When you think about what the Prince George Surg Med Knights have accomplished over the past three years, the word dynasty comes to mind.
In those three seasons they've won five titles (either provincial or Western Canadian championships). Any player who gets fitted for one of the Knights' pinstriped uniforms knows that winning tradition is something they are expected to keep up.
It's pressure, but they'll gladly accept that challenge for a chance to play for P.G. in the big tournaments around the province, facing the best of their 15-18-year-old peers.
Last year's team was one of the strongest double-A midget squads the city has ever produced. Armed with the likes of third-year midgets Mike Schwab, Ajay Nickolet, Quinten Astorino, Ryan Hampe, Joseph JenVenne and Liam Campbell, the Knights tuned up for their provincial opponents playing against adults in the Century 21 Prince George Senior Men's Baseball League, then went to the Lower Mainland to play in two provincial championships.
They lost to Aldergrove in the semifinal round of the 18U B.C Minor championship in Mission but went to Whalley soon after and went on an undefeated run to bring home the Baseball BC provincial banner. From there the Knights went to the Western Canadian championship in La Broquerie, Man., and skunked the Portage la Prairie Pirates 10 0 in the final.
In 2017, the Knights advanced as far as the Western Canadian final.
Now there's a clean slate with the new season just beginning and the Knights know they're going to be the target of every midget opponent wanting to beat last year's best from this side of Ontario.
"This team has a winning attitude, we've got a good program and everyone's buying in and it's working," said Knights assistant coach Buck Schmidt. "It really helps that we play in the men's league, that's a big part of it. The guys in the men's league are older and smarter and it makes the kids work harder. We have a lot of good players in the league who aren't afraid to offer information to the kids when we're playing against them."
This year's Knights team has nine holdovers from last season and five first-year midgets who played last year for the LTN Contracting bantam Knights - 15U division finalists in both provincial championships in 2018.
"We have a lot of younger kids and they have a lot of skill coming up," said pitcher/shortstop Kolby Lukinchuk, 17, now in his third season. "A lot of us were close friends last year and we just have to build that bond with each other and I think we'll do good this year. I think it's going to be a helluva ride, honestly."
The other returning Knights are third-year players Brady Pratt, Richard French, Derian Potskin and Kaelon Gibbs, while Nolan Hull, Jake Anker, Hunter Fanshaw and Colby Clarke are second-year midgets. Making the jump from the bantam squad are Jacob Ross, Luka Kim, Leigh Peebles, Zach Fillion and Jacob Fillion.
Potskin and Gibbs are long-bomb hitters and will join Pratt and Lukinchuk hitting near the top of the order. Ross provides pitching skill, joining Lukinchuk, French, Potskin, Hull and lefthander Pratt on the staff. Kim will slot into the catcher's spot with Lukinchuk.
"We have a lot more guys who can throw, we have more skill to it," said Lukinchuk. "We have more guys able throwing breaking balls and faster fastballs. I don't want to dis on the guys from last year, they were really good, but I think this year's pitching is way stronger, to be honest. A lot of the younger kids can throw and they've been putting in the work in the off-season."
Schwab, who now plays at Prairie Baseball College in Lethbridge, was known for his consistent hitting, stellar defence and speed on the basepaths and the Knights coaches are waiting to find out who will assume Schwab's role as leader of an already tight-knit group.
Considering the city's sports fields opened just this past week, the players are already well-tuned. For the past three months they've been taking their game indoors on the UNBC campus at the Charles Jago Northern Sport Centre playing ball in the spacious confines of the fieldhouse. They've conditioned their throwing arms, used the batting cage to get their swings in and practiced fielding and baserunning three times per week in two-hour sessions in a program set up by the Prince George Youth Baseball Association.
"That's a big thing for us to have the university and the (league) organization has really bought into that," said Schmidt, who shares the dugout duties with head coach Murray Lukinchuk, Dylan Lukinchuk and Jody Hannon. "We have three field times (each week) already booked for us starting January 1st. That kind of evens up the score against the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan for us."
The midget Knights played the Queensway Auto World Red Sox Friday night in the second game of the senior men's icebreaker tournament at Citizen Field and will back on the field today, either at non or 2 p.m. The tournament wraps up with the final tonight at 8 p.m.
The Knights will be in Sherwood Park, Alta., May 31-June 2 to try to defend last year's title win at the Doc Plotsky Memorial. They'll also play tournaments in Mission, June 28-July 1, and Kelowna, July 12-14, leading up to the B.C. Minor provincials at a site to be determined, Aug. 2-5. The Baseball BC provincials are set for Burnaby, Aug. 8-11.
