With the Bluewater Fastball League Tournament upon us here is a preview of the teams participating in order of regular season finish and their keys to success:
Mildmay Mets 14-3
The defending champions will certainly be in tough in their quest to repeat. They still boast one of the best pitchers in the league in Buck Smith and the off season additions of Ty Sebastien and Matt Reinhart have certainly helped to add to the lineup as well as some added depth on the pitching mound with Sebastien. The Mets are coming off a strong regular season where they were forced to win a number of close games which could serve them well in what is anticipated to be a highly competitive tournament. While the Mets are deeper then their Championship run last year it is fair to say that they will go as far as their horse Smith will take them.
Wiarton Nationals 13-5
The Nationals have one of the best one/two punches in the league on the mound with veteran Andy Jackson and youngster Travis Jones. It doesn't hurt that they are also dangerous with the bat as well. Wiarton is as scary as ever, coming off a deep run in the ISC II World Tournament where they lost in the finals. Aside from the great pitching their lineup can put up numbers in bunches. Both Travis Jones and Steve Patterson had 6 homeruns on the year which was tied for the league lead. The Thompson brothers also help contribute to the offense in a big way while also helping to keep runners off the bases with stellar defense up the middle. With the confidence Wiarton is playing with right now they could easily be seen as a front runner to end up playing for the tournament championship on Sunday.
Port Elgin Blue Devils 12-5
With 5 regular season losses the Blue Devils entered uncharted territory. In the days of the Blue Devil dynasty they would go over two years without that many losses. That being said, you can now throw the regular season stats out the window as the tournament is what counts and there will be no team better prepared for post season play then this veteran laden squad. With talent all through the lineup and a championship pedigree the Blue Devils will be looking to return to glory after going two years with out a Championship. The Blue Devils will again bring a strong offense lead by Mckinnon, Reiley, and Underwood as well as good pitching with regulars Fawcett and Hamilton as well as a returning Blue Devil Darryl Banks. Based on that it is not hard to see why the Blue Devils have a great chance of being right there when the dust settles.
Elmwood Smoke 10-7
The Elmwood Smoke put together yet another winning season on the strength of an offense that goes 9 deep lead by Jordan Lang. When combined with a highly effective lefty (Ahrens) and righty (N Maus) on the pitching staff the Smoke have proven that they can compete with anyone in this league. Big road wins in Mildmay and Port Elgin this season certainly illustrates that. If the bats get rolling early this weekend the Smoke will definitely take their place in the contender category.
Tara 8-10
The Tara Merchants have certainly made a case for the Bluewater Fastball League's most improved team. While always formidable, with the addition of some key players (Brookshaw's and Baker) along with stellar years from Bill Monkman and Wayne Stephen the Merchants have definitely taken the next step in elevating their game. Tara has competed hard with everyone with this year and if a number of 1 run games had gone the other way they would have an over .500 record. They are definitely a dangerous team who are looking for their best showing at the year end tourney since their inception.
Durham 7-10-1
Durham will be looking to better their Cinderella run from last year's tourney and seem to be playing their best ball at the right time. Two big wins over Port Elgin and Tara to conclude their regular season should provide them with plenty of confidence heading into this year's tournament. Durham is a good mix of veteran leadership with Jason Paige and Bill Carson as well as a number of younger players who are starting to come into their own. Look for them to prove that last year's performance will be the start of what the rest of the league needs to get used to.
Owen Sound 7-10
The Selects are the mystery team of the league for this year. When their entire roster shows up they can put together a lineup that rivals any other in the league. Look for them to roll out their "A" lineup this weekend and cause all sorts of headaches for opposing teams. They have a ton of youthful talent who has spent the summer playing high calibre ball all over North America. It would be no surprise to anyone to see the Selects battling it out on Sunday.
Chepstow 6-11-1
The home town team will once again be strongly supported this weekend. Solid pitching and timely hitting has been the recipe for the Aces in years past. That is no different this year as when Graul is keeping the ball down and Clancy is the catalyst on offense the Aces have proven they will be in any game, and with the momentum of the home town fans behind them look for them for a possible upset.
Saugeen 1-17
As is the case with almost all team's first year in a new league there tends to be some growing pains. While that was no different at the start of this year,lob the Thunderbirds have constantly improved as the year went on and they became more acquainted with the league opponents. The in season signing of Brett Miller has helped to solidify the top of the order and Perry Solomon consistently gives absolutely everything he has when he takes the mound. It will be Saugeen's first BWFL tournament but look for them to make a good first impression on the rest of the league.
