Boys of summer set to spring into action

Garrett Simmons
Westwind Weekly News

It may just be spring, but the boys of summer are set to hit the diamond next week.

Magrath High School and Raymond High School will field teams again this year, as the teams will participate in different leagues.

The Zeniths will compete in the Southern Alberta High School Baseball League, and kick off the 2017 season Tuesday, April 4, with a 5:30 p.m. game in Claresholm against Willow Creek.

“This year’s team is going to be exciting to watch,” said Zeniths coach Jordan Brame. “We are returning eight guys that are all impact players, and of the players we picked up, there is a lot of strength there too.”

Brame added balance will be key for the 2017 version of the Magrath high school team, which will feature a roster capable of winning games in a multitude of ways, with a deep bench.

“It would be hard for me to pick two or three players that we are going to rely on, because I’ve got 12,” said the coach. “I’m anticipating that we will have a deep pitching corps, strong defense, explosive offense and aggressive base running.”

With that in mind, expectations are high for the coming season.

“We are excited for the opportunity to defend last year’s league championship, but we will have our hands full with a very strong Cardston team, as well as High River,” said Brame. “Unfortunately, we play both of them right out of the gates, a week from Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., so it’s going to be a question of who can get ready the fastest.”

The April 8 games should be a measuring stick for a Zeniths team that will certainly hit the ground running, much like the rest of the league, as most teams will likely only have a week of outdoor practices under their belts before the season kicks off.

“It should be a great season,” said Brame. “I’m excited to see these boys get to work.”

Magrath also has a Tuesday, April 11 game at home against Picture Butte, with first pitch set for 5:30 p.m., and a Wednesday, April 12 game on the road against Kainai, in a bust pre-Easter schedule.

The Zeniths will be going to the Medicine Hat tournament May 5-6 and the Lethbridge tournament the next weekend.

As for the Comets, the 2017 season will begin April 8, as Raymond will take on Catholic Central at 4 p.m. at Spitz Stadium in Lethbridge. On April 10, the Comets take on Lethbridge Collegiate Institute in a 5 p.m. game at Spitz. Early-season action continues with an April 13 game at Spitz, a 5 p.m. contest, against Kate Andrews.

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