A royally fantastic weekend for a local baseball club

The Whitecourt Royals 13U AA team is on cloud nine following a weekend of action in Kitscoty. The group annihilated their competition, taking every game they played. Off-field Manager Jenny Dickson said the weekend had a lot of highs. “We went undefeated for the weekend. We won all five of our games. We played teams from Barrhead, Parkland, Stettler, and Kitscoty.”

In four years together, this is the first time the team has won their tier and a provincial title. It’s also the first time for any Whitecourt Royal team. “We beat all three teams in the round robin on Saturday pretty handily. One team, we even mercied them, so we were done playing after five innings because we were so far ahead. On Sunday, in the semifinals, we played the host team, Kitscoty, which I think was heavily favoured to win our tier this year, but we beat them. Then we went to the final at 3 pm against Stettler, who we had beat in the round robin, and we were able to mercy them after six innings because we were up by ten,” explained Dickson.

The final moments of their last match-up could’ve been taken right out of a movie script, which added to the excitement. “We stole home. A young man we call LW (Lincoln Walt-McGrath) is the best base runner on our team, and he took it upon himself to steal home when the other team was throwing the ball back to the pitcher’s mound. It wasn’t even because of a hit or anything like that. We stole it! His winning run enabled us to mercy Stettler in the final and take the championship.”

The epic ending to the game created a moment of pure joy as the players jumped, screamed, and hugged. “Everybody was freaking out. It was a big blur. We couldn’t believe that it happened like that,” said Dickson. In speaking to her son, Max, following the game, Dickson said the team knew it would happen, even though none of the parents or coaching staff did. “Max said they knew it was coming because they could feel it. My husband, Ray, who coaches third base, had no idea. He didn’t give LW any signs to do it. LW did it all on his own and won us the game. It was awesome.”

Ending the season on a high note has everyone excited for what next year will bring. “I hope it shows that even our small town can do things like this and compete against different cities with way bigger populations. I hope it brings more awareness and brings more people to our town.” Dickson said that with the recent Jays Cares Foundation grant Whitecourt Minor Ball won ($70,000), they hope to see more local action next year. “We could potentially have four double A teams bringing in teams every weekend for hosting if we can get the diamonds spruced up and ready to go. It’s a huge potential for tourism in Whitecourt.”

Currently, there are three Whitecourt Royals teams in Whitecourt; 11U, 13U and 15U. Next year, each of those teams will move up to the next level, meaning that there will be a 13U, 15U and 18U team, leaving an opening for another 11U to join the ranks. “We will have to see if we can get a new group of kids and parents together to form a new 11U.”

Snagging a championship is certainly a confidence boost for kids, and Dickson hopes it shows other kids that baseball is an excellent option for them. “When I was growing up, that was the kind of baseball program we had here, and it kind of died off for a while. We wouldn’t have this program if it weren’t for Dallas Opus, starting these Royals teams years ago. I’m hoping with our success that maybe we can bring baseball back to Whitecourt like it used to be. It’s really starting to catch on, and I’m excited to see where it goes.”

For the 13U AA Whitecourt Royals, Dickson said that she and the coaching staff are beyond proud of them. “Even when people were feeling down, the kids never gave up on each other. We are super proud of their attitudes and winning mentality. They are there for each other all the time. No one gets upset. Everybody is cheering for each other all the time. I can’t wait for next year.”

Most of the kids will stick together next year as they move up, but some won’t quite be old enough yet, which is why she hopes to see another 11U team created. She said that keeping much of the team together makes them stronger and stronger. “It’s really good because all the kids are so close, and they cheer each other on and are great teammates. We are moving through, and most of the coaching staff is staying the same, so it’s great because everybody is growing and moving together.”

Parents interested in getting their children involved in Whitecourt Royals baseball next year are encouraged to join the Whitecourt Minor Baseball Facebook page. Congratulations to the Whitecourt Royals 13U AA team on their Tier 5 Provincial Championship! Team members are Max Dickson, Cam Johnson, Luke Garnier, Lincoln Walt-McGrath, Ty Dowsett, Declan Benson, Cooper Daffurn, Jake Cowie, Cooper Johns-Rowswell, Jacob North, Aiden Milburn, Dante Mantella-Granley, Austin McDonald, and Oakland Black. The coaching staff consists of head coach Jason Benson and assistant coaches Ray Dickson, Craig Cowie, Jason Johnson, and Off-Field Manager Jenny Dickson.