Three local baseball players and coach helped the Oildome 13U team compete against the best in Western Canada this past weekend.
The Elkhorn father and son duo of Travis and Foxx McColl, Virden’s Ryan Lewis, and Manson’s Kurt Rookes were part of the team at the 13U National Western Championship in Brandon, Aug. 15-19.
Oildome went 1-3 and capped the event with a victory to secure seventh place.
“The boys got a great experience that they worked hard to get to and harder when they got there,” said Travis McColl, one of the team’s coaches. “I think we will see these ball players competing at these high-caliber events in the future.”
Foxx McColl
All three local players contributed to the Oildome’s success this season. McColl pitches, catches, and sees time in both the infield and the outfield. Pitching at Westerns, he allowed only three runs on six hits in a six-inning outing.
“Foxx has been a hard-working, go-to player that has grown his knowledge and skill level in the game,” Travis McColl said. “He is a solid catcher that sees the game well and he has spent countless hours working on his pitching and hitting and his hard work is paying off. Real team player.”
Ryan Lewis
Lewis played first, third base, pitcher, and catcher for Oildome.
“Ryan has been a great asset to the team,” Coach McColl said. “He has worked very hard and proves his worth every time he steps onto the field… He has worked on his game from early in the spring and it’s showing.He is a solid teammate.”
Kurt Rookes
Rookes suited up at third base, in the outfield, and on the mound for Oildome.
“Kurt has been a strong fielder that moved into a third-base position and even stepped onto the hill and threw some pitches,” McColl said. “He has hit the ball well and meshes well with this team.”
Foxx McColl and Ryan Lewis along with fellow Oildome teammates Josh Fluker and Mason De Ruyck are headed to nationals with Team Manitoba. They will compete in Woodstock, Ont.
“Those that were able to compete at Western Canadians and those that are taking on the next step in their baseball careers heading to nationals have not had it handed to them,” Travis McColl said. “They have all worked very hard and have played against the toughest baseball teams in Western Canada and were very competitive with them.”
At Western Canadians, Oildome came out strong in its first game and got two early runs. However, its B.C.-based foe was able to pick away and then go on to win, 13-3. In its second game, Oildome fell 16-8 to Red Deer in a game that Travis McColl said did not reflect how well his team played.
“At this level, teams capitalize on any misplays. We definitely played to the level we had to and put up a strong game. We were unable to win the battle and regrouped for the second Friday game.”
Against a Saskatoon squad, “The boys were out to lay it on the line for the win,” Coach McColl said. Oildome led 7-1 after six innings. Saskatoon clawed back for a 9-7 victory.
In its final game, Oildome trailed 8-7 in the seventh inning but had last bat.
“We came out strong. Every player rose to the occasion,” Travis McColl said. “We hit the ball and stole bases. We had the game tied at 8-8 with a runner on third and a single hit brought him in to earn the walk off to end the game with a 9-8 win.”
Braeden Lewis
Virden’s Braeden Lewis was picked up by South Central to compete in the 15U AAA Western Canada and national tournaments. They utilize him in the infield, outfield, and on the mound.
“Braeden is a great team player! The guys on our squad really appreciate his friendship,” said South Central head coach Matt Giesbrecht. “He brings an excellent skill set to the team and is able to play multiple positions. He swings a great bat, runs extremely well and demonstrates a strong arm in the field.”
South Central hosted the Western Canada championships this past weekend in Winkler. The team went 1-4.
“They generally played well,” Giesbrecht said. “Our demise this weekend typically was one inning per game where we gave up multiple runs. This made it very difficult to mount comebacks when down by four or more runs. I believe the team has been able to learn from this adversity and will use this knowledge heading into nationals.”
Nationals are being held in Oshawa. After Lewis returns from there, the Virden Oil Capitals prospect will grab his hockey gear and head to camp with the Western Hockey League’s Swift Current Broncos.
