News | Victoria Eagles Baseball

2012 Premier Eagles Season Preview

Sun, 08 Apr 2012 10:48:56 -0700

The Victoria Eagles are looking forward to a 2012 season that will first and foremost focus on player development. Manager Gautam Srivastava will be assisted by hitting coach Dave Auger, pitching coach Shawn Loglisci, defensive coach Jay Longpre, and practice coach Marty Hall.

PITCHING

The Eagles will rely on their strong pitching staff this season. Anchoring the squad are BC Selects member Brett Hull and Brendan Miller. Entering their third season in the PBL, Thomas Koop, Daniel Bednarski and Mac Catto will use their experience to guide the staff. Together, these 5 league veterans will help mentor rookies Riley Edmonds and Baseball Canada Mizuno Camp invitee Kurt Horne throughout the team’s demanding schedule.

CATCHING

This year will see a lot of time spent on developing two catchers: Gobind Sall and grade 10 standout Sam Stevenson. In addition to supporting the pitching staff behind the plate, both will also see time in the infield and outfield, respectively.

INFIELD

The infield will consist of 40 Man Selects Camp invitee Vinnie Martin, as well as Brandon Feldman, Jesse Thomson, and Mitch Hawkins. All the infielders have experience playing different positions, providing us with great versatility. Jackson Allabarton will see the majority of the innings at first base so that his bat is in the lineup on a consistent basis.

OUTFIELD

Grade 10 rookie Alex Hendra-Brown will play centre field. His speed and athleticism will help him anchor the outfield alongside Brad Van Wyk and Will Wild. The team’s spark plug, as he has been for the past 3 seasons, continues to be RJ Forbes, who will see time in both the infield and the outfield. His gritty style of play will guide our offense throughout the season.

SCHEDULE

The Eagles will play a 48-game league schedule against the other teams in the BCPBL, beginning April 7th. In addition to league play, the Eagles will also compete in 3 tournaments this season: the Parksville Tournament as well as two college showcase tournaments in Washington State.

2012 Junior Premier Eagles Season Preview

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:58:57 -0700

The Victoria Jr Eagles are starting their 3rd season in the Premier Baseball League with a great group of young and hard working athletes. The main goal of these players is to develop all aspects of their game and achieve their goals of being on the Senior Eagles in 2013. They will be working hard towards arm strength and bat speed throughout the season.

The manager and head coach for this year’s 2012 team is Bob Mabee. He has been involved with baseball in Victoria for over 50 years and has experienced the game at all levels, up to and including the Nationals. To compliment his already extensive baseball background and looking to make their mark, Coach Mabee has surrounded himself with three young and eager coaches, Al Gibson, Kyle McQuisten and Justin Gibson. All three will have a great deal to do with the players developing their skills on and off the field. Rounding off the coaching staff will be veteran advisors Ken Lamberton, Derrick Deveson and Shane Roberts. They will be helping out from time to time and will have the opportunity to pass their baseball expertise onto the young group of athletes.

On the Mound

Taking what they learned last year and working hard during the off season, starters Eric Hegadoren and Jason Heckl, along with Tony Ebbs-Canavan will anchor this year’s pitching staff. New comer Sam Caouette will be counted on to challenge hitters and master the mound. Out of the bullpen, Jack McKinnon, Zane Takhar, Zach Deol and Kyle Murai will work hard for quality innings and round out the pitching staff.

Behind the Plate

Lyndon Simmons presence will be counted on, not only to lead his team from foul territory, but intimidate pitchers from the batter’s box. Supporting Simmons, Tony Ebbs-Canavan and Zane Takhar will be developing their leadership skills and controlling their pitchers.

Around the Horn

As the coaches decide on the best combination, many players on the team will see playing time in the infield. Up the middle you will see Graeme Chong, Zane Takhar, Noah Dalziel, and Austin Wild. Jason Heckl and Jack McKinnon will see time on the corners, along with Deol and Ebbs-Canavan.

Out In The Field

Jordan Parmar, Zach Deol and Kyle Murai each possess exceptional speed and versatility. They will be counted on to play all 3 outfield positions as well as spending some time in the infield. Utility roles go to Austin Wild, Noah Dalziel, Jack McKinnon and Graeme Chong.

Expectations This team will work very hard and the coaching staff feels that each player’s commitment and winning attitude will pave the way for an exciting and memorable season.

Schedule

Coach Bob Mabee has had his players working hard since January with indoor training followed up by an aggressive outdoor spring training schedule. The Jr Eagles will be busy with 44 league games and a few preseason exhibition games. They will also participate in 2 tournaments this season; Kelowna in May and Port Angeles in July.

2012 Midget AAA Announcement

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 07:36:24 -0800

The GVBA Eagles are pleased to announce that a Victoria team will play in the BC Minor Midget AAA League this year. The team will be called the Victoria Selects and will be managed by Rocky Vitale. The Victoria Selects are a cooperative effort between LVI and GVBA to provide players the opportunity to play baseball in Victoria and compete in the BC Minor Midget AAA Baseball League.

2012 Bantam Eagles head inside for winter training

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:50:24 -0800

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

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 07:51:00 -0800

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

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 20:18:07 -0700

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

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:21:09 -0700

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

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 20:50:15 -0700

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

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 06:35:34 -0700

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

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 06:47:31 -0700

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

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 06:46:06 -0700

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

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 20:46:49 -0700

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

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 09:17:29 -0700

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

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 08:57:18 -0700

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.

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

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 08:30:43 -0700

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

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 13:41:01 -0700

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

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 13:35:16 -0700

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

Mon, 30 May 2011 19:15:52 -0700

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

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:44:45 -0800

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

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 22:05:05 -0800

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".