Great weekend of baseball in Whitecourt

 

Swing, batter! The Whitecourt Slo-Pitch Association hosted a Mixed Slo-Pitch Tournament over the weekend of May 27 and 28. With games all day Saturday and playoffs on Sunday, it was a full weekend of fun in the sun.

Sixteen teams signed up to compete including teams from Grande Prairie and Edmonton which kept the diamonds at Graham Acres bustling with action. Association president, Matt Ogrodnick, said that though the season started off a bit slower than previous years, thanks in part to the weather, things are looking great.

Twenty-seven teams are signed up with roughly 15 players per team and new people can join at any time. “People looking to play can post on our Facebook page (below) and teams will probably grab you because lots of teams have shift workers on them and sometimes they can only field half a team and they’re looking for people.”

Matt was quick to give a shout out to the Town of Whitecourt for supporting them by maintaining the complex area. “The town just gave us new backstops, worked on the fences, and are putting water and sewer to the building which is a big plus for us. The town has also been working with us to get more improvements on the building.”

Signage will also be popping up at the field as some sponsorship comes which will help the players and teams even more. “That goes a long way with some of our needs including the dugouts and the roof on the building. We put the money towards fixing up the diamonds,” Matt said.

With the new campground behind the diamonds, the association is looking to build a walkway over a small river that flows between the two areas. “We are looking to build a walking bridge across the river and we are looking for some donated materials. We need some long logs, 35-feet-long, like power poles, and we need three of them.” The association can also use a few items for their building including new or good working condition appliances such as a stove and a freezer.

To donate items towards the building renovations or to become a sponsor, contact Chelsey Sproule through the association’s Facebook page, “Whitecourt Slo-Pitch Association.”