STELLARTON –
The Stellarton Albions and New Glasgow Sullivan Fuels Kinsmen will both be on the provincial title hunt this weekend.
The Albions are hosting the U15 baseball Nova Scotia tournament at the Sample Field, and New Glasgow will play its round robin games at their home park of Kinsmen Field, on the west side of New Glasgow.
“Our team is pretty confident,” said Albions head coach Erik Fraser.
“And New Glasgow is definitely a strong team, too. They’ve beaten us this year.”
Both local teams have championship history: the Albions are comprised largely of the U11 team that won an Atlantics banner four seasons ago, and New Glasgow’s core group won an Atlantic title in 2018.
“It’s going to be very good baseball this weekend,” said Fraser, who expects balls to be flying over the fence at the little bandbox known as Sample Field.
“The home run is in play there for sure, but there will be strong pitching this weekend, too.”
New Glasgow coach Mile Lochead expects a highly competitive tournament.
“The six teams that will be there are all pretty good,” he said. “there’s no weak link. It will all come down to who plays the best.”
He said New Glasgow’s strength is pitching and hitting. Lochead has seven pitchers he can turn to, which is vital at this time of the year, and in a tournament that, if a team is successful, will see them play as many as five games in a three-day duration.
“In a tournament like this, you need those guys. Having a half-dozen or so is very good for us.”
STELLARTON ALBIONS SCHEDULE
Friday
1 p.m. vs. Truro Bearcats
Saturday
9 a.m. vs. Hantsport Shamrocks
2 p.m. vs. Bridgewater Bulldogs
NEW GLASGOW SCHEDULE
(Note: New Glasgow will play its round robin games at Kinsmen Field):
Friday
5:30 p.m. vs. Hantsport
Saturday
9 a.m. vs. Bridgewater
3 p.m. vs. Truro
