Vaughan ready to host national U-15 boys baseball tourney

11 provincial teams vie for title Aug. 20-23

Yorkregion.com
Aug. 17, 2015
By Michael Hayakawa

The arrival of August signifies an exciting time for youth baseball in Canada with the staging of various age group national championships.

One of those will take place in Vaughan and has been an institution since 2009 - the Under-15 Boys’ championships.

To be held at Vaughan Grove Sports Park, this year’s event will run from Aug. 20 through 23.

A total of 11 provincial teams, including the host Vaughan Vikings, will be vying for this year’s coveted national crown.

Wearing several different hats as the tournament spokesman, Vaughan Vikings minor baseball president and head coach of the host Vikings, Dirk Drieberg feels this year’s event will be one any of the participants can win.

Especially since he cited some of the provincial teams are comprised of all-star players, while others, such as the Vikings and the other Ontario representative and defending Under-15 champions from Mississauga North, are club teams supplemented by a couple of outside players on their rosters.

Drieberg was also quick to point out that with the growth of youth baseball in Canada, player development through enhanced coaching has improved immensely through the years - making the teams more competitive.

“This is an event that any team can win on any given day,” he said. “You can’t take any team lightly.”

As for how his Vikings club might fare, Drieberg feels they have exhibited progress since the start of the season with the objective to peak in time for the national championships.

“We’ve had some non-baseball injuries and consistency has been a challenge, but we’ve shown spurts of playing well and we’ve made progress throughout the year,” he said. “Hopefully the boys will respond and be good representatives for our association and the City of Vaughan.”

In an effort to create additional player and fan interest, Drieberg said this year’s championship will host a skills competition before the start of the tournament Aug. 19 at 5 p.m.

“We had planned to do this last year,” he said. “But the weather changed our plans and we had to reschedule it. Hopefully this year the weatherman will co-operate.”

Drieberg was quick to thank the City of Vaughan for its support in hosting the championships over the years, saying it has created a positive atmosphere for the participants, along with their parents and friends.

“The mayor of Vaughan has been supportive of this event and the city has been good in getting the fields and facilities ready,” he said. “The players, their families and friends love to come to Vaughan because we put on a first-class event. They look forward to it because there’s also plenty to do when they’re not playing, like going to Canada’s Wonderland or Vaughan Mills.”

This year’s tournament marks the final year of their agreement in hosting the Under-15 Boys’ Championship in Vaughan, as the event will move to Charlottetown, P.E.I. for the next two years. Drieberg hopes their association can see it return to Vaughan starting in 2018.

But during the two-year lull, he noted the city will continue to host a national championship in the form of the Under-16 Girls.

For the complete schedule, log on to: www.baseball.ca.