It's fitting the Prince George peewee Knights baseball team is sponsored by the Lheidli T'enneh First Nation and its LTN Contracting division, the city's largest timber harvesting firm.
The Knights, a team of 11-13-year-olds, sure have some tall trees in their lineup.
Three of the players -- Seth Lapre, Liam Campbell and Brevin Gervais -- already stand close to six feet tall with some growing years still ahead of them.
Success in baseball doesn't depend on physical prowess, not like hockey or football. But when you've a set of big mitts and arms and legs as long as Knights catcher/pitcher Seth Lapre that translates into power at the plate and in his throws -- tools he intends to use to push his team to victory in the 10-team triple-A provincial championship, starting Thursday at Spruce City Stadium.
"I don't think it matters where we sit in the provincial rankings, we're going to become one of the top teams in the province at this tournament and of course, like every other team, we're going in to win it," said Lapre. "We all get along really well on this team, we all play our positions really well and we have aces at every position."
Now in his fourth year of baseball, Lapre is a first-year catcher. His background as a hockey goalie has allowed him to make a smooth transition behind the plate. He rarely allows a passed ball, throws bullets to pick off baserunners and is showing his lessons on batting from Brandon Hunter haven't been wasted. Lapre is also one the Knights' fastest players.
The Knights share the usual problems that go with being a Prince George rep team isolated by hundreds of kilometres of territory between themselves and their closest opponents. Of the 36 games they've played this season, all but four have been on the road. All of their road games were beyond Cache Creek, five hours from Prince George.
"I'd like to think that sleeping in our own beds, having some people support us in a facility we're comfortable with and not having to do the eight hour trip with your body rattling around and getting some rest will play well for us," said Knights head coach Jim Swanson.
To make up for their geographic challenges and the fact there is no league for them closer than a day's drive away, the Knights started practicing in gyms and indoor soccer fields in November and have been busy fine-tuning their provincial act outdoors ever since the snow melted off the fields.
"The other teams see more pitching and they have more games in the Lower Mainland, which is higher competition, and we just have to travel more," said outfielder/pitcher Ryan Hampe one of the Knights' top contact hitters and a capable base-stealer.
"We've been practicing for provincials on our home field and that will help us, knowing the bounces and stuff. It will be a good break from travelling to provincials every year. We're seeded eighth but that's because we haven't had a lot of games and when we've gotten those games we haven't played to the best of our potential. We're going in to knock out the better teams, Cloverdale and Abbotsford and go for the win."
The Knights' roster also includes Ajay Nickolet of Mackenzie, Brett Mero of Quesnel, Soren Erricson, Matt Siemens, Tommy Kreitz, Mikey Schwab, Quinten Astorino and Zach Swanson. Denny Astorino, Brad Kreitz, Keith Hampe and Ray Siemens are the other coaches.
Nickolet and Campbell are the most consistent chuckers for the Knights but almost all of the players can pitch. Zach Swanson played in the outfield for Team BC at the CABA World Series, while second baseman Schwab and pitcher Nickolet were picked as alternates for the team.
"We have a tremendous team that committed and their parents are even more supportive and it's been fun all season," said coach Swanson. "One of the things that's important at this age is size and that adds a lot to confidence and strength. It's been a process with this group of trying to add the confidence that they are able to compete with and beat anybody in the province. It comes down not to talent, not to skills, fundamentals and development, but to belief and their will to win."
Sanctioned by Baseball BC, each team is limited to 12 players, all of whom have to play at least one full inning of defence and have a minimum of one at-bat in each game.
The Knights open their tournament next Thursday at noon against Victoria Red. They'll have two games next Friday -- 2 p.m. against top-seeded Cloverdale and then take on Aldergrove at 8 p.m. Their round-robin schedule wraps up Saturday, Aug. 10 against a wild-card opponent yet to be determined. Second-seeded Abbotsford in in the other pool along with White Rock, Vancouver Minor, Chilliwack and another wild-card entry.
The Prince George Minor Boys Softball diamond behind Spruce City Stadium will also be used for the tournament.
