With the baseball diamond as their canvas, a group of seven Virden-area products have helped the Souris Cardinals fly this season.
The South West Baseball League squad swept its first-round playoff series against Deloraine and is now battling the Boissevain Centennials, the defending champs and South Division’s top regular season team. The Cardinals’ Virden contingent has enjoyed this season.
“Playing in Souris is a lot of fun,” Toby Troughton said. “We have a good team with a good group of guys that want to win.”
Joining Troughton on the team are Evan Brereton, Tyler Campbell, Joel Cosens, Keifer Johnston, Kris Kinnaird, and Mac Troughton.With a roster stocked with Virden talent, the Cardinals’ games against the Oilers, especially in their hometown, are interesting.
“Virden is a fun one,” Troughton said. “With growing up playing ball there, it’s definitely one I look forward to every year.”
The Virden players have contributed in their own ways to the Cardinals’ success. For example, Kinnaird paced the team with a .449 batting average and 13 runs batted in. Johnston was second with nine RBIs, while Brereton had eight. Toby Troughton, Johnston, Kinnaird, and Campbell all pitched in at least one game for Souris.
“Each one of them brings something a little different to the team, but all of them bring hard work and are amazing teammates,” player-organizer Jordan Seafoot said. “Everyone gets along and it’s like our Souris guys and Virden guys have known each other for years.”
Seafoot led the Cardinals’ return to the diamond in 2014. He worked with Brereton and invited him and his brother Austin to join. When Virden revived the Oilers in 2015, Austin returned to his hometown nine, but Evan stayed.
“Then it seemed like every year Evan would have a buddy looking to play ball somewhere and, with Virden having a large group of guys, they were interested in playing in Souris,” Seafoot said.
The Cardinals are certainly pleased to have them.
“The Virden boys have contributed so much to Souris Cardinals baseball,” Seafoot said. “Not only are they talented ball players that allow us to compete in the toughest senior men's league in the province, they also have allowed senior baseball to continue in Souris.
“Without them our numbers would be very low, most likely not enough for a team, so it’s nice to have a core group of guys that are very committed to our team. They put in every effort to make every practice and game and you can count on them to show up for games ready to compete.”
Virden Oilers
After sweeping Hamiota, the SWBL North Division’s top team, the No. 4 North seeded Oilers are now playing the third-seeded Oak River Dodgers.
The series started in Oak River on July 24 where Virden was smacked down 12-0. Game two is in Virden on Friday.
The third game of the best-of-five affair will be in Oak River on Monday. If needed, game four would be in Virden on July 31 with a fifth game in Oak River on August 2.
