very successful baseball season, but close observers of the London Badger organization know that the end of one season marks the beginning of another.

Somewhere, right now, Mike Lumley is planning for the future success of one of the Nation's most successful youth baseball programs.

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LONDON BANTAM BADGERS BRING HOME OBA AAA SILVER MEDAL
by Dan Haugh, Badger Media Liaison

The London Bantam Badgers fought hard all weekend, but came up short against a tough Mississauga Tigers team by a score of 6-1 in the championship game at the Labour Day OBA Bantam AAA championship in Leaside.

The Badgers started out with a tough opponent in the Windsor Stars as they eked out a 5-4 win behind the strong starting pitching of Dayton Dawe. Dawe no-hit the Tigers through four innings, but it was Windsor scoring first with a single run in the fifth inning. London battled back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. Nolan Anderson and Matt Smith picked up on the mound for Dawe and the game was a see-saw battle until the seventh when with the score tied at four, Aaron Jackson led off with a walk, advanced to second on a passed ball and to third on a single by Matt Smith. Jackson scored the winning run by beating the throw home after a Mike Ambrose ground ball.

The next two games saw the Badgers score a total of 38 runs as they defeated North Toronto 20-13 and the Guelph Royals 18-9.

In the victory over North Toronto the Badgers held an early 4-1 lead on the strength of a three-run home run by Matt Smith, but an 11-run fifth inning for North Toronto put London down going into the seventh. In the seventh inning the Badgers scored 16 runs. The big blow in that inning was a grand slam home run by Dayton Dawe. Tyler Neeb, Dylan McCormick and Kyle Zimmer all added home runs.

In the next game against Guelph, the Badger bats remained hot as they rallied for 11 runs in the fifth inning on their way to the 18-8 win. Matt Smith got the start for London and Sean Refflinghaus base-loaded double was the key hit for London.

In game four, the Bantam Badgers dropped the first of two innings to the Mississauga Tigers. Mississauga pitching kept the Badger bats silent and left several runners on base on their way to a 14-4 win over London.

The bats came alive again against Guelph in the 8-4 win that sent the Badgers to the championship game. Dayton Dawe got the pitching start and was backed by timely hitting by Matt Smith and Aaron Jackson. Nolan Anderson hit a huge home run that landed on Eglington Ave. The win eliminated Guelph and setup a rematch with Mississauga to determine the champion.

The Badgers fell in the final game to Mississauga by a 6-1 score as they were unable to solve the pitching.

Nolan Anderson was named tournament MVP. Congratulations to the Bantam Badgers on a successful season!

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The 2009 London Badgers Golf Tournament took place at the Forest City National Golf Course on Sunday September 27, 2009. This annual event attracted over 110 participants and was a complete success!

Thanks to Al Neal and his organizing committee for a fantastic event! See you all next year!

2009 London Badgers Golf Tournament Winning Team
Trevor Greenway, Colin Szemenyei, Andrew Froud, Blair Cowie

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

August 25, 2009.

ONTARIO UNDEFEATED AT CANADA SUMMER GAMES

London Badger Andrew Firth goes 3-or-3 in 10-0 win over Newfoundland.

After two days at the Canada Summer Games in Charlottetown PEI, Ontario has a perfect 3-0 record. The Ontario team shutout New Brunswick 5-0 on opening day, and then on Day Two they posted two wins. Ontario defeated Nova Scotia 7-2 and Newfoundland 10-0 on Tuesday.

The London Badgers are represented on the Ontario team by Andrew Firth who went 3-for-3 in the win over Newfoundland. Andrew led Ontario offensively in the game with a single, two doubles, three RBI, and one run scored.

Next action for Ontario will be against Quebec who is also undefeated, on Wednesday afternoon in a game that will be televised live on TSN 1 at 3 p.m. EDT.

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

August 16, 2009

BADGERS WILL FACE QUEBEC FOR NATIONAL GOLD!

LONDON BADGERS DEFEAT B.C. 2-0 TO GO TO GOLD MEDAL GAME

Cam Firth's two-run walk off home run with two out in the bottom of the seventh inning broke a scoreless tie and has sent the London Midget Badgers to the Gold Medal game in Fredericton, New Brunswick where they will face Quebec Sunday night.

Baird Kelly pitched seven strong shutout innings, striking out seven and allowing only four British Columbia hits.

B.C. losing pitcher Devon Stewart scattered seven Badger hits including Trevor Barton's double which was followed by Cam Firth's home run in the seventh inning.

The Badgers go into the Gold medal game with both Ryan Zimmer and Cole Stewardson ready to pitch.

The London Midget Badgers defeated Manitoba 5-2 on Day Three of the Baseball Canada Midget Championships in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Cam Firth continued to lead Badger hitters as he went 2-for-2 and lifted his tournament batting average to a lofty .545. Paul Lytwynec got the win and Baird Kelly the save.

The Badgers have finished in first place in Pool B and will likely face British Columbia in medal play on Sunday. The Gold Medal game takes place at 7:00 p.m.

If you would like more information about this topic, please call Badger Technical Advisor Mike Lumley 519-455-6604 Cell: 519-619-6792 or e-mail Mike at coachlumley@londonbadgers.on.ca or Dan Haugh (Badger Media Liaison) at 519-471-0980 Cell: 519-671-0980 or e-mail Dan at danhaugh@londonbadgers.on.ca

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London Badgers Baseball - LONDON MIDGET BADGERS WIN ONTARIO GOLD!
by Dan Haugh, Badgers Media Liaison

August 3, 2009

The Midget Badgers received some excellent pitching in posting a record of six wins and one loss to win the Baseball Ontario Midget Eliminations in Sarnia on Civic Holiday Weekend.

Paul Lytwynec was the winning pitcher in a 2-0 final victory over Tecumseh. With that win the Badgers earned the right to represent Ontario in the Canadian Midget Championships in Fredericton, New Brunswick Aug. 13-16.

The only loss for the Badgers came in a 14-inning contest against the same Tecumseh club.

Most Valuable Catcher of the tournament was awarded to Cam Firth and Tournament MVP went to Paul Lytwynec.

Congratulations to the Midget Badgers, Coach Lumley and his coaching staff!

Championship Results

Game 1 Badgers -3 Hamilton Cardinals -2
Pitcher: Ryan Zimmer (Win) Josh Tetreau (Save)

Game 2 Badgers – 10 Ottawa Nepean -3
Pitcher: Baird Kelly (Win) Taylor Carr and Aidan Smith Relief

Game 3 Tecumseh Thunder – 6 Badgers -5 (14 innings)
Pitchers: Josh Teatreau, Taylor Carr, Brent Greenway

Game 4 Badgers – 3 Windsor -0
Pitcher: Cole Stewardson (Win)

Game 5 Badgers – 4 Tecumseh -0
Pitchers: Ryan Zimmer (Win)

Game 6 Badgers – 5 Toronto Mets -3
Pitcher: Baird Kelly (Win) Paul Lytwynec (Save)

Game 7 Badgers – 2 Tecumseh -0
Pitcher: Paul Lytwynec (Win)

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LONDON BADGERS BASEBALL CLUB

DAYTON DAWE GOING TO BANTAM NATIONALS WITH ONTARIO CHAMPION

Dayton Dawe of the London Bantam Badgers will be joining the Ontario Bantam Elimination winners from Georgetown when they participate in the Canadian Bantam Championships in Vaughan, Ontario August 20-23. Dawe who plays third base and pitches has a 1.68 ERA in 16 mound appearances this season. His impressive offensive statistics include a .440 batting average and a slugging percentage of .752

The Lucas S.S. student, who is the son of Rick and Kelly Dawe, is one of four players who Georgetown is adding to their roster for the National Championship.

If you would like more information about this topic, please call Badger Technical Advisor Mike Lumley 519-455-6604 Cell: 519-619-6792 or e-mail Mike at coachlumley@londonbadgers.on.ca or Dan Haugh (Badger Media Liaison) at 519-471-0980 Cell: 519-671-0980 or e-mail Dan at danhaugh@londonbadgers.on.ca

Complete team effort puts the Pee Wee Badgers in tournament final.

The host Pee Wee Badgers went undefeated in pool play of their own tournament the weekend of June 12. They advanced as the top seed from their pool to the semi-finals where they knocked off a tough Oakville team by a score of 12-4 to advance to the finals.

Starting pitcher Josh Ramsay gave a gutsy performance as he pitched five solid innings to pick up the semi-final win. Jon Brooks came into the game in relief for the final two innings, and he shut the door only allowing three base runners and no runs while striking out three.

Although there were some other very good pitching performances on the weekend, and some good defence led by Mitch Willoughby making a number of excellent catches in centrefield, the story for the Pee Wee Badgers this weekend was hitting. Over the course of their five games, they batted an outstanding .489 with 22 extra base hits. Offensively the Badgers were led by Mitch Willoughby, Zack Desa and Garan Stevens. Willoughby was 9-for-18 with five doubles, one triple, four RBI and seven runs scored. Desa was 8-for-12 with a triple, two home runs, 10 RBI, nine runs scored, and three stolen bases, and Garan Stevens was 11-for-15 with three doubles, two home runs, nine RBI, 8 runs scored and five stolen bases. Desa went 'yard' in back-to-back games while Stevens did it twice in the same game. One of Stevens’ blasts was of the tape-measure variety, clearing two fences to land on another diamond.

In the round-robin games the Pee Wees defeated Mississauga 19-8, Windsor 13-7 and Burlington 12-8.

Although the Badgers came up short in the championship game against a very good Burlington team, the tournament has to be considered a success.

The Pee Wee team has improved with each tournament they have played. Although there were certain standout performances that led the team, their success this weekend was achieved because of a team effort.

Well done Badgers!

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BANTAM TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS JUNE 2009

After winnng the Badger Bantam Tournament Championship, the Bantam Badgers returned to InterCounty League action on Wednesday June 16th at Aldridge Field, dropping a close 2-0 decision to a very tough Hamilton team.

Dayton Dawe started on the mound for the Badgers, and pitched a very strong five innings allowing only four hits. Lefty Kyle Zimmer up from the Minor Bantam Badgers did not give up a hit in the final two innings. Both teams started out slowly. Dylan McCormick started off the second inning with a single, but was left stranded at first base. Singles by Dan Parsons and Tyler Neeb in the fourth inning gave the home town Badgers a chance, but some good defence by the visitors left the boys stranded.

Hamilton scored two runs in the fifth inning on three hits.

Dayton Dawe doubled in the home half of the seventh inning followed by a single by Tyler Neeb. With Badger runners on second and third and none out, Hamilton changed pitchers and shut down the rally to end the game.

In the Badger Tournament the Bantams won the final in a thrilling 8-7 victory over Newmarket who had handed them their only loss earlier in the tournament.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 16, 2009

THREE BADGERS NAMED TO ONTARIO YOUTH TEAM TOP 40 CAMP!

Cam Firth, Baird Kelly and Ryan Zimmer have been selected to attend the upcoming Ontario Youth Team Top 40 Camp.

From that camp the Ontario Youth team will be selected for participation in the Canada Cup which is being played in Kindersley, Saskatchewan in early August. The Canada Cup provides players with a front-row opportunity to ultimately be named to the National Junior team.

Kelly and Zimmer are left handed pitchers, while Firth is a catcher.

Last year two London Badgers, Andrew Firth and Trevor Barton played major roles with the Ontario team that won the Canada Cup in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

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June 7, 2009

Minor Bantam Badgers reach Finals of Hamilton Cardinals Baseball tournament!

The minor Bantam Badgers had a successful weekend as they made it to the final of the Hamilton Cardinals tournament.

The Minor Bantams posted one win, a tie and a loss in round-robin play.

Nate Grindstaff worked five solid innings in posting the win as the Minor Bantams defeated Stratford 12-1 in the first game.

The second round-robin game which ended in an 11-11 tie with Mississauga featured four hits by Andrew Warner and an inside the park home run by Kyle Zimmer.

In a really tight semi-final Kyle Zimmer went the distance on the mound to squeak out a 2-1 win over Mississauga giving up only two hits. Vince Caschera had an RBI double.

The Badgers lost the tournament final game by an 8-1 score to the host Hamilton team.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 24th, 2009.

LONDON BADGER TRAVIS BLACK SIGNS AT LAKE MICHIGAN COLLEGE

London Badger infielder Travis Black recently signed a letter of intent to play baseball for the next two seasons at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor Michigan .

Lake Michigan College head coach Scott Ponegalek said, “Travis' attitude and work ethic on and off the field are exactly what I look for in a player. He will add great values on and off the field next year.”

Travis had this to say when asked about short-term and long-term goals, “One of my short-term goals is to be the starting second baseman for LMC for the next two years. A long term goal is to transfer to a four-year institution to further my education and to continue playing a high level of baseball.”

Coach Ponegalek who first saw Travis when he played last fall for the Motor City Pride in a tournament at Central Michigan University said, “Next year as a freshman he will have a lot of competition, but I see him playing in the infield either at second base or third base.

The Oakridge S.S. student who has spent the previous three seasons in the Badger program, and is currently playing with the Midget team is the son of Rick and Wendy Black. Travis has a younger brother Dylan.

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London Badgers Baseball - Midgets vs Ontario Blue Jays
by Dan Haugh, Badgers Media Liaison

In a pair of weekend doubleheaders, home field advantage produced sweeps.

Game One

Two first-year Midget pitchers combined for a 2-0 shutout of Team Ontario. Ryan Zimmer and closer Josh Tetreau teamed up to hold Team Ontario to just six hits over seven innings.

The Badgers scored both of their runs in the first inning when Trevor Barton walked, stole second and advanced to third base on a balk. Andrew Firth drove in Barton with a single, and he advanced to second on an overthrow. From there Firth scored on a single by Paul Dika.

From that point on Zimmer and Tetreau shut down the Team Ontario bats to preserve the shutout victory.

Starting pitcher Brent Greenway went six innings for a 9-3 victory over Team Ontario. Josh Tetreau once again came in to close. In an action-packed game, the London Badgers combined base stealing, suicide squeezes, extra base hits, and tight defense to solidify their second victory of the day. It was a great team effort!

Baird Kelly tossed a gem, but it was undone by seven Badger errors in a 4-3 extra-inning loss to open the Sunday doubleheader.

The Badgers took an early 3-1 lead on the first inning. That score held until the sixth inning when Team Ontario managed to score one run by putting together two hits and two errors. Team Ontario then tied it in the bottom of the seventh, and subsequently went on to score the winning run in the bottom of the eighth.

In another 4-3 loss, starting pitcher Aidan Smith allowed only seven hits, but the team wound up losing the game in the bottom of the seventh. Travis Black, Andrew Firth and Trevor Barton combined for the Badgers four-hit outing in this game. The Badgers took an early 2-1 lead after one inning. Team Ontario got two runs in the second inning to take a brief lead, but the Badgers tied the score again in the third inning. Unfortunately the team couldn’t hold the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning as Team Ontario loaded the bases and then sealed the victory with a timely base hit.

Five Badgers and Coach Greenway will appear in Saturday night's PBLO All-Star game in Guelph. Paul Lytwynec, Andrew Firth, Trevor Barton, Travis Black, and Paul Dika will suit up for the Western Regional team.

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The Minor Mosquito Badgers scored early and often on their way to a 14-3 victory over Dorchester on May 26.

The Badgers sent 12 men to the plate and scored seven runs in the first inning to post their first win of the season. The offensive attack was led by Jamie Powell and Matt Nusink with two hits each. Riley Garinger and Will Bibbings each hit triples, while Dallas Loiselle, Kian Bukala and David Mendham added singles.

Kale Bilger, Tyler Hopper and Logan Muttersbach pitched well to combine for the win.

Rain made it a short week for the Minor Mosquito Badgers who see their next action on June 2, when they host Oakridge at Stronach Park.

The Midget Badgers played two weekend doubleheaders against the Ontario Blue Jays Under-17 team and won all four games.

GAME ONE

The Badgers took the first game by a score of 13 - 7 in a rain-soaked start at Labatt Park. Ryan Zimmer started the game on the mound for the Badgers and turned in a great performance as he held the Blue Jays to three hits in the five innings he worked to earn the win. Kyle Reid came on in relief of Zimmer and Greenway closed out the game efficiently.

The offense was led by Paul Dika< with a double, two singles, a stolen base, and three runs scored. Dika also got the 'get dirty' award with a great head-first dive into second.

Paul Lytwynec had 2 singles, with Andrew Firth, Jamie Dalton and Cam Firth each hitting singles in the effort. Trevor Barton once again caused havoc on the base paths. He stole three bases and caused a number of errors by the Ontario Blue Jays which led to runs for the Badgers.

The Badgers won this one by a 6 - 4 score as Baird Kelly got the win with a solid performance. Josh Tetreau came in for the last two innings, throwing strikes and earning the save. Travis Black had two hits, two RBI and one run scored to lead the offence. Cam Firth, Ryan Zimmer, Paul Dika, Trevor Barton, Andrew Firth and Marty Spencer all contributed singles to the cause, while Paul Lytwynec pounded out a double. The Badgers ran the bases well, stealing five times. Paul Dika, had two steals while Trevor Barton, Cam Firth and Paul Lytwynec each had one.

The first half of the doubleheader in Toronto was won by the Badgers 7–5. Brent Greenway started on the mound and Josh Tetreau finished up. Paul Lytwynec had three hits including a double and a triple, while Baird Kelly had two doubles and a single to lead the Badgers offensively. Andrew Firth had two singles and two RBIs, Ryan Zimmer had a single and an RBI, while Trevor Barton had two stolen bases and an RBI on a long fly out.

The Badgers posted a solid come-from-behind victory winning 10-5 and showing some offensive power. Travis Black got the win as the starting pitcher. Paul Lytwynec came in for the last three innings and recorded the save. Trevor Barton had three hits and an RBI, while Jon Fitzsimmons had a single, a double and an RBI and Brady Stafford also pounded out two hits in the game. Baird Kelly hit a double. Josh Tetreau hit a deep triple, and Andrew Firth had a two-RBI single. Jamie Dalton had a single and three RBI and Paul Dika also contributed a single to the good-hitting cause.

Next action for the Midget Badgers is Saturday May 23 at Labatt Park when they host Team Ontario in a doubleheader. First game starts at 1:00 p.m.

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MAJOR MIDGET – GAME REPORT - MAY 20th

The Badgers put on a hitting and pitching clinic as they out hit St. Thomas Cardinals Juniors 16 to 2 in recording a 13-2 victory at Emslie Field. Aidan Smith was the starting and winning pitcher going four innings and scattering two hits, while Ryan Zimmer, Baird Kelly and Brent Greenway each pitched one inning without allowing a hit. At the plate, Ryan Zimmer went 3-for-4, driving in two runs and scoring once. Brady Stafford was also 3-for-4, including a double and two runs scored. Baird Kelly had a 3-hit performance, including a double with three RBI while scoring once. Two-hit performances by Trevor Barton and Jon Fitzsimmons, including a well-hit double, added to the RBI and runs scored totals.Travis Black and Marty Spencer each chipped in with a double producing more RBI and runs scored. Paul Dika rounded out the offense with a single, an RBI and a run scored. Stolen bases were recorded by Paul Dika, Trevor Barton, Paul Lytwynec, and Josh Tetreau.

Next on the schedule, the Badgers play Team Ontario in back-to-back double headers May 23rd at Labatt Park and May 24th at Vaughan Sportsplex.

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May 27, 2009

FIVE BADGERS AND COACH GREENWAY NAMED TO THE PBLO ALL STAR TEAM

PBLO Jim Ridley All-Star Game

The Premier Baseball League of Ontario takes great pride in announcing the 2nd annual PBLO Jim Ridley All-Star game set for Hastings Stadium, Exhibition Park, in Guelph, Ontario on May 30, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.

This game will be played by the best 18 year old players selected from within the PBLO league teams by their coaches and peers to represent the Eastern regional team or the Western regional team. These players are the best of the best and it is an opportunity for them to display their talents in front of scouts, coaches, family and friends.

This All-Star game is dedicated to the memory of Jim Ridley, a Canadian baseball icon. Jim passed away last November and though he is no longer with us his contributions will never be forgotten within the baseball community. Jim Ridley managed the Canadian National Team at the 1988 Olympics. He spent many seasons scouting for the Toronto Blue Jays. He was responsible for finding many Canadians who eventually signed with Professional teams. But regardless of where Jim was coaching, he always spent the time with any player, talented or not, provided the player was willing to work hard and accept some coaching.

"He'd work with anyone who wanted to work at the game," said Greg Hamilton, Baseball Canada's director of national teams. "You'd see him at a park trying to help out kids and pass his knowledge on, didn't matter if it was the greatest talent in the world, or just some passionate young player."

This game is a celebration of all the hard work these players have put into their sport. As many of them will be leaving at the end of this summer to continue with their education and baseball careers, it is a chance to play with their peers and their family, friends and fans. Come out and support these players on May 30, 2009. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Hastings Stadium, admission is free.

Players selected to the Eastern All-Star team: Bryan Vardzel (P), Kris Muccilli (P), Maxx Tissenbaum (SS), Jesse Bartle (3B/2B), Quinn Cumming (OF), Mike Reeves (C), Tyler Wheeler (1B), Brodie Ross (OF), Darnell Duckett (OF), Joey Ellison (P), Nathan Smith (OF), Todd Blair (IF), Emilliano Martinello (C), Chris Romano (P), Brad Dilks (P), Brett Sabourin (P), Alex Baldock (SS), Phil Brunft (OF), Cody Dunn (P/3B), Kyle O’Brien (OF). The Eastern team is to be coached by Robert Lecours, Milt Nikkel, Mike Bignall and Don Campbell.

Players selected to the Western All-Star team: Royce Consigli (OF), David Hatt (P), Brad Czajkowski (P), Anthony Vacca (OF), Kamil Oubayan (IF), Aaron Wagner (C), Mitch Clarke (P), Joel Stubbs (IF/P), Jeff Hunt (1B/3B/P), Kevin Nickel (OF), Tayor Bratton (P), Jake Duckiewicz (SS/3B), Mile Pesa (OF), Daniel Forte (OF/P), Philip Hinton (C), Paul Lytwynec (3B), Andrew Firth (SS), Trevor Barton (CF), Travis Black (2B), Paul Dika (1B). The Western team is to be coached by Adam Montgomery, Leon Linesman, Jason Booth, and Trevor Greenway.

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Bantam Badgers Report

The Bantam Badgers were undefeated in a pair of Inter-County league games last week.

On May 19 at Aldridge Field the Bantams came from behind to tie the Waterloo Tigers 8-8, and then the next night in Kitchener they came away with a lopsided 14-3 victory.

David Panchyshyn led the offensive attack against Waterloo with three singles, while Dayton Dawe tripled and singled. Ron Stewardson, Dan Parsons, Sean Refflinghaus, Matt Smith, and Andrew Warner each contributed one hit.

Dan Parsons, David Panchyshyn and Tyler Neeb shared the pitching duties.

In Kitchener, Dayton Dawe, Nolan Anderson and Matt Smith each saw time on the mound.

Dayton Dawe homered twice and added a single as the Badgers coasted to the 14-3 win. Nolan Anderson, David Panchyshyn and Dan Parsons had two hits each while Aaron Jackson, Tyler Neeb and Sean Refflinghaus each had one hit.

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London Badgers Baseball - Midgets vs Ontario Blue Jays
by Dan Haugh, Badgers Media Liaison

May 9th and 10th

The Ontario Blue Jays and the Midget Badgers played home-and-home doubleheaders over the weekend. The Blue Jays won all four, but three of the games were close contests.

Saturday night was chilly for the doubleheader at Labatt Park, but the Blue Jays still managed to put on an impressive offensive display to take the first game by a 9-1 score. Jon Fitzsimmons was the starting pitcher for the Badgers with Josh Tetreau coming on in relief in the 5th inning. Paul Lytwynec led the Badgers making some impressive defensive plays and chipping in two singles and a stolen base. Cam Firth showed us some heads-up base running as he scored the only Badgers run on a long fly ball by Trevor Barton. Travis Black slugged out a double.

Game Two was a much closer contest. The Badgers lost 4-2 while leaving nine runners on the base paths. Andrew Firth was the starting pitcher, followed by Brent Greenway in relief. Jon Fitzsimmons had a double, while the Badgers got singles from Paul Lytwynec, Cam Firth, Baird Kelly, Ryan Zimmer and Paul Dika and Travis Black kept the Badgers threatening, but RBIs by Cam Firth and Paul Lytwynec weren’t enough as the Badgers left two runners on base in the final inning.

Game Three in Toronto slipped away after the Badgers were up 6-3. The Ontario Blue Jays came from behind to take the game 7-6. Ryan Zimmer was the starting pitcher, giving way to Paul Lytwynec. Andrew Firth had two singles and an RBI, while Cam Firth hit a double, scoring two runs, and showing some aggressive base running. Singles from Paul Lytwynec, Brady Stafford and Marty Spencer rounded out the hitting for the Badgers. Brady had a nice sacrifice bunt that scored a run, and he added a stolen base. Trevor Barton walked, stole second and scored in the first inning on a fly ball hit by Andrew Firth.

Game Four was dominated by the OBJ starting pitcher, who gave up only one hit to Trevor Barton who made first base on speed alone. Trevor stole second, but he was left on base at the end of the inning. The Blue Jays won this game 3-0. Baird Kelly had a solid outing as the starting pitcher for the Badgers.

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Bantam Update for week of May 11th 2009

Monday May 11

The Bantam Badgers started the week off on a good note by defeating Cambridge in an Intercounty league game at Aldridge Field by a score of 18-2.

Dan Parsons and Tyler Neeb combined to keep Cambridge's bats quiet throughout the five-inning mercy win.

The Badger offensive attack was led by Dayton Dawe with two singles and a double. Tyler Neeb, Dan Parsons and Dan Parsons and Ron Stewardson had two singles each. Sean Refflinghaus added a double while Aaron Jackson and Dylan McCormick each added a single.

Tuesday May 12

From blowout to nail-biter on consecutive nights. The Bantam Badgers defeated Guelph 1-0 at Aldridge Field behind a strong combined pitching effort by Dayton Dawe and Matt Smith.

The Badgers only managed four hits in the game. Mike Ambrose,Tyler Neeb, David Panchyshyn and Ron Stewardson each had singles. It was Tyler Neeb who scored the only Badger run in the fourth inning when after singling, he stole second, moved to third base on a balk and eventually scoring on a passed ball.

In the first game, the Bantam Badgers fell behind early and despite a seventh-inning rally fell to the Windsor Riverside Royals by a score of 11-9.

The Badger offense was led by Dayton Dawe with two triples and a single. Nolan Anderson had two singles, while Tyler Neeb, David Panchyshyn, Matt Smith, and Aaron Jackson each contributed singles in the losing effort.

Ron Stewardson started on the mound for the Bantam Badgers and went four innings with Nolan Anderson and David Panchyshyn finishing up.

In the second half of this exhibition doubleheader the Bantam Badgers lost to the Mississauga Majors by a score of 7-0.

The Badgers did not play well defensively for the second game in a row and only managed five hits in the loss. David Panchyshyn led the attack with two singles, while Tyler Neeb, Nolan Anderson and Aaron Jackson each added singles.

Next action for the Bantams is Tuesday May 19 when they host Waterloo at Aldridge Field.

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Minor Mosquito Badgers make debut

The London Badger Minor Mosquitos hosted the North London Major Mosquitos on Tuesday May 12 at Stronach Park in the first ever regular season game played by a Minor Mosquito Badger team.

Coach Phil Garinger was pleased with the play of his young team defensively and on the base paths despite dropping a 9-4 decision to the older North London team who won the OBA Minor Mosquito 'A' championship last season.

Tyler Hopper pitched three innings and recorded seven strikeouts while only allowing one walk. Alex Orenczuk also pitched well recording three strikeouts. Jamie Powell and Logan Muttersbach closed out the game on the mound.

The hitting star for the Minor Mosquito Badgers was Tyler D'Alessandro with three hits including a two-run double. The well-rounded offensive attack was aided by Kale Bilger, Riley Garinger, Bailey Holmes, Dallas Loiselle, David Mendham, and Jamie Powell who all had singles.

North London held a lead early, but D'Alessandro's two-run double tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth inning. David Mendham drove in a run in the sixth with an infield hit that put the Badgers ahead 4-3, but North London rallied late in the game to post the victory.

Next action for the Minor Mosquitos is May 13 when they travel to Delaware and again on Saturday May 16 when they travel to Sarnia.

Ryan Zimmer had an outstanding performance to start off the PBLO season for the Major Midgets. Pitching a complete game, Zimmer had five strikeouts with just three hits and allowing no runs. Jamie Dalton led the way offensively with two singles and one RBI.

The second game of the series was a close one. Coach Lumley got the offensive play started focusing on small ball. Along with an impressive defensive play in centre field by Trevor Barton, Baird Kelly pitched a solid four innings allowing two hits. Josh Tetreau picked up the win , pitching three innings - allowing only one hit with five strikeouts. The Royals struggled walking a total of six batters resulting in a 4-2 win for the Badgers

Trevor Barton and Brady Stafford led the way offensively in the third game. Barton went 3 for 3 while Stafford had one hit, 2 RBI and two stolen bases. Aiden Smith had a good start to the season going five innings with three strikeouts and allowing only two hits. Jon Fitzsimmons came in for the final two innings, allowing no hits while striking out two for the save.

Andrew Firth had a great fourth game of the season. He pitched five strong innings with five strikeouts, and he allowed only three hits. Brent Greenway pitching only one inning of relief had three strikeouts. Paul Lytwenec in his debut as a Badger pitcher closed with one strikeout and no runs allowed. Offensively Firth, Black and Lytwenec led the way with six hits and 4 RBI between them. Cameron Firth made a great catch in left field with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth to keep the Royals scoreless.

After not having a great game the night before at home against Kitchener, the Pee Wee Badgers could easily have hung their heads and given up after going down 4-0 on the road after the first inning to Guelph. Guelph came out swinging, hitting a single, two doubles and a triple in the first inning alone after the Badgers went down one-two-three, in the top half of the first.

After giving up four runs in the first inning, starting pitcher Josh Ramsay settled down and only gave up two more hits over the next three innings and struck out seven over his four innings pitched.

The score stayed 4-0 until the top of the fourth, when with only two hits up to that point, the Badgers got right back in the game with one swing of the bat by Zach Desa. With two out and runners on second and third, Desa took a 2-2 pitch to deep left centre field for a two-run triple. Not only did this cut the Guelph lead in half, it also seemed to get the Badgers back in the game emotionally.

The Badgers came right back in the fifth inning sending 11 men to the plate and scoring seven more runs, all with two out. After just replacing Ramsay, Chris Cochrane stepped to the plate in the fifth with two out and two on and smashed a two-run double to left field. Two batters later, Colin Deman did the very same thing with his two-run double going to centre field. The Badgers got four key hits in this inning all with two out.

Cochrane only needed five pitches in the bottom of the seventh inning to nail down the 11-6 victory for the Badgers.

Defensively, and on the mound, the Badgers were very solid this night. Offensively they woke up in the fourth and were led by Zach Desa, Garan Stevens and Colin Deman.

Overall in the game the three hitters posted the following numbers: Desa was 1-for-1 with a key two-run triple, two walks, one run and two RBIs, while Stevens went 2-for-4 with a single and a triple, three runs scored and one RBI, and Deman was 3-for-3, with a single, two doubles, a walk, two runs, and two RBI.

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London Badgers Baseball - Andrew Firth Signs With University Of British Columbia
by Dan Haugh - Badger Media Liaison

London Badger shortstop and Oakridge S.S. student, Andrew Firth took a March Break trip out west with his family to tour the campus and baseball facilities of the University of British Columbia. The result of the west coast visit is that Andrew has signed a letter of intent to attend the University of British Columbia and play baseball for the Thunderbirds for the next four years.

Andrew, who played for the Ontario Youth Team in the Canada Cup in August along with Badger teammate Trevor Barton, says he had not made up his mind about attending UBC before making the trip out west. “I would say that after the first day I was convinced it is where I want to spend the next four years of my life. The coaches went out of their way to include me and to promote their campus and baseball program. I practiced with the team for three hours my first day there. I was encouraged by the coaching staff to stay in residence, which was a great experience because it allowed me to live the life of a varsity baseball player for four days.”

UBC head baseball coach Terry McKaig said, “We thought Andrew was one of the top offensive talents in the country when we saw him in August at the Canada Cup, and he showed us right away on his recent visit to UBC that he was a player we really wanted to have here. If he fills out and develops over the next four years the way we think he will, he will turn into a special kind of player.”

The Thunderbirds baseball team competes in the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) North-West division against teams primarily from Oregon and Washington State . Because the Thunderbirds are part of the NAIA they are able to offer scholarships under the U.S. scholarship structure. UBC is currently applying for membership into the NCAA, which would make them the first team outside of the United States to be part of the NCAA. The Thunderbirds’ baseball, cross country, track and field, and golf teams compete in the NAIA while the basketball and football teams compete in the CIS.

The current Thunderbirds roster boasts 10 players from Ontario. Along with the 14 players from British Columbia, ninety percent of the roster is made up of players from B.C. and Ontario.

When asked about Andrew’s recent visit to UBC, McKaig said, “We don’t usually expect a lot from recruits like Andrew who come to work out with the team because they are often nervous, and as was the case with Andrew he had not been outdoors yet this season. He had just traveled a great distance to be here, but he immediately got our attention as he really impressed us with his offensive skill. It was at that point that we as a coaching staff knew we wanted to have Andrew be a part of our team for the next four years.”

McKaig went on to make some comments about the importance of having recruits visit the campus and what UBC has to offer. “We prefer to have the kids visit the campus and see first hand the facilities we have to offer. It is not often that we lose a recruit once they have visited the campus.”

Because of the Vancouver weather, the UBC baseball season begins in mid February which is a definite plus, along with a new multi-million dollar synthetic turf field which is part of the development of Thunderbird Park. The only actual dirt on the new field is the pitcher's mound. The rest of the field, including infield base paths and home plate area are turf. It is potentially an 'all season' facility.

Andrew had further comments about his March Break visit to B.C., “Getting to spend time with the Ontario kids was also a big plus. They were all great guys who showed me around and made me feel comfortable. It will be beneficial because they have all gone through what I will face next year since it is a long way from home.”

"The Thunderbird's motto is ‘Where your academic goals meet your baseball dreams." That captures what I was looking for, a school that would allow me to play high-level baseball and would allow me to get a high-quality education. I'm enrolled in Human Kinetics and I had the chance to attend a first-year anatomy class while I was out there. It was cool attending a class in a lecture hall and talking with kids who were still learning to work in this environment. It taught me what to expect and how to adjust from the high school environment.”

Andrew says that the decision to commit the next four years to UBC was definitely a family decision he made with his parents Tim and Brandie and brother Cam.

Andrew knows the role that the Badger program has played in his success and making all of this a reality, “The Badger program was huge in developing me to the point where I could become a player in a college program. The things I've learned from Mike Lumley and the Badger coaches, combined with off-season work at Centrefield Sports and my experiences with the Ontario Youth Team, are what made this all a reality. A lot of the credit goes to the Badger program, since they have worked with me and helped me develop for five years now.”

While neither Andrew Firth nor the UBC coaching staff were sure what would happen before March Break, there was no doubt almost immediately in anyone’s mind that the next four years will be a very exciting time in the life of Andrew Firth and that the Thunderbirds have a top quality player to help them achieve success.

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"Hit With The Badgers" update....

The London Badgers have introduced a program called, 'Hit with the Badgers.' The idea behind this new program is to promote baseball at the grassroots level in London and the surrounding area.

If this past Sunday was any indication, the new program will be a huge success. The free hitting clinic allows house league and competitive players aged 8-12 the opportunity to actually 'HIT' with the Badgers. Despite a windy and chilly morning, close to 10 young baseball players and their parents took part in a one-hour hitting clinic with the Minor Midget Badgers prior to their PBLO doubleheader with the Ontario Blue Jays Under-16 team at Aldridge Field.

Garry Robbins was at the clinic with his son Adam who plays for the EBBA Mosquito Tecumsehs and had this to say, "It can only be a positive learning experience when our 10 and 11 year old boys attend a Badgers Baseball Clinic. It was a good time." Adam had some very interesting comments as well, "It was really a lot of fun, and I want to do it again. I like playing with the big guys. One of the players taught me how to bend my knees and position my arms so I can hit the ball better."

You wouldn't have known it was as chilly as it was by watching the young players go through warm-ups and hitting drills and then play a scrimmage against the Minor Midget Badgers. Another EBBA Mosquito player, Daniel Jaffe had some comments about the clinic and the scrimmage in particular, "It was great to play with older boys who are incredible players and who love baseball as much as I do. I don't know how they beat us in the scrimmage when they were hitting from the wrong side and running backwards."

Daniel's father Peter Jaffe explained what this kind of experience means to the young ball players, "The boys all want to be Badgers one day, so it is a good motivator to see how much they have to keep learning every day. It is like climbing to the top of one mountain and then seeing four more towering peaks ahead."

The free hitting clinics which are open to all London area baseball players aged 8-12, will continue for the next few weeks.

Anyone interested in taking part in this great opportunity can get more information by clicking on the 'GRASSROOTS' tab on the Badger website, www.londonbadgers.on.ca and then clicking on 'HIT WITH THE BADGERS.'

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Midget Badgers Play Solid Ball in Nail-Biter in Cambridge!

The Midget Badgers faced one of the premier teams in Ontario, losing a close one in extra innings. Final score was 3-2 for the Cambridge Terriers following their gritty come-from-behind effort in the bottom of the ninth.

Ryan Zimmer, Baird Kelly and Brent Greenway combined for a solid pitching performance, striking out at least eight Terriers. Ryan also caught two Terriers stretching their leads off first base. Both Cambridge players were tagged out in rundowns. The Firth brothers were two-for-two in putting out Terriers attempting to steal second.

At the plate, Trevor Barton had an RBI, as did Cam Firth. A combination of solid hits and timely bunting generated several Badger base runners, but solid defence by the Terriers prevented all but two Badgers from crossing the plate.

The next action for the Midget Badgers will be Saturday May 9, when they host the Ontario Blue Jays in a double-header at Labatt Park. Time for the first game is 6 p.m.

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London Badgers Baseball - 2009 Spring Trip Update
by Dan Haugh - Badger Media Liaison

While the weather outside was still a little brisk for baseball here in southwestern Ontario it wasn’t enough to stop the London Badger baseball program from kicking off the 2009 season in fine style during March Break.

The Minor Midget Badgers and a team made up of Major Midget and UWO players traveled to North Carolina and Cocoa Beach, Florida during March break to enjoy the beautiful weather playing the game they love.

The Minor Midget team posted a record of nine wins and one loss, which included two wins over the Ontario Blue Jays Jr. Varsity team and a single win over Team Ontario. They also defeated the Ontario Nationals by a score of 21-6. The Minor Midgets’ only loss came on the final morning of their Florida visit when they dropped a close one to Riverland Community College of Minnesota by a score of 4-3.

The combined Major Midget and UWO squad posted a record of seven wins and three losses. They won two of the three games they played against the Ontario Blue Jays.

The PBLO season kicks off for both midget teams in a couple of weeks. The major midgets play in Tecumseh April 18th against the Thunder, while the minor midgets start their season on April 25th when they host the Windsor Selects at Citywide Park at 1:00 p.m.

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London Badgers 2008 Review

December 22, 2008

The 2008 season was full of highlights for the London Badger Baseball program. The Badger program continued to enhance their reputation throughout the province and all across the country in 2008 as one of the top youth baseball programs.

Two former Badgers, Adam Stern and Chris Robinson participated in the Beijing Olympics as members of the Canadian Olympic baseball team and will both be representing Canada in the upcoming World Baseball Classic in the spring of 2009. Add to that, two current members of the Badger midget team, Trevor Barton and Andrew Firth being strong contributors to Ontario's victory at the Canada Cup in Medicine Hat Alberta. As a result of that tournament, Trevor Barton was named to the National Junior team.

Former London Badger, Brad McElroy was named Atlantic-10 first-team All Star and led his North Carolina-Charlotte 49ers team to the Atlantic-10 Championship. Then in June McElroy was chosen by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 25th round of the Major League draft. Brad played this summer with the Blue Jays entry in the Florida Rookie League.

Badger technical director Mike Lumley traveled to Edmonton in July to serve as pitching coach of the Canadian National Junior team that played in the World Junior Baseball Championships.

At home the Badgers fielded five teams that played in the Inter County Baseball Association, the LDBA and the PBLO.

The Peewee Badgers finished fourth in the Inter County Peewee Division. The Minor Bantam Badgers won the Inter County Minor Bantam division pennant and also captured the championship of the Bowling Green Black Swamp Tournament. A highlight of the Minor Bantam season was a no-hitter pitched by Dan Parsons in the Annual Badger tournament against the Waterloo Tigers.

The Bantam Badgers had a very successful season. They competed in the Inter County Bantam division where they finished a close second to Hamilton in the league standings and then gained some revenge by defeating Hamilton in the final of the ICBA playoff championship. The Bantams also posted a respectable 3-2 record in the Ontario Summer Games.

The Minor Midgets won the Inter County playoff championship and were champions of the Mississauga North tournament in July. Baird Kelly and Ben Dantzer led the team during the season in pitching victories, while Paul Grasby posted a batting average of .319 to lead all hitters.

The Major Midget Badgers posted a 52 win season finishing first in league play with an undefeated 19-0 record. They were champions of the Striker Cup-Kalamazoo Tournament in July. If their schedule wasn't busy enough several of the Midget Badgers were called up to the Junior InterCounty St. Thomas Tomcats on many occasions and played big roles in the Tomcats playoff championship win.

Mike Neal led the pitchers with 14 wins, followed by Jon Fitzsimmons with nine. Jon, who pitched a no-hitter against the Niagara Rebels this season, recently signed a letter of intent with Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y. next fall. Andrew Firth led all midget hitters with a .361 average while Derrick Strzalkowski led in home runs with six and Barton had a team-high 40 stolen bases. Infielder Stefan Martin had a perfect season with a fielding percentage of 1.000 in 120 chances. Stefan is now attending St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia and played on the X-Men baseball team this Fall.

Besides McElroy, Stern and Robinson, other former Badger players participated in professional baseball at various levels. Former Badger Jamie Romak moved within the Pittsburgh Pirates organization from Class A Lynchburg where he was named Carolina League Player of The Week in the first week of June to the Class AA Altoona Curve where he finished the season before playing in the Arizona Fall League.

Other former Badgers to play professional baseball this past season were Adam Arnold and Brock Kjeldgaard who played for the Helena Brewers in the Rookie Pioneer league, while Mike Damchuk spent the season with the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League.

The future of the London Badger program looks bright as the awareness of the program grows and more and more players move on to U.S. colleges to continue their education and baseball careers.

Mackenzie Harrison, Derrick Strzalkowski, Mike Neal, Devin Ensing, and David Wydeven are current Badgers who are now attending U.S. colleges on scholarships.

There may be snow on the ground, but one thing is for sure, the London Badgers are already working hard to duplicate and improve on their successes in 2009.

This article also appeared in the December issue of SportsXpress, now available at city-owned arenas in London.

The London Badger Awards Banquet once again was a huge success despite some very nasty weather that threatened to postpone the annual event.

A good crowd battled icy roads on December 19, roads that turned nasty as the result of heavy snowfall over the previous 24 hours, and those brave souls were rewarded by a very entertaining evening which was highlighted by guest speaker, Adam Stern who spoke about his experiences at the recent Summer Olympics in Beijing as well as sharing stories about his journey through U.S. college baseball and the minor professional leagues.

It was a journey that began in the London Badger program and eventually led to Adam being a two-time Olympian and being on the major league rosters of both the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles. Since the banquet in December, Adam has been named to Canada's entry in this spring's World Baseball Classic. A date to mark on your calendar for that event is March 7 th when Canada and the United States meet at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

The annual awards banquet showcases the top hitters, pitchers and defensive players from each of the Badger teams. In addition to those categories, an elite group which is referred to as "The Club of Thieves" is recognized each year. These young men have the distinction of stealing in excess of 20 bases throughout the season. Speed and keen base running knowledge is what this group shares.

Named to the 2008 Club of Thieves were, Stephan Martin, Trevor Barton, Will Brooks, Ryan Zimmer, Mitch Lumley, Cole Stewardson, Byron Reinstein, Wyatt Coghill, Nolan Anderson, Matt Hexter, Connor Waite, Brenden Declark, Preston Carr, Kyle Zimmer, Darrin Mann, and Andrew Warner.

The top hitters from each team were, Pee Wee - Preston Carr, Minor Bantam - Nolan Anderson, Bantam - Cole Stewardson, Minor Midget - Paul Grasby, and Midget - Andrew Firth.

The top defensive players from each team were, Pee Wee - Andrew Warner, Minor Bantam - Connor Waite, Bantam - Josh Peckham and Will Brooks, Minor Midget - Josh Tetreau and Cam Firth, and Midget - Andrew Firth.

The top pitchers from each team were, Pee Wee - Kyle Zimmer, Minor Bantam - Matt Smith, Bantam - Cole Stewardson and Taylor Carr, Minor Midget - Ryan Zimmer, and Midget - Michael Neal.

As well as entertaining everyone with tales of his Olympic and professional baseball experiences and passing on valuable advice to the young Badger players, Adam Stern was honoured himself at the banquet.

Adam's Badger Jersey #21 was retired in a special ceremony with Badger Technical Director Mike Lumley during the banquet. It was a special moment for Adam as the London Badger baseball program was the stepping stone to a career that to this point has been very successful, but we are all hoping and wishing the best to Adam as he continues to pursue his baseball dream.

In years to come, some of the current Badgers who were honoured at this year's banquet will also look back after successful college or professional careers or just successful careers in whatever endeavours they choose, and they will be able to point to valuable lessons they learned as members of one of the most successful and highly recognized youth baseball programs in Canada.

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London Badgers Minor Bantam Capture Black Swamp Title
Monday, June 30, 2008

The Minor Bantam Badgers travelled to Bowling Green, Ohio, Wednesday, June 25, 2008 to participate in the 3-day Black Swamp Classic tournament. They completed the tournament with a 4-1 record, and were crowned tournament champions.

In the first game of the playoffs, Mitch Lumley pitched; Stewardson hit a 2 run double; and, Carr brought Stewardson in with a sac. fly to give the Badgers a 3-1 lead in the first inning. In the fourth inning, Lumley and Hexter combined to pick off a runner at 2nd base; and, a 2 run single by Carr coupled with RBIs by Garrett Kerr, Hexter, Reichstein, and Peckham gave the Badgers a big lead. Carr added a 2 run single in the fifth to trigger the mercy rule and end the game early.

Between assorted rain delays over the next 2 days, the Badgers went on to defeat Guelph, and also take 2 of 3 games from Hamilton to win the Inter-County Championship. Most of the members of this year's team were also on Coach Lumley's Badger Peewee team that won the Inter-County Championship in 2006, making it their 2nd Inter-County Championship in three years.

Q. What is the highlight of your baseball career to this point and how would this experience compare with Team Canada?

A. I had the opportunity to grow up playing some great ball through the London Badgers program and the Junior National team program. I have had some great memories, such as winning a Triple Crown with the Badgers in 2001 and then competing in the World Junior Championships with the National Junior team in 2002. Another highlight of my career was winning a Big Ten title in my junior year at the University of Illinois. One memory I will have from this tournament actually occurred in the game against South Africa. It was a 10-0 victory, but one of the most enjoyable games I have ever had the opportunity to catch. Brett Gray from Wyoming, Ontario, who has been a long-time member of Team Canada and former member of the London Werewolves started the game. With everything he had left in his arm and his career, Brett threw four much needed scoreless innings. As he walked off the field, we knew it was probably the last time he would ever pitch in a game. It was an honor to catch Brett that day. I knew he had nothing left, but with an arm that hurt every time he threw, it was the most gutsy performance I have ever been a part of. Brett is trying to get his arm in shape to be part of the team that goes to Beijing, but if he doesn't, what a way to go out.

Q. Team Canada had a record of 6-1 in the Olympic qualifier. How would you describe the calibre of baseball and to what level that you are used to would it compare to?

A. The calibre obviously varied with each team we played. There were six teams that were strong and two that were weaker. Against teams like Australia, Mexico, Taipei, and Korea the competition was comparable to what we are used to playing in minor league baseball at the AA and AAA level. On paper, Taiwan might not have been as advanced as the rest of us, but, with 40,000 people at each game, they had a little bit of a home field advantage.

Q. The tournament ran from March 7-14. How much time did you have in Taiwan before the start of the tournament and did you have much time to sightsee?

A. As a team we went to Australia for a five game exhibition series before heading to Taiwan. We arrived in Taiwan three days before our first game. We had some time to look around the city, but we kept most of the sight seeing for our off day during the week. A lot of us were over there for the World Cup in November, so we had seen a lot of the sights. On this trip, we were there for only one thing and that was to qualify for the Olympics.

Q. How difficult was it to adjust to the time change, the travel and the culture?

A. We were lucky to get over to Australia before to get in a similar time zone as the one we would be playing in. Traveling that far is going to have some kind of affect on you whether you think so or not. It is tougher going back, but we were sluggish for the first couple of days. The culture is much different, but, as I had mentioned earlier, a lot of the team was over there in November, so we had a pretty good handle on what to expect.

Q. Even though you are thousands of miles away from home, does it just feel like any other baseball game/tournament or is it different and does it feel uncomfortable in any way?

A. Well, this tournament was different than any tournament that I have ever played in because of what was on the line. With the Beijing Olympics being the final chance for baseball, our program was on the line. This was something that was in all of our minds, and we played knowing this was our last chance to get to the Olympics. In terms of the game itself, we tried to take it like we would any other game we play. We went about our business in a way that we would if we were playing in mid June back at home. There was just a lot riding on each one of the games, but we couldn't let anything distract us from what our goals were.

Q. Describe any changes you or the team would have made in your training, pre-game rituals etc. due to being in an unfamiliar country.

A. I think getting over to Australia before the tournament was huge. Not only to get into the time zone, but to also get some much needed at bats and games that we needed going into the tournament. It was such a tough time of year to have a tournament with this much riding on it, because all of us hadn't played ball for a while. We were forced to get into mid-season form in a hurry.

A. Well, that really can't be described. For those that make the final roster, it will be an honour that very few people get the opportunity to experience. Getting the opportunity to represent your country is something you can never take for granted and given the opportunity to represent your country at the spectacle of all of sports would be difficult to beat in terms of my career.

Q. What is the highlight of your baseball career to this point and how would this experience with Team Canada compare to it, if it is in fact something other than this.

A. I had the opportunity to grow up playing some great ball through the London Badgers program and the Junior National team program. I have had some great memories, such as winning a Triple Crown with the Badgers in 2001 and then competing in the World Junior Championships with the National Junior team in 2002. Another highlight of my career was winning a Big Ten title in my junior year at the University of Illinois. One memory I will have from this tournament actually occurred in the game against South Africa. It was a 10-0 victory, but one of the most enjoyable games I have ever had the opportunity to catch. Brett Gray from Wyoming, Ontario, who has been a long time member of Team Canada and former member of the London Werewolves started the game. With everything he had left in his arm and his career, Brett threw four much needed scoreless innings. As he walked off the field, we knew it was probably the last time he would ever pitch in a game. It was an honor to catch Brett that day. I knew he had nothing left, but with an arm that hurt every time he threw, it was the most gutsy performance I have ever been a part of. Brett is trying to get his arm in shape to be part of the team that goes to Beijing, but if he doesn't, what a way to go out.

The best feeling I have ever had in baseball though, was the feeling we had when we beat Taiwan and then two days later beat Korea. Standing in a locker room filled with grown men screaming the Canadian National Anthem with tears in our eyes, is a memory I will never forget and it ranks as one of the greatest moments of my life.

Q. Could you talk briefly about what you liked most about the trip to Taiwan and of course what you may have liked least?

A. The best thing about the trip was the relationships that we developed. Going into the tournament most of us had at some point played together, and if not together we had played against each other.

This tournament took guys from different parts of the country, at different points of their careers and brought us together so much that by the end of the three weeks we felt like brothers. We went through so much adversity throughout the tournament that if we hadn't have come together the way we did we may not have qualified. I have some great friends on this team. Friends like Adam Stern from London who I have known for a while and then other friends that I got close to on the trip like London native Brett Gray and 24 other teammates that I would do anything for.

Q. Where are you playing currently and what does your schedule look like between now and August?

A. I am in Knoxville playing in AA for the Chicago Cubs affiliate, the Tennessee Smokies. My schedule is the same as every other minor league baseball player with about 110 games before August with only about six off days.

Q. What was the highlight of the qualifying tournament for you? Both on and off the field?

A. The highlight of the tournament for me was the night we beat Taiwan. We went in knowing the game was a must win. In front of 40,000 screaming Taiwanese fans we came back from a late one run deficit that had us down to our last strike in the ninth inning and we ended up winning in extra innings.

It was a crazy game with lead changes, a brawl and a 30 minute delay as we were getting water bottles and beer bottles thrown at us. The whole experience that night was indescribable, and it will be a story that most of us will tell for the rest of our lives.

Q. Could you please talk briefly about the coaches on Team Canada and your teammates?

A. I can't say enough about Greg Hamilton, National Team Director. Greg is a very good friend and a person for whom I have a tremendous amount of respect. He continues to bring guys together who compliment each other so well. He has a way of choosing 25 guys that all buy into the same program. He also does a great job of picking a coaching staff, (Terry Puhl, Denis Boucher and Rob Ducey). They were an enourmous part of our success in the tourney. Without Greg, baseball in Canada wouldn't be the same.

It's hard to explain the bond you develop with your teammates when playing for Team Canada. There are no rookies, no veterans, there are no dues to pay. Everyone is an equal and is there for the same reason. The older guys make sure the younger guys are comfortable. Within a day or two of the team coming together, it felt like we had been playing together for years. We are known to have a lot of fun away from the field, but show up on the field when it counts. Some of the best memories in my baseball career have been with these guys! This team has so much heart and desire that we are never overmatched. At times we may be the less-skilled team, but we are always a threat as we have shown in the past beating the United States in the World Baseball Classic and again in March by beating powerhouse baseball countries like Mexico, Taiwan and Korea.

Q. I have traveled enough to know that there are often horror stories when it comes to planes, luggage and hotels. Were there any interesting stories during this trip to Taiwan?

A. The only major problem was for the six of us who flew from Toronto to San Francisco the first day of our trip. The flight was delayed due to a malfunctioning bathroom on one of our flights, so the six of us missed the flight from San Francisco to Australia with the rest of the team. The six of us from Ontario had to stay in San Francisco for 25 hours. It ended up being a great time though. We got to know each other a little bit better and we had a lot of fun in San Francisco.