Just call them diamond dogs. They are the boys of summer who can’t get enough of baseball.
They are named the Outlaws, Arrows and Adanacs and they welcome newbies to their Vernon Men’s Baseball League (VMBL).
Commissioner Geoff Cleaveley, who credits fellow former Vernon senior Diamondbacks teammate Jason Webster for jumpstarting the loop, is seeking a league sponsor and more players.
Games are played Saturdays/Sundays at Marshall Field (start times vary). The action started two weeks ago and the schedule runs into July.
“We are looking for 10 to 15 more players who would be absorbed by the existing teams,” said Cleaveley. “Any current or former baseball/fastball/slo-pitch players are welcome.”
Nick Jacob of the Arrows is having a blast.
“It’s just fun playing real baseball as an adult,” he said. “The competition level is perfect in that everyone wants to win but it’s still friendly. For me, at the end of the day, it’s the love of baseball in the summertime.”
Added Peter Ortman of the Adanacs: “I like the competition level in that it is more serious than rec slo-pitch, but everyone is still there to have fun. I also like that we only play once or twice a week (on weekends), so there’s not too much of a time commitment.”
Mike Patitucci said that he likes that the VMBL is a very affordable and fun league.
“It’s great that they provide all the equipment, and all players need to bring is a glove, cleats, and ball pants,” said Patitucci.
Cleaveley grew up in Vernon, graduating from W.L. Seaton in 2007, and from UBCO in 2012 with a degree in management.
“While I was going to school at UBCO, I played men’s baseball with the Diamondbacks here in Vernon. I moved around a bit for the next few years, and am now back in the Okanagan and joined the league. I typically play first base or in the outfield, but the great thing about this league is that players get opportunities to try out new positions — I played third base on Sunday for the first time since Bantam.”
The VMBL has a Facebook page entitled Vernon Men’s Baseball League. Their e-mail address is vernonmensbaseball@hotmail.com. Cleaveley can be reached at 403-478-1605.
In play last weekend, the Arrows rallied from two- and three-run deficits before walking off the Outlaws 7-6 for their first win of the season.
Kristian Currie reached and scored three times for the Arrows, while Shelby Hartwig pitched four strong relief innings for the win.
Doug Weaving had a game-tying RBI single to level the score 6-6, Jordan Steel went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, and Kelly Zoethout started and went four innings, giving up five runs for the Outlaws.
Patitucci pitched three strong innings of relief giving, up just two runs.
In doubleheader play Sunday, the Arrows edged the Adanacs 4-3 and lassoed the Outlaws 10-5.
It was a pitchers’ duel between Ortman (Adanacs) and Brenden Bergen (Arrows), who both tossed complete games while Bergen helped his own cause doubling and scoring in the third.
Hartwig helped the Arrows with a two-RBI double, while Cleaveley and Steve Daamen had RBI singles for the Adanacs.
The Adanacs regrouped against the Outlaws 10-5 with veteran Al Rutherford throwing a complete game for the win.
Hits from Rutherford, Webster, Ortman, and Daamen touched off a big second inning. The Adanacs added insurance runs in the sixth with an RBI double from Cleaveley, who later scored on an Ortman sacrifice fly.
The Outlaws had RBIs from Will Sackman and Branden Andersen, with Mike Patitucci scoring twice, and Matt Patitucci going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
