The Delta Blue Jays are three-time national champions after a thrilling 2-0 win over Alberta Sunday night in Laval, Que.
It is the third straight U15 Ray Carter Cup Bantam baseball title for the Jays and the first time that any team has won three consecutive titles.
“The boys just played so well,” said head coach Cam Frick, who is in his 10th season with the Jays. “Unreal. That Alberta team was by far the best team we have played all year. Our pitchers were unreal. We battled with our bats to get their starter out of the game. It was the best game we played all year, and we needed it to win it. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Delta scored an early run and held that lead through several precarious innings where Alberta had a lot of traffic on the bases. But Delta’s pitching was solid.
The Jays scored their second run on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh.
“It was a very stressful game, but getting that second run made it less stressful,” Frick said. “Our pitchers…two of the youngest guys in the tournament, pitched for us in the final and they looked like it was something they had visualized and prepared for their whole lives. When we needed a big strikeout, they got it.”
Delta went 3-1 in pool play defeating Manitoba 5-0 and Quebec 2-1 on the opening day of the tournament last Thursday.
Deven Simonovic was dominant on the mound pitching 5.2 innings allowing only one hit, one walk and 10 strikeouts.
It was a walk-off win over Quebec as Toby Wilding hit a double that scored the winning run.
Last Friday, Delta lost their only game of the tournament 7-2 to the host team from Laval.
On Saturday morning, the Blue Jays punched their ticket to the semifinal with a 4-1 win over Ontario.
Mason Dubnov was dominant in his final start as a bantam Jay pitching 5.1 innings allowing one hit while striking out seven. Kane LaPorte had a five-out save while Lucas Yu went two for three with an RBI and a stolen base.
In the semifinal, Delta blasted Saskatchewan 11-1.
“Everyone played their part the whole week,” he said. “I think we threw 10 different pitchers in the tournament. We treat every game the whole year like a big game, so when we get to the ‘big’ game it’s just another game. Our pitchers were calm, cool and collected. It’s tough playing in front of a big crowd on the big stage. Everyone just did amazing.”
Frick said at this time last year, he saw a lot of guys who were so committed to baseball, so he had a feeling that this year had the makings of another special season.
“We had a few guys that just missed out on being a part of the team last year, so this year, you could tell, they wanted it bad,” he said. “From our first winter practice once we named the team around Christmas time, you could just tell. I told them my goal was to get back to nationals and a couple of them said, ‘we want to win the nationals.’
“It’s tough…getting there is a huge accomplishment. We have been lucky enough and on the right side of a few games, the last few years and I didn’t want them to be disappointed if we got there and didn’t win, but they didn’t listen to me. Even Saturday night when we talked, I said this was a very successful season and whatever happens, happens. Let’s go out and do our best. They love the big stage. It was amazing. I’m still kind of in shock. It doesn’t feel real.”
The Jays roster at the nationals included: Alex Tamayo, Caleb Miller, Cole Hudie, Colin Skelly, Drew Sochting, Hayden Mangat, Jaxxon Lawrence, Kane LaPorte, Kesler Curtis, Lucas Yu, Mason Dubnov, Nico Yau, Noah Wegner, Reece Abbott, Deven Simonovic, Jorge Betancourt, Toby Wilding and Yohta Suzuki. Coaching staff: Cam Frick, Quinn Betteridge, Ford Marcotte, Joseph O’Krafta, Doug Miller (Chef de mission).
