An outstanding start to the 2022 season now includes a prestigious tournament title for the Delta Blue Jays.
Riding a B.C. Premier Baseball League (BCPBL) best 12-3 record into Kamloops, the Jays went unbeaten in five games to capture the Premier Showcase Division at the Best of the West Showcase Invitational.
An all BCPBL championship game on Sunday saw Delta rally to defeat the Victoria Eagles 5-2.
Trailing 2-0 in the sixth, Malakai Dubreuil came through with a clutch two-out hit to tie the game and three more runs followed.
The Jays’ pitching, which was outstanding throughout the tournament, took over from there with terrific work from Noah Thomas, Noah del Rosario and Noah Bourgeois.
Delta opened the playoffs with a 10-2 victory over Académie de Baseball du Canada, based out of Quebec.
Winning pitcher Hayden Cuthbertson was superb, striking out 10 in just under five innings of work with his fastball hitting 90-mph. The offence was led by Kyle Heburn and Bourgeois with two hits apiece.
Round-robin play started with a 2-1 triumph over the North Shore Twins. Everett Swaim started on the hill, followed by Thomas with a big hold, and Ryan Heppner finishing it off.
Kenny Scott, had a big game going 2-2 with a triple and a double.
Delta then defeated Big League Experience 3-0 behind Carson Latimer’s two-hitter over five innings. He also struck out seven. Kyle Matsunuma had a pair of hits.
The semi-final berth was secured with a 2-2 tie against Alberta’s Vauxhall Academy. It was Heppner’s turn to shine on the mound and he didn’t disappoint, striking out eight in five innings while showcasing his 90-mph fastball.
Extra innings….
-Latimer and Heppner are among 30 players from across the country who have been named to the Baseball Canada Junior National Team’s Dominican MLB Academy Tour from May 11 to 21. The squad will play 16 games over the 11 days against professional players that will be participating in the Dominican Summer League this season. Opponents include players made up from MLB organizations including the: San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays, Pittsburgh Pirates, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies.
- The Delta Jays’ Bantam Prep team also enjoyed a strong showing in Kamloops, reaching the semi-final of the Bantam Premier Division before falling to eventual champion Langley Blaze. Delta currently sits second in league play with an 8-2 record.
