The Bonnyville Braves couldn’t stack up against the visiting New Zealand team.
It wasn’t a team the men normally get to play on Thursday, June 28.
Hitting the diamond to face-off against the local players was the U19 New Zealand fastball team.
The Braves fought hard against the high-ranking New Zealand team, but lost both of the double-header games with scores of 1-0 and 3-1.
Pitcher for the Braves, Ryan Sabatier, organized the event in hopes of garnering some interest in fastball from the Lakeland community. He thought the Braves facing a top international fastball team would get some attention.
“I think some people perceive baseball to be for boys and fastball to be for girls,” he explained.
The Braves men’s team mainly plays exhibition games they organize with other teams, and participate in tournaments across the region.
“We haven’t had a men’s league, or really any older boy’s fastball teams, since about 2006,” said Sabatier.
The New Zealand team made a stop in Bonnyville as part of their Western Canadian tour.
They were matching up against teams from across the country until July 1.
Aside from Bonnyville, they also played in Wadina, Shelburn, Fleming, Earl Grey, Prince Albert, Thompson, Winnipeg, and Kahkewistahaw First Nation. The tour finished in a Camrose tournament Canada Day weekend.
Head coach Dale Wagner said New Zealand sends a new team every year to gain experience playing ball, and to see how they stack up against Canadian teams.
During their visit, they host a kids mini-camp, and teach them a few tricks of the trade.
“We run four stations for the kids,” explained Wagner. “Once all of the kids have gone through the stations, we play a game and we have fun.”
About 40 boys and girls participated in the local camp.
Sabatier said the main goal was for everyone to learn and to have fun.
