On their home diamond in Oak Bay, the Victoria Seawolves proved they belong on a national stage.
The 13U AAA club earned silver at the provincial championships held July 24-28 at Carnarvon Park, and with it, a ticket to the Baseball Canada National Championships in Woodstock, Ont., taking place Aug. 21-24.
The Seawolves went 3-1 in round-robin play, defeating Vancouver, Penticton, and White Rock before falling to Ridge Meadows.
A semifinal win over Ladner punched their ticket to the gold medal game, where they dropped a rematch to White Rock.
Despite the loss, their runner-up finish secured one of B.C.’s two spots at nationals.
“I’m pretty excited,” said Sebastian Temple, who splits his time between shortstop and the mound. “I just want to go show people how good we are and hope that our team does good.”
It’s Temple’s first time playing at a national-level tournament after four years in the AAA system.
“I just want to go out there, play loose, have fun, and see how it goes,” he added. “We’re not really setting expectations for placement. We just want to play our best and not tighten up after a mistake.”
The team’s regular-season run saw them finish in a tie for fourth in league play with a 23-13 record, battling through more than 50 games and tournaments along the way.
The Seawolves’ 12-player roster features players from across Greater Victoria – including Saanich, West Shore, Oak Bay, the Gulf Islands, and Sooke – and will expand to 16 for the national tournament in accordance with Baseball Canada rules.
While some of the new additions will meet the group in Ontario, others will join upcoming practices in Victoria before the team travels east together later this month.
“We just kind of reached out to kids we saw throughout the year,” said assistant coach Ben Temple. “Some gave us trouble when we played them, some we liked the look of, and some we thought would be a good personality fit. We’re excited to have them.”
As for the group that got them here, the message never changed, and now it’s paying off.
“Nationals is the reward,” said Ben. “We’ve been talking all year about trusting the process, bouncing back, and just focusing on what’s in front of you. It’s been great to see the boys buy into that.”
The 12-team tournament in Woodstock will feature top clubs from across the country.
Victoria opens against Quebec on Aug. 21, followed by games against Nova Scotia and Ontario on Aug. 22. Quarter-finals take place on Aug. 23, with semis and finals scheduled for Aug. 24.
As the countdown to nationals begins, the message is simple: stay sharp, stay loose, and enjoy the ride.
