It's no secret to the Total Tops midget Knights baseball team.
They know every team in the B.C. midget double-A provincial championship tournament is gunning for them.
That's the price you pay when you're the two-time defending champs.
"They've had two good tournaments so far and hopefully they can keep it going," said Knights manager Troy Waldie. "They know who we are now, they've seen us in the tournaments."
The Knights begin their quest for a third-straight midget title today in Mission when they step on the field at 1 p.m. to play Tsawwassen. That will be followed by a 7:30 p.m. encounter with Cloverdale.
On Friday, the Knights will play Ladner in an afternoon game and later take part in the skills competition that evening. The Knights defeated Ladner 10-2 in the final of the Canada Day tournament in Newton and also won the Valley of Champions tournament in Kelowna.
The Knights have been tuning up for their provincial run playing against men in the Prince George Senior Baseball Association. The Knights currently sport an 8-8 record.
"No question about it, just playing against players of that calibre, it truly helps," said Waldie. "It keeps us sharp. They've done well this year with defence and pitching."
The Knights roster includes Dylan Lukinchuk, Bailey Mcfaul, Craig Budskin, Jackson Belanger, Myles Kazakoff, Drydon Barkowski, Nicholas Potskin, Bryan Allbee, Tyrus Jocko, Brendyn Jocko, Omar Medina, Keiran Leboe and Cole Waldie. Marcel Belanger, Gary Allbee and Dean Kazakoff are the Knights coaches.
The Knights wrap up the 10-team round-robin tournament with a game Saturday at 1 p.m. against Campbell River. The final is set for noon on Sunday.
