By Robb Fenton

The Lloydminster Pee Wee Rebels softball program is hosting provincials this weekend. Here’s a breakdown for the three teams competing.

Provincial title in sight

They have been almost impossible to beat all season, but the ultimate test will come this weekend.
The Lloydminster Servus Rebels will be the host team for the pee wee A softball provincials this weekend at Legion Ball Park and while they have been very successful all season, they know they will have to be at their best to win.
“We’re really excited. We’ve had a good season so far so the expectations are pretty high. Any tournament like this when it comes down to one game in the playoffs, anything can happen and there are some teams that will be there that if we don’t play our best game, they’ll beat us,” Rebels coach Brett Harvie said. “Everyone is excited and dealing with expectations will be the biggest thing.”
While the team has been very well rounded throughout the season, playing in tournaments both in Saskatchewan and Alberta, Harvie believes the girls he put out on the mound have been a big reason for their success.
“Pitching has probably been our strongest aspect so far this year. Our whole pitching staff has really been lights out against other pee wee A teams in the province,” he said. “That’s probably our strongest point, all three pitchers have done a fantastic job for us all year long.”
Pitching sets the tone, but Harvie said all aspects of the team’s game have carried that at different times and have allowed them to pick up some wins.
“Defensively we’re pretty solid, we don’t make very many mistakes. There’s always going to be a few, but we cover a lot of ground, so that’s good,” Harvie explained.
If there is one thing that Harvie hopes improves during provincials it would be the offence side of the game where the team hasn’t been bad, but he feels can be better.
“Offensively, we haven’t been as dominant or as strong as what I think we can be, but for whatever reason we’ve been very clutch. We’ve come back to win games in the seventh inning multiple times this year, so that’s reassuring,” Harvie said of how his team seems to step up. “It would be nice if we can avoid those situations and go into the seventh inning up a few runs, not down a few, but it’s always nice for the girls to know even if they are down. They can come back and they have that confidence that they are never out of a game.”
The Rebels’ first game is against the Calgary Diamond Devils 97, but Harvie admitted it doesn’t matter who they play, the goal will always be the same.
“We want to get off to a good start. We hope to start off with a win regardless of who the opponent is,” he said.
As hosts, there is some added pressure with friends, family and fans coming out to watch, but Harvie said his team has had lots of support throughout the year and the number of people in the stands shouldn’t bother them.
“I think both – nervous and excited,” he said. “Being the host we’ll have a lot more of our fans around. The families, fans and friends have been great everywhere we have gone this year, whether it is Calgary or Regina or in between, but obviously when you’re at home you get more people out.”
Regardless of who the Rebels play, what situation they are in or which game of the tournament it is, Harvie is confident about his team’s chances.
“I’m pretty comfortable with this group, so it will be good,” he said.
The Rebels hit the field Friday at 1:30 p.m. for their first game and play two games Friday, as well as two Saturday hoping to end up in the finals which go Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
       


B Rebels ready for provincials

The Lloydminster Pee Wee B Rebels will be looking to use their homefield advantage this weekend as they host Alberta Softball Provincials at Legion Ball Park.
The Rebels will have their work cut out for them, but coach Tracy Blanchard is just as excited for Lloydminster to host the tournament as she is about her team’s chances, which she feels are pretty good.
“It’s going to be really good. Everyone is looking forward to the experience and hopefully we have great weather to hold out on the weekend,” Blanchard said with a laugh. “If that happens, all of our volunteers are in place and we are good to go.”
While the team is young and lacks the experience a lot of the teams who will be at the tournament do, Blanchard feels if her team sticks to the basics and does the little things right, they will be right in the mix of things.
“We’ll be right in there as long as we can keep our defence strong and not have any rough innings. We’ll be right there,” she said.
The inexperience is something Blanchard and the team have had to deal with all season, but it hasn’t stopped them from finding success, or at least hanging around with the top teams in the province.
“As long as our defence holds up. We have so many new players it’s totally a learning experience every time we step on the field,” Blanchard said of her young team, who will have to play a near-perfect game in the field. “It probably just comes down to the experience, but if the plays stay routine, we’ll be alright.”
Blanchard admitted taking a different approach a number of times during games because of the team’s strong play at the plate and though it doesn’t allow her team last at-bat, it does give them a chance to jump out to a quick start to build some early momentum.
“We’ve done fairly well on the sticks. When we go to the plate and take the toss at the beginning of the game, I usually want to hit, which is a little bit unusual, but we’re more confident there so I lead off with something that’s more positive for us,” Blanchard said, explaining her unusual decision.
“It tends to end up on a good note for us.”
The Rebels open up Friday morning in the first game of the tournament, taking on the St. Albert Angels at 10 a.m.






‘C’ Rebels ready to learn

Friday afternoon will be the first step in a steep learning curve for the Lloydminster Pee Wee C Rebels.
The Rebels, who are actually a squirt team, will make the jump to pee wee and be the host team for the Alberta Provincial ‘C’ Softball Tournament this weekend, held at Legion Ball Park.
“This will be a learning experience for them. Our squirts are being moved up to the pee wee level so there is going to be a couple of the girls who will be playing four years over their heads. It will be stiff competition,” coach Tracy Blanchard said.
While it will be possible to pull off the upset, it won’t be easy.
“There will be one team there that does very well in the B division and they dropped to C, so they will be really tough,” Blanchard explained.
One of the big advantages the Rebels have is being able to play at home in front of their fans and in their home fields.
“I think the biggest key is we all get to be home together, the A and the Bs hosting as well,” Blanchard said.
Blanchard said the biggest part of this tournament is going to be what the girls learn for the future and what they can take away from playing at a higher level.
“It’s a matter of a good experience for them and if we can keep ourselves error free or as errorless as possible, we’ll do alright,” she explained.
Hosting the LCSA Tournament ‘10 recently will hopefully pay off when the Rebels take the field this weekend.
“It was awesome. We needed to see the pitching, the speed. We needed to have our defence field in all different scenarios,” Blanchard said. “So they got a chance to have that experience out there and there is nothing like playing four or five games in a tournament to have that.”
The Rebels begin their quest for a provincial championship Friday at 1:30 p.m., taking on the Sherwood Park Adrenaline.