The Total Tops double-A midget Knights baseball team hope their hot bats and solid pitching stay intact at the Valley of the Champions tournament in Kelowna this weekend.
They have every reason to be optimistic after going undefeated in five games and winning the Diane Cook Memorial tournament in Newton (Surrey) on Canada Day weekend.
The Knights clobbered Ladner 10-2 in the final on July 1, due in part to player-of-the-game Tyrus Jocko tossing 11 strikeouts in six innings of work. He also blasted a run home run that scored three runners across the plate.
Nicholas Potskin went two-for-three at the plate and tallied three RBIs.
"That was our first competition outside of the [Prince George Senior] men's league," said Knights assistant coach Marcel Belanger. "We were actually playing kids our own age and we weren't too sure going into the tournament. We didn't see anything we weren't expecting."
Bryan Allbee's six and one-third innings of work where he didn't allow any runs on four hits and led to the Knights 9-0 shutout over the Cloverdale Spurs in the semifinal. He also fanned eight Spurs hitters at the plate and earned game MVP.
Nicholas Potskin belted a double and was two-for-two at the plate with three RBIs.
In round-robin action, the Knights cruised to a 13-6 victory against host Newton. Bailey McFaul was named game MVP.
Prince George's closest game was a 2-1 win over Whalley in a game that was called after six innings due to darkness.
Jackson Belanger had a strong outing on the mound, striking out eight batters, allowing only two hits, two walks and an earned run in three and two-thirds innings of work.
Potskin earned the save in the remaining two and a third innings.
"The tournament gave us a good picture and snapshot of where we're at and it's good for them to win," said coach Belanger. "The teams we played are just entering their summer playdowns."
The Knights are using the Valley of the Champions tourney that begins Friday as more preparation for the B.C. Minor Baseball under-18 double-A championship, July 30 to Aug. 4 in Mission. They go into it as the two-time defending champions.
If they win, they'll advance to the Western Canadian championship Aug. 12.
