The Nanaimo Pirates’ future looks to be in good hands as the juniors get ready to start a new ball season.
The Palladian Pirates of the B.C. Junior Premier Baseball League open 2012 with road games Saturday (April 14) against the Victoria Eagles.
“It’s a young group, an athletic group…” said Kevin Inch, manager of the Palladian Pirates. “For a lot of them it’s their first time playing high-level baseball. They’re excited to be out here and you’re seeing the growth pretty early.”
The juniors had a strong season last year, winning more than two-thirds of their games, so there are some veterans who know what it takes.
Inch thinks pitching will be a strength of the junior Pirates, though his entire staff is right-handed.
“We’ve got some big guys that throw pretty hard for this level, mixed in with some young guys that are athletic that just have to develop as they go,” said the manager.
The hitting will take time as some of the young players are moving up to a wood-bat league. Inch wants batters to be committed to trying to hit the ball opposite-field.
“They’re not going to be able to pull the ball, with aluminum bats, over the fence,” he said. “They’re going to have to put the ball on the ground and go for a run and use some of the speed they have.”
The BCPBL may be a developmental league, but players want to win. Inch will give everyone a chance to play and contribute.
“There’s going to be a lot of mistakes, and it’s learning from those mistakes which is the most important part,” he said.
GAME ON … The Palladian Pirates’ home opener is May 5 against North Shore.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com
