News
2012 Bantam Eagles head inside for winter training
The two Victoria Eagles Bantam AAA teams have headed to the Oak Bay Recreation Centre's indoor turf field for winter training.
Sessions began Jan. 15 and continue through late February as the 13 and 14-year-olds prepare for spring training and the start of the season mid-April.
The Red Eagles are managed by Darrel Richardson while the Black Eagles are managed by Scott Rimek.
Premier Eagles Celebrate Players' College Success
How do you measure success?
For the Victoria Premier Eagles baseball club, one key element is its graduates’ continued success at the next level.
Not only did five of the seven graduating Eagles from the 2011 season secure college scholarships, but all have made the line-up for their school’s ball team.
“The primary mission of the Eagles baseball program is to develop our players to be ready for the next level of competition,” says Martin Winstanley, Chair of the High Performance Committee, which oversees the Eagles program for the Greater Victoria Baseball Association. “For most, the next level will be highly-competitive college and university baseball, both in Canada and the U.S. If they are to succeed, they need not only the baseball skills but as well academic readiness, work ethic and mental toughness.”
Graduating from the 2011 Premier Eagles were:
• Daniel Peakman, playing for Colorado’s Trinidad State College, on scholarship
• Colton Lindsay, playing for Tennessee’s Volunteer Community College, on scholarship
• Ryan Adkins, playing for North Dakota’s Jamestown College, on scholarship
• Chase Cuckovich, playing for California’s Riverside Community College, on scholarship
• Nick Pivetta, playing for New Mexico Junior College, on scholarship
• Luke Hawkins playing for Vancouver Island University
• and Max Newton, playing for B.C.’s Thomson Rivers University.
“We had a group of talented athletes last year, and all got the chance to play everyday. That experience really helped them get ready for college,” says Premier Eagles Manager Gautam Srivastava. “In addition, they also did a lot of work on their own trying to make sure they were prepared to take that next step.”
The Victoria Eagles are part of the Greater Victoria Baseball Association (GVBA), whose High Performance division oversees the Eagles high-performance program for Bantam and Midget-age players from throughout the region.
As the Eagles program continues to develop, more players are seeing this as the best opportunity to continue their education while pursuing baseball at a higher level.
“With our program you are guaranteed to get a chance to play and develop,” Srivastava explains.
While some Premier League organizations measure success primarily with wins and losses, “I think it is important to put the needs of players first and foremost when it comes to college. They challenge that hurdle as individuals, not as a team.”
Looking ahead, baseball fans can expect to hear plenty more from the Eagles during the 2012 season.
“We have a good balance of older players (Grade 12) and younger players (Grade 10 and 11), including the top three players from the 2011 Bantam Eagles team that won last year’s B.C. title and earned bronze at the National Championship,” Srivastava notes.
“Our older core has been in the BC Premier League for their third year, so we will be looking to them to lead this team. I’m excited about this season for the Senior Eagles and feel we will compete in the League.”
In addition to its philosophy of player development, the Eagles’ success also comes from the depth of experience of its coaching staff.
With a lengthy baseball resume, Srivastava was a coach with the BC Selects, the 2010 Canada Cup Champions, and guest coach for the 2010 Baseball Canada Futures Camp in Toronto. He was the Zone 6 Manager for the 2010 BC Summer Games team, Team BC Coach for the 2009 Canada Summer Games, and Manager of the 2008 Baseball Canada Bantam AAA National Championship Team.
Joining Srivastava as manager of the 2012 Eagles Junior Premier team is Bob Mabee, who has been involved in Victoria baseball for more than 50 years. Mabee was Manager/Head Coach of the 2002 BC Premier Mariners National Championship Team and was a Canadian National Team member himself in 1970. His son, Henry Mabee, currently pitches for the Chicago White Sox AA affiliate Birmingham Barons.
For more information, contact Martin Winstanley, GVBA High Performance Committee Chair, at martinwinstanley@shaw.ca.
Bantam AAA Winter Clinic Rosters Announced
The Eagles High Performance Program congratulates the following players on being selected to continue with winter indoor training with the GVBA Bantam AAA Eagles. The coaching staff has selected these players to continue with indoor training at the Oak Bay Indoor Turf Field in January and February 2012.
Red Eagles
Manager: Darrel Richardson
Bontkes, Adam
Duncan, Tyler
Eckard, Martin
Fisher, Riley
Gall, Devon
Goertzen, Ben
Morris, Kobe
Mycock, Jesse
Potter, Jacob
Saxton, Rhys
Schindel, Tyler
Skuija, Ethan
Strandlund, Jordan
Sutherland, Jarod
Thompson, Graeme
Werrun, Dylan
Wilcox, Cade
Black Eagles
Manager: Scott Rimek
Brubacher, Brody
Bruce, Nolan
Duncan, Brock
Glowicki, Sam
Haddock, Cole
Irvine, Brett
Lata, Christopher
MacDonald, Lawson
Mclean, Tyson
Patterson, Jeremy
Seginowich Nick
Tesch, Nolan
Thornton, Stephen
Turner, Riley
Varley, Michael
Junior Premier Eagles 2012 Roster Signings, Tryout Opportunities, and Winter Clinics
Bob Mabee, the Manager of the 2012 Junior Premier Eagles, has signed 9 of the 22 players trying out for the team. Coach Mabee will fill the remaining roster spots by March 1, 2012. The 2012 team roster size will be approximately 16 players.
Coach Mabee Bob views the Junior Premier team as a stepping stone to the Eagles Premier Program and is committed to giving all his players the opportunity to play lots of innings in multiple positions.
All baseball players living in the Greater Victoria area are encouraged to try out for the 7 or 8 more spots not yet filled.
Any player who has missed the Junior Eagles Fall Ball program can arrange a tryout by calling Coach Mabee at 778 977 1136.
The Junior Premier Eagles Winter training will be at the Oak Bay Rec Centre and will start in January. Marty Hall and Pro Way Baseball will be instructing the players in these Winter Clinics.
Coach Mabee thanks Eagles Coaching Coordinator Marty Hall and Coach Jay Longpre for their assistance with the Eagles Fall Program. He is also pleased that coaches Ken Lamberton and Al Gibson will be joining the Junior Premier staff for the 2012 spring season.
Six Eagles Selected for Futures Tournament
Six Eagles have been selected to compete in the upcoming Futures tournament in Washington. The Northwest Futures Showcase is a 3 day event that will be held in Everett, Washington from Friday September 16th through Sunday September 18th. This showcase event will feature the best 14/15 year old players from Washington, Oregon, Utah, Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia. The purpose of the event is to identify the top prospects in the area for College and MLB scouts.
Congratulations to the following players:
2014
KURT HORNE
ALEX HENDRA-BROWN
2015
JESSE MYCOCK
BEN GOERTZEN
MIKE VARLEY
ETHAN SKUIJA (Alternate)
Marty Hall Joins Eagles High Performance Program for 2012
The Victoria Eagles organization are pleased to announce the addition of Marty Hall to the High Performance Division for 2012. Marty will assist the Premier and Junior Premier teams with indoor clinics and practices during the Spring Season. The role will help foster consistency between the coaching instruction at the Junior Premier and Premier levels.
Marty Hall comes to the Eagles with an extensive coaching and playing resume. Having played his college baseball at Cochise College in Arizona, Marty went on to a pro career with both the Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros. He has also coached professionally for the Victoria Capitals and Victoria Royals, as well as internationally in Australia, Germany and the Dominican Republic. He was coach of the 2002 Victoria team that captured Gold at the National Championships. He has coached during their youth some of the top players to come out of Victoria including Vince Perkins (Toronto Blue Jays/Milwaukee Brewers/Chicago White Sox), Chris Mears (Detroit Tigers), Jason Blackey (Boston Red Sox), Henry Mabee (Chicago White Sox), Mike Saunders (Seattle Mariners) and Rich Harden (Oakland A's) to name a few.
We are happy to have Marty join our coaching ranks in 2012!
Baseball Canada Mizuno Camp Calls on Eagles' Horne
Eagles player Kurt Horne has been invited to the annual Baseball Canada Mizuno camp held at Rogers Centre in Toronto annually. The camp involves onfield instruction from Team Canada and Blue Jays staff and features the top younger players and coaches from every province for the 4 day event. We wish Kurt all the best!
Senior Bantam Eagles Bronze at National Championships
The Senior Bantam Eagles capped off an excellent campaign in 2011 with a Bronze Medal at the National Championship in 2011. After a 5-1 showing in the round robin in Pool A, The Eagles lost a close game in the semi-final to Team Alberta 3-0. They quickly bounced back with a 8-1 win in the Bronze Medal Game. Congrats to all players, coaches, and parents on a thrill filled season. Wishing all players best of luck in 2012!
Senior Bantam AAA Eagles Win Provincial Title
The Victoria Eagles Bantam AAA Senior squad defeated the Vancouver Mounties 8-5 Sunday afternoon to claim the 2011 Bantam AAA Provincial Championship at Carnarvon Park. The win was sweet revenge over the Mounties who defeated the Eagles earlier in the tournament 11-8 in a controversial, protest delayed game. The Eagles began the tournament in fine fashion with wins over Burnaby (9-0) and Tri-City (13-3) before the loss to Vancouver. They then had a dramatic come from behind win over Abbotsford (4-3) to put themselves into the semi-finals. In the semi against Cloverdale, Kurt Horne pitched the game of his young career, striking out 15 and giving the Eagles a 7-1 win. In the final against Vancouver, the Eagles got an early 3-1 lead, only to see Vancouver rally for a 4-3 lead. That set the stage for some dramatics, as a dramatic 2 run home run by Sam Stevenson put the Eagles back in front. The Eagles would add 3 more runs on the strength of a 2 RBI single by Mitch Bryan and would then shut the Mounties down in the top of the 7th to secure the win. The Eagles will now travel to Vaughan, Ontario to compete in the 2011 Bantam AAA Nationals.
Brett Hull Named to 2011 BC Selects Team
The Victoria Eagles Baseball Club are pleased to announce that RHP Brett Hull has been named to the 2011 BC Selects team. The team, composed of players born in 1994, will compete in the Canada Cup in Moncton, New Brunswick from Aug 9-16. They will then head to the Perfect Game Tournament in Florida in the fall.
The Eagles Organization wish Brett best of luck!
Pivetta Rejoins Canadian Junior National Team
Twenty-eight players have been named to the Junior National Team roster that will travel to Cuba to participate in a nine game series against the Cuban Junior National Team from July 3rd -10th. Congratulations to Eagles pitcher Nick Pivetta on being named to the roster.
The Cuba Summer Series is an important step for the JNT as they prepare for the Americas World Junior Qualifier scheduled for September 23rd - October 2nd in Cartagena, Colombia. The top four countries in Colombia will qualify for the 2012 World Junior Baseball Championship in Seoul, South Korea.
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Congratulations to Nick and his family. The Eagles organization wishes Nick all the best.
More information on the 2011 Canadian Junior National team can be found at www.baseball.ca
Eagles College Commitments for 2011/2012
The Eagles are proud to announce that the following players have college commitments in place for the 2011/12 school year:
- Nick Pivetta: RHP - New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, New Mexico (Nick is also a member of the Junior National Team)
- Luke Hawkins: LHP- Vancouver Island University (Luke is a straight A student)
- Colton Lindsay: RHP - Volunteer State Community College in Gallatin, Tennessee
- Daniel Peakman: C, INF - Trinidad State Community College in Trinidad, Colorado (Daniel was a member of the 2010 BC Selects)
- Chase Cuckovich: CF - Riverside Community College (Chase's brother, Nic, was selected in the June MLB draft)
- Ryan Adkins: INF - Jamestown College in Jamestown, North Dakota
- Alex Dumais: OF - Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C.
- Max Newton: INF - Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C.
Congratulations to these players and their families. The Eagles' organization is commited to the development and support of their players both on and off the field. We wish the players the best of luck as they start their education at the college level.
Downey has the Perfect Day
June 5th 2011 will be a date that goes down in Eagles history as Zack Downey threw a perfect game against the Kamloops Riverdogs. Downey was originally scheduled to pitch in relief the previous day but when starting pitcher Nick Dawson had his best outing of the season, there was no need to enter Downey into the game.
Downey has worked hard in training sessions all season fine tuning his mechanics but with an incredibly deep Eagles pitching staff, he hasn't had a chance to get into a game on the mound yet this season. Coach Ron Holmes told him before the game to stay calm, focus on throwing strikes, and not to worry about plays made or not made behind him as he has no control in those situations. The coaching staff hoped to get three strong innings out of Downey and were keeping him on a low pitch count to ease him onto the mound. Throwing only 50 pitches with over 80 % strikes, pitch count became a low priority and getting him runs to work with and playing solid defense turned into the team's focus.
Downey finished up the game striking out 6 Kamloops batters and only allowing two balls to leave the infield, both fly balls to the right fielder in the first inning. He was given plenty of run support to work with, having every player in the line up but two, scoring at least once in the game. Offense was highlighted by a first inning home run by Colton Wood and a bases loaded three RBI double by third baseman Dakota St. Laurent.
The Eagles organization and the bantam coaching staff would like to congratulate Zack on this monumental achievement, and thank every player on the roster for their contributions in this game. This accomplishment could not have been possible without the efforts of right fielder Colton Wood who made a terrific running catch in the first inning, third baseman Dakota St. Laurent and second baseman Nick Dawson who both made the majority of defensive plays in this ball game; and of coarse catcher Matt Wellington who called the pitches behind the plate.
Coach Srivastava Named Manager of BC Selects
The Victoria Eagles are pleased to announce that Gautam Srivastava, hitting coach with the Junior Premier and the Premier Eagles and Baseball Canada’s 2011 Coach of the Year, has been named as the Manager of the 2011 BC Selects. The BC Select team is comprised of the Province’s best Grade 10 and 11 players and represents BC at the Canada Cup, Baseball Canada’s National Championship Tournament taking place this year at Moncton, N.B., between August 10 and 15. He will be joined by assistant coaches Cory Eckstein (Coach - Junior National Team), Doug Mathieson (Manager - PBL Langley Blaze) and Andy Rempel (Manager - PBL Abbotsford Cardinals).
Over the years, the BC Selects have served as a springboard to the Junior National Team and beyond for players like Justin Morneau, Jeff Francis and Rich Harden. The Victoria Eagles are immensely proud that a member of our coaching staff has been recognized in this way. Congratulations to Gautam from Eagles players, parents, fans and fellow coaches!
Catto Selected for Perfect Game Tournament
Eagles Premier pitcher MacKenzie Catto has been selected for two upcoming showcase tournaments happening this summer, the PG 18U National Championships and the Junior Olympics hosted by USA baseball.
The Perfect Game WWBA 18U National Championship is one of the most important weeks of a high school baseball player's career. An estimated over 500 college coaches from every division level and pro scouts from every Major League organization attend this national college showcase tournament every year.
The Junior Olympic brand spoke for itself as the premier 16U tournament each year since its inception in 1996. Through these Championships, USA Baseball will continue to provide an opportunity for 144 teams to showcase their ability against teams from all across the country as well as provide the exclusive opportunity for players to be considered for the 16U National Team.
The Eagles' organization wishes Mackenzie the best of luck!
3 Eagles Take Advantage of Early Signing Period, and one continues with the Canadian Junior National Team
3 of our Senior Eagles have signed letters of intent for the 2011-2012 College Season.
Colton Lindsay (RHP) has signed a letter of intent with Volunteer State Community College (Gallatin, TN). Volunteer State Community College baseball competes in the TCCAA and the NJCAA, playing teams across Tennessee and Kentucky. It has traditionally been one of the top teams in the state.
Daniel Peakman (C, 1B) has signed a letter of intent with Trinidad State Junior College (Trinidad, CO). The Trojans are a NJCAA Division I school that compete in Region IX. They have been Regional Champions in past seasons. The 2009 Trojans won the Empire Conference crown with a 24-6 record. They spent much of that season in the top 20 of the NJCAA rankings, and finished the year with 43 wins.
Nick Pivetta (RHP) has signed a letter of intent with New Mexico Junior College (Hobbs, NM). New Mexico Junior College has been one of the top junior colleges in the nation for many years, with multiple draft picks every season from 1991-2010. We also wish Nick best of luck in 2011 with the Canadian Junior National Team. Nick was a big part of a strong pitching staff in 2010 that led the Junior National Team to a strong showing at the World Championships. He will be a team leader in 2011, as this group looks to qualify for Worlds in 2012.
Congratulations to our Eagles! We will announce future college signings as the season progresses.
Provincial Bantam AAA Championship Awarded to Victoria
The diamonds at Carnarvon Park will be baseball central from August 4th to 8th, 2011. The top 10 Bantam (14 and 15 years of age) teams in the province will be playing for provincial gold. The winners earn a trip to the National Championships in Ontario and the silver medalists head to Manitoba for the Western Canadian Championships. The Victoria Junior Bantam AAA Eagles will be the host team and the Senior Bantam AAA team will work to qualify to be the second Victoria team in the tourney.
Plan to spend some time at the park this August and find out what Bob Veale meant when he said "Good pitching will beat good hitting any time, and vice versa".
Shawn Loglisci joins Eagles' Coaching Staff
The Victoria Senior Eagles are proud to announce the addition of Shawn Loglisci to the coaching staff for 2011. Shawn comes to the Eagles after a prolific playing career. Originally drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2005, Shawn went on to a successful college career at both College of Southern Idaho (C.S.I) and Indiana Tech University, a nationally ranked NAIA school. His career was highlighted by a No-hitter thrown versus Concordia which led to NAIA National Player of the Week honours in April 2007. He spent time pitching for the Regina Red Sox of the Western League and also was part of the Victoria Royals squad of 2004.
Shawn is looking forward to working with the pitching staff of the Senior Eagles, and will also spend time assisting the Bantam AAA Eagles as well.
Media Guide Fundraising Policy
The Eagles High Performance Committee have developed a Program-wide fundraising policy for the annual media guide. It's objectives are to balance the contribution of the Eagles' families while also serving the needs of the overall Program. The policy document can be downloaded and reviewed here.
Gautam Srivastava Named Baseball Canada's 2010 Coach of the Year
Monday, November 8, 2010
RICHMOND, BC- Baseball Canada recognized its best at their annual awards banquet. The banquet was in conjunction with the four-day long Baseball Canada Fall Convention.
Lionel Ruhr Coach of the Year Award-Gautam Srivastava (Victoria, BC)
Gautam Srivastava has built an impressive coaching resume while in the province of British Columbia. Most notably, Gautam has had an enormous impact at the high performance area in the province. This past summer Gautam was on the coaching staff of the Gold Medal winning BC Selects at the Baseball Canada Cup where he was the teams 3rd base coach.
Currently, Gautam is the hitting coordinator and manager with the Victoria Eagles Baseball Club, but his coaching duties extend far beyond just one team during the baseball season. Gautam regularly works with at least three different teams during the course of the season including the BC Selects team and the Zone 6 Vancouver Island team for the BC Summer Games, where he led this group of young players to the semi-finals.
In September, Gautam was selected as a guest coach at Baseball Canada’s Mizuno Elite Development Camp in Toronto.
Gautam is a level 3 coach and is a certified NCCP facilitator for Vancouver Island.
This is the 6th time that a coach from BC has won the Lionel Ruhr Coach of the Year Award with the most recent coming in the year 2000 when Dennis Springenatic was the recipient.
http://www.baseball.ca/eng_news_story.cfm?NewsID=1785