By Jason Portras
Revelstoke Minor Ball kicked off their season this past Monday, April 25, down at the Doug May Field. Opening Day was very well attended, as the association has seen a 25% increase in registrants over last year. It appears that baseball has a very good, healthy future in Revelstoke once again.
After welcoming everyone to the event and thanking them for their support, President Mandy McQuarrie pointed out a few notable items the Minor Ball Association is very proud of and excited about. Most particularly, this is the first time in over a decade that the batting cages have been up and running. The association has also garnered huge support from such local businesses as Tim Hortons for supplying all the players with hats, BC Hydro for pitching machines to be used for years to come, Integrated Apparel for new hats and jerseys for the Mosquito Division, and Signs Ink for donating updated division names and dates for the sign board.
Following Mandy’s speech, local singer Aza Dechaumps sang a beautiful rendition of O Canada. Mayor Mark McKee then took centre stage to throw out the ceremonial First Pitch. Just before winding up to throw, Mark commented, “I hope this goes better than last year.” I’m not sure what happened last year, but this year’s toss was right on the mark (pun intended) to a rousing cheer from the crowd.
Mandy would also like Revelstoke to know that Minor Ball is once again hosting their annual raffle ticket fundraiser. Tickets are $2 each. (Please click here to view the list of fantastic sponsors and prizes.) The league will be travelling out of town for games in their Tadpole and Mosquito Divisions, as well as participating in a few tournaments this year. The fundraiser will go a long way to continue to support such ventures.
You can follow the Revelstoke Minor Ball Facebook Group to stay up to date on when local games will be taking place against teams travelling here from Salmon Arm and Sorrento. Revelstoke’s Little Leaguers will need your support so please come out and cheer on their next game!
Lastly, Minor Ball is seeking umpires for upcoming games. Umping is a paid position. If you are interested, please contact Mandy McQuarrie for further details at mrmcquarrie@telus.net.
Here are some additional photos from the day:
