INNISFAIL – The Innisfail Hawks have wrapped up regular season play.
The 18U AA midget team finished the season at home on Sunday, July 21 against the Leduc Giants. The team came out on the losing end of a 10-7 decision in extra innings.
Innisfail hosted all six teams in tier I of the 18U AA league for the final weekend of regular season play.
"This weekend is (to decide) standings essentially,” said head coach Taze Steeves. “Six teams are in tier I right now, two will move up from AA tier II, and those two teams will make up an eight-team tournament on August long weekend for the provincial championship."
The provincial championship takes place in St. Albert, Aug. 2 - 4.
The winner of provincials will head to Strathmore for westerns and will represent Alberta, he noted.
"It's been a great season. It's been up and down,” said Steeves. “We have a lot of talent top to bottom with first-, second- and third-year kids. There's a good mix."
Steeves pointed out some strengths on his team this year.
"We're a good hitting club. We hit lots of line drives, we have patient hitters, we have lots of good pitchers with good depth and lots of hard-working kids," he said, noting regular season games began in mid-May,
"We're hoping to get through this (game against Leduc), win it and keep on winning (at provincials)," said Steeves during the game.
Assistant coach and Innisfail Minor Ball president, Murray Reay, said the team has worked hard this season.
“We have a good bunch of kids. They’re playing really good ball, they just got to be consistent,” said Reay. “If they stay consistent they got a good chance of winning (provincials).”
Reay said going into the weekend the team was sitting in second place in the league. However, a tough weekend with three losses bumped them down to fourth or fifth spot, where they now sit going into provincials.
The 18U AA Hawks finished the regular season with an 11-7 win-loss record.
Reay said they will be ready for provincials in St. Albert and will face off against familiar foes.
“It’s all the same teams that are here this weekend. Everybody’s pretty even and we’ve seen them all season,” said Reay. “All we can ask for is that everybody plays their hardest and their best.”
