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West
Shore
Triangle
Peninsula
Lower Vancouver Island
Layritz
Lambrick Park
Gordon Head
Esquimalt
Carnarvon-Allenby
2009 GVMBA News Archive
Click Here for 2008 News Archive
2009 News
Bantam AAA Vipers Tryout Update -
Fitness Assessment Date Set Plus Additional Tryout
Date Added
The Fitness Assessment for Vipers (players born
in 1995) has been set for Thursday October 1st 4:45p – 6:30 pm at
Lambrick Park. Also please note that any players NOT able to attend two of
the three scheduled Saturday assessment dates (see below) MAY attend the
Thursday October 1st session provided an email notice is sent by September 29th
to Ron Arcuri at ronarcuri@shaw.ca .
For Saturday Assessments players should arrive 30 minutes prior to start time
for an organized group warm up.
Preliminary Bantam AAA Bear and Viper Assessments
Start This Weekend
The preliminary tryouts for the Bantam AAA Vipers
and the Bantam AAA Bears baseball have been set and are noted below. The
Vipers are a greater Victoria all star team comprised of players who are 14
years of age as of December 31, 2009 (born in 1995). The All Star Bears are 13
years old as of December 31, 2009 (born in 1996). These tryouts are to select
the group that will continue to indoor training in January 2010. Prospects for
the 2009 Vipers and Bears need to attend one of two Fitness Assessments (dates
for fitness assessment to be announced and posted after the first Skills
Session) and two of three Skills and Scrimmage Assessments of the
preliminary tryouts scheduled for their age group:
Bears (1996 birth year)
Skills and scrimmage: Sunday, Sept 20 (3:00pm); Sunday, Sept 27
(9:00am); Sunday, Oct 4 (3:00pm). Must attend two.
Fitness Testing Date & Time to be announced and posted after first Skills and
Scrimmage Session.
Vipers (1995 Birth Year)
Skills and scrimmage: Saturday, Sept 19 (12:00pm); Saturday,
Sept 26 (12:00pm); Saturday, Oct 3 (12:00pm). Must attend
two. Fitness Testing Date & Time to be announced and posted after
first Skills and Scrimmage Session.
All tryouts for both teams will be held at Layritz Park. There is a $20 tryout fee per player that is payable at the first session that the player attends.
High Performance Division Updates
Bantam AAA: Coaching Application deadline for Bears and Vipers
Extended to October 15th, 2009
Premier and Jr. Premier: Fall Classic and Workout rosters as
well as updated workout schedule for this Saturday
announced.
SEE HPD PAGE FOR
DETAILS!
Fall Ball Schedule Now Posted
The 2009 Fall Ball Schedule is now complete and can be found
HERE
IMPORTANT! GVBA BC
Premier and Jr. Premier Teams "Identification Camp" Schedule Change
Remaining tryout dates for the GVBA Premier and Jr. Premier teams include:
THURSDAY September 10, 2009 at 6:00 PM at LAMBRICK PARK and
Saturday September 12th at 12:00 NOON at LAMBRICK PARK. To submit your registration information
if you have not yet done so,
CLICK HERE!
BANTAM AAA MANAGERS AND COACHES NEEDED FOR
2010
GVBA is seeking coaches for our High
Performance Bantam AAA Division (ages 13-14). We are seeking an
experienced Manager for the developmental Bears and we would
like to add Bench Coach(s) to both our Vipers and Bears
teams. GVBA is looking for special leaders who
will help impressionable, young athletes grow their love of the great
game of baseball. We want coaches who create a demanding yet supportive
team atmosphere that allows for individual growth and athlete
development; we want coaches who will treat players with dignity and
respect. GVBA wants to sign-up coaches who are very good at teaching
teamwork, building character, and strengthening fundamental skills of
keen and committed ball players.
PLEASE
VISIT THE GVBA HIGH PERFORMANCE DIVISION PAGE for more details. If you are interested in
becoming a coach of a bantam-age team in GVBA’s High Performance
Division, please send a letter and resume to
amsomers@shaw.ca.
The deadline for applications is September 15, 2009. We look forward to hearing from
you.
A MESSAGE FROM TED HOTZAK, PRESIDENT, BCPBL
"The board of directors of the Premier Baseball
Association is pleased to announce that approval has been given for a
second premier team in Victoria. The addition of a second premier team
will give all players the opportunity to play baseball at the highest
level in the province in a league that has become known as “the best high
school league in Canada." All parents and players who want to
participate on a high performance baseball team within the Premier
Baseball League (PBL), should be aware that there are two teams in
Victoria and that they may try out for either team - the Mariners or the
new GVBA team. New players to the PBL (regardless of age), are encouraged
to review what both programs have to offer and try out for the team that
they feel offers what they would like in a High Performance Program. The
board is confident that both programs will offer quality instruction and
provide a positive playing experience for all players. The development of
players and the promotion of baseball will be the focus of both programs.
Players who were on the 2009 Mariners Junior and Senior rosters, are
grandfathered to the Mariners. For information about the two teams please
visit the team websites: Victoria GVBA -
www.victoriabaseball.com;
Victoria Mariners -
www.victoriamariners.com"
IMPORTANT - GVBA
HPD Program INFORMATION NIGHT AND PARENT MEETING
Parents and players interested in learning more
about the new GVBA midget-aged Premier and Jr. Premier teams should attend
the upcoming information night scheduled for Thursday September
3, 2009 at 7:00PM in the Red Barn at Lambrick Park. Additional
details and announcements about the program are also available on the
GVBA
HPD page.
IMPORTANT! - "Identification Camps" Now Set for
the New GVBA BC Premier and Jr.Premier Teams
All players interested in trying-out for GVBA's new midget-aged
Premier and Junior Premier teams should come to the first set
of identification camps and assessments. Please attend and "show us what
you have" if were born in 1992, 1993 or 1994 and want to play for the
new teams in town. Tryout dates, times and locations include:
Saturday September 5th at, 12:00 NOON at LAMBRICK PARK, Sunday September
6th at 12 NOON at LAYRITZ PARK (New Diamond) and Saturday September 12th
at 12:00 NOON at LAMBRICK PARK. Additional details and
announcements about the Premier and Jr. Premier teams are also available
on the
GVBA HPD page. Please
CLICK HERE! to register for the camps!
Coaching Staff Announced for GVBA Premier Teams
GVBA is very pleased to announce that we have secured two top-notch
coaching staffs for our Premier and Junior Premier teams, an important
part of our High Performance Program. The Junior Premier Team
will be Managed by
Gautam Srivastava, with the assistance of Head Coach Jordan
Will, Coach Steve Bailey, and Coach Duane Bertrand.
The Premier Team will be Managed by
Bob Mabee, with the assistance of
Head Coach Marc Zdunich, Coach Ken Lamberton, and Coach
Martin Winstanley.
READ MORE...
More Premier Baseball for Victoria Players -
GVBA Awarded BCPBL Teams!
On August 27, 2009 President Ted Hotzak of the BC Premier Baseball
League (BCPBL) announced that the Greater Victoria Baseball Association
(GVBA) has been awarded a BC Premier and a BC Junior Premier
franchise in time for the 2009/2010 season. The vote of the BCPBL Board
in favour of GVBA's franchise application was unanimous. With GVBA
receiving its franchise, Victoria now has two BCPBL franchises. This is
a very important decision for players and parents in Victoria, as there
will now be a choice of two different BC Premier programs for this
coming season --- for players born in 1992, 1993 and 1994. The mission
of the GVBA's High Performance Program is to develop and sustain a high
quality program that enables young athletes to enjoy the great game of
baseball and to develop the skills and confidence to pursue their
aspirations. We are looking forward to having your player and their
family join our program for a great year of baseball in 2009/2010.
READ MORE...
Fall Ball
Registration Is Now Underway!
If you are interested in playing Fall baseball, registration is now
underway at your local parks for Mosquito to Midget age players. Check
with your local park for details on what age groups are offered. Season
begins September 2nd!
Bantam AAA Players
Earn Gold and Silver Medals at Bantam AAA Westerns
In
the Bantam AAA Westerns, the host team Tri City Indians (featuring the
AAA Vipers Ryan Rufh and the AAA Bears Vinnie Martin)
upset Team BC (featuring the AAA Vipers Matt Bryan and Jesse Long)
9-6 before a packed house at Bird Park in Port Coquitlam on Sunday,
August 23. Team BC went in to the championship final as the odds on
favourite, having beaten Tri City 9-1 in the first game of round robin
play and having several pitchers available. However Tri City would not
go down easily. They jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning off of
a couple hits and some costly Team BC errors. The host squad continued
to get timely hits to score runs throughout the middle innings. They
held a 9-2 lead going into the bottom of the 7th, when BC put a rally
together and scored 4 runs to make it 9-6. BC threatened with 2 base
runners on but a deep fly ball was caught in centerfield to end the
game. Congratulations to all Victoria players (see photo) who played
extremely well for their respective teams all tournament long.
GVBA Pee Wee and
Bantam Players Selected for BC Provincial Teams
Following completion of the Pee Wee AAA and Bantam AAA Provincial
Championships on the August 6th-9th weekend, a number of Victoria
players have been selected to fill in the Rosters for the Respective
Team BCs going on to Regionals and Westerns. At Pee Wee AAA,
Wildcat players Kieran Russell and Kurtis Horne
were called up to play with the Vancouver Yankees (Team BC 1) at the
upcoming Pee Wee AAA Western Canadian Regional championship in Red Deer,
Alberta, while Mustang players Colton Wood and Brandon Ashford
were called to play for Cloverdale (Team BC 2).
In Bantam AAA, the Provincial Bantam AAA
silver medalist Rutland Rockies have called up Victoria Viper
players Matt Bryan and Jesse Long to play for them in the
upcoming Western Canadian Bantam AAA Championships to be held August
20-23 in Port Coquitlam, BC. and
Western Host Tri City has picked up the AAA Vipers Ryan Rufh
and the AAA Bears Vinnie Martin.
Bryan and Long, along with Vipers
players Thomas Koop and Eric Phillips, were also selected to play
for Team BC at the Pacific Northwest Championships (PNC's) August 14-16
in Portland, Oregon. Bryan and Long have also been
selected to play for Team BC at the Arizona Fall Classic Oct
22-26 in Peoria, Arizona.
Pee Wee AAA Wildcats
and Mustangs and Bantam AAA Vipers Ready to Battle it Out at Provincials
Three GVBA teams remain in the hunt for Provincial Gold medals this
season as both the Pee Wee AAA and Bantam AAA Provincials take place
over the August 6th - 9th weekend. In Pee Wee AAA, Victoria will
be represented in Coquitlam by both AAA teams, the Wildcats and
the Mustangs. The Wildcats, 4th place finishers in league
play, will take on Richmond, Ladner, Vancouver and Ridge Meadows in
round robin action, while the Mustangs, 8th place finishers in league
play, will face Coquitlam, Cloverdale, Chilliwack and Abbotsford. In
Bantam AAA action in Rutland, the Vipers, 2nd place finishers in
league play, will face off against Ridge Meadows, North Delta,
Cloverdale and host Rutland in their round robin action.
Bantam AA Stingers
Grab Provincial GOLD!
Congratulations are extended to the Bantam AA Stingers who went a
perfect 6-0 and claimed the 2009 Bantam AA Provincial Championship on
the August long weekend. The Stingers cruised through their first
three round robin games with big wins over Vancouver (11-3), Aldergrove
(12-1) and Burnaby (22-3) and then won a tight one against Abbotsford
(5-3). The Stingers then met Cloverdale in the semis and pulled out a
tense 3-2 win and moved into the finals against Prince George, where
they emerged with a 11-9 win to grab the Gold. The Stingers will
now become Team BC and head to the Western Canadian Bantam AA
Championships that will be held in Newton on the August 13-16 weekend.
CALL FOR COACHES - High Performance
Division
GVBA wants to hear from you if you want to be a coach in our Midget-age high
performance program. Send us an application through e-mail and let us
know why you should be at the top-of-the-list for a Premier, Junior
Premier or Midget AAA team. GVBA is looking for special leaders who
will help impressionable, young athletes grow their love of the great
game of baseball. We want coaches who create a demanding yet supportive
team atmosphere that allows for individual growth and athlete
development; we want coaches who will treat players with dignity and
respect. GVBA wants to sign-up coaches who are very good at teaching
teamwork, building character, and strengthening fundamental skills of
keen and committed ball players.
PLEASE
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED LIST OF QUALIFICATIONS
DESIRED and more details. If you are interested in
becoming a coach of a midget-age team in GVBA’s High Performance
Division, please send a letter and resume to
jmpaul@shaw.ca. We look forward to hearing from
you.
GVBA Teams Succeed at Island Championships and
in League Play - Secure Berths in Provincials
A busy weekend of baseball July 24-26 saw a number of
GVBA teams secure berths in Provincial Tournaments. At the Mosquito
level, the Mosquito A Rebels marched into Nanaimo and went 3-0 to
win the Island Championship and advance to Provincials in Rutland.
The Mosquito AAA Tier 1 Venom were also Island Champions, going
4-0 and will play in the Provincials in Ridge Meadows. The Pee
Wee A Raiders took second place in the Zones and will advance to
Provincials in Kelowna. The Pee Wee AAA Wildcats, with
weekend league wins over Ridge Meadows, Chilliwack and Richmond, finish
league play at 6-4 and clinched a berth in the Pee Wee AAA Provincials
in Coquitlam. In Bantam, the AAA Vipers sit in second place in
league standings with a 25-9 record and will advance to Provincials in
Rutland August 6-10. The AA Stingers went 4-0 in their
zones to win the Island Championship and advance to Provincials in
Aldergrove, while word out of Port Alberni is that the Bantam A Bulls
also advanced from Zones to the Bantam A Provincials in Ridge Meadows.
GVBA Announces Formation of High Performance
MIDGET Division
The Greater Victoria Baseball Association (GVBA) decided
at its July 15, 2009 Board Meeting to initiate, direct and manage a high
performance program for midget-age players. GVBA will now be expanding
its program beyond Bantam AAA (Bears and Vipers) in order to enable
players to move smoothly into the higher age bracket. Effective for the
2009/2010 season, GVBA will be providing a new Midget AAA/Premier option
for parents and players to consider. GVBA intends to offer Midget AAA
and/or a Junior Premier…and a Premier team. A High Performance Division
(HPD) - comprised of current GVBA board members and other respected
members of the baseball community - will provide overall coordination
for GVBA Midget-age high performance teams. Among other key functions,
the HPD will be responsible for selecting and supervising the head
coaches for the teams. It will also coordinate GVBA's other high
performance teams in the Mosquito, Pee Wee and Bantam divisions. The
High Performance Division will report directly to the Board of GVBA. Over
the coming weeks, GVBA will be recruiting head coaches for its
midget-age high performance teams. All top-notch coaches are
encouraged to express their interest. Details will be posted soon
here. Questions or queries about GVBA's midget-age high performance
program should be directed to Joe Stephenson, Vice President, GVBA
through:
jstephenson@shaw.ca
2009 Pee Wee Wildcats Off to Fast Start - Grab
2009 BLE Can Am Classic Championship
The Victoria Wildcats defeated the Coquitlam A’s 11-2 on Sunday July 5th
in Oliver, B.C. to capture the BLE Can Am Classic 12-13 division. The
Cat’s knocked off Campbell River 9-1 in their first BC Minor league game
and tournament opener, beat Coquitlam 20-6 in their round robin match
up, and then overpowered both Prince George 16-4 and Kelowna
Westbank 12-2 to wrap up round robin play
with a perfect 4-0 record. With the #1 seed going into the championship
final led by some very hot bats, the Wildcats’ jumped out to a 7-0 lead
after the first and never looked back. The Team also recently defeated
their Victoria rival Mustangs 4-0 and Coquitlam 8-5 in league play and
sport an early season overall record of 10-2.
Victoria Stingers Go Undefeated to Claim Boulanger Tournament Bantam AA
Title
The Victoria Stingers Bantam AA All-Star team defeated the Ridge Meadows
16-4 on Sunday July 5th in Cloverdale, B.C. to capture the Bantam AA
Boulanger Tournament. . The win capped a perfect tournament for the
Stingers, who earlier had round robin wins over Cloverdale (6-2),
Burnaby (6-5), Ridge Meadows (2-1) and Vancouver (15-2). They then
defeated Burnaby in the semi-finals (5-3) to advance to the Championship
game.
2009 Summer All-Star Teams Take the Field
GVBA will be fielding 12 Summer All-Star teams this
season (in addition to the Bears and Vipers AAA Bantam teams) including 3
Mosquito teams, 6 Pee Wee teams (including our first ever AA entry), 2 at
Bantam and 1 at Midget. Details on the teams and their 2009 seasons
can be found
HERE.
2009 Spring Champions Crowned
A successful season of spring ball was
completed during the last week of June and a number of exciting playoff
and championship games were held at all levels including exciting one
run games in Mosquito, Bantam AA and Midget. Congratulations are
extended to the following Spring League Champions:
Mosquito: Triangle 4 (defeated Carnarvon-Allenby
Fury 14-13)
Pee Wee: Carnarvon Grizzlies (defeated Triangle 5 10-0)
Bantam A: Lambrick Park 1 - Canadian Tire (defeated Carnarvon Mustangs
9-1)
Bantam AA: Layritz (defeated Carnarvon 5-4)
Midget AA: Duncan 1 (defeated Duncan 2 7-6)
GVBA Welcomes Oak Bay to the BC Minor Fold
GVBA is pleased to announce that effective for the 2009
season the Oak Bay Baseball and Softball Association will be merging
with Carnarvon-Allenby and joining the BC Minor fold. Welcome
Oak Bay! For further information please visit their
NEW WEBSITE!
Where's The "M"?
As some of you may have noticed, the "M" has been removed
from the association logo above and we are now know simply as the Greater
Victoria Baseball Association (GVBA). This change was made at the 2008 AGM
and reflects the fact that our association now offers junior and adult
programs that are beyond what is typically considered "minor" baseball.
2008 GVBA News Archive
Please visit our
archives for
2008 news items
as well as information on some of our 2008 All-Star teams.
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