Just three seasons after the program鈥檚 inception, theare sitting at the apex of
On a hot, sunny Sunday afternoon at Edith Gay Park, the host Sun Devils lived up to their name by laying claim to the 2017 provincial championship with a 6-0 victory over the Cloverdale Spurs.
In following up on a stellar regular season when they posted a 30-8 record to finish in first, the Sun Devils met all expectations at provincials with a perfect 6-0 mark.
While a level of skill and talent clearly played key roles in their run to the title, head coach Rob Law said Sun Devils鈥� players were also rewarded for their grit and determination鈥攃haracteristics his club displayed right from the season鈥檚 first pitch.
鈥淓very day these guys laid it on the line, everyday somebody was getting injured, the way they hustled, getting dirty, getting hit at the plate, they were just non-stop warriors,鈥� said Law. 鈥淓verybody every other day stepped up. It was amazing, an amazing run, I still can鈥檛 believe it. I鈥檓 in awe of these young men.
鈥淚 pushed them, I wasn鈥檛 easy on them and they were just amazing. I鈥檓 so proud of them.鈥�
In Sunday鈥檚 final vs Cloverdale, rookie Dreyton Nelmes tossed 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball for the second time in the tournament, while Gavin Barrett sealed the deal getting the last four outs.
Tyson Lamb paced the offense with a pair of hits and an RBI, while Jackson Sowerby added some insurance with a home run in the sixth inning.
The Sun Devils faced their greatest adversity of the weekend in the semifinal on Sunday morning against South Fraser, rallying from behind for a dramatic 8-7 win.
Down 6-1 to the Giants after just three innings, Nathan Ringness-Law came in and pitched four innings of relief to keep the Sun Devils within striking distance. That set the stage for the comeback, which included Jay Taylor鈥檚 two-run home run in the sixth inning to tie the game 7-7.
Then when Jackson Sowerby delivered a walk-off single to score James Guidon, the rally was complete and 琉璃神社 was off to the championship game.
Law said it was yet another example of the heart and resolve the Sun Devils have played with all season.
鈥淒oesn鈥檛 matter whether we鈥檙e down six or down one, we just don鈥檛 quit,鈥� Law said. 鈥淲e told them coming in you鈥檙e seeded number one, everybody鈥檚 going to be coming after you and you have to play hard.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to do whatever it takes to get the job done. It鈥檚 a gritty, tight group of young men.鈥�
As for what winning the B.C. 18U AAA league title means for the Sun Devils, Law said it鈥檚 further validation that the program is working.
鈥淚t鈥檚 speaks volumes to where our program has gone to in three short years, and we鈥檙e building with our bantam triple-A program, with the (Central Okanagan Minor Baseball Association) and our executive,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got a high performance program and it鈥檚 working, it鈥檚 showing鈥t shows the dedication of the coaches, the executive, the parents鈥攊t takes everybody.鈥�
As Team B.C., the Sun Devils will now get set to represent the province Aug. 10 to 14 at the in Kingston, Rhode Island.
The B.C. champion Sun Devials are:
Noah Ringness-Law, Kurtis Wall, Gavin Barrett, Noah Foufoulas, Jay Taylor, Tyson Lamb, Spencer Klassen, Jackson Sowerby, Jordan Laidlaw, Mat Aschenbrenner, Jaimes Guidon, Nathan Ringness-Law, Matt Fuchs, Dreyton Nelmes, Logan Bligh, Alex Thompson and Carson Moberg.
The coaches are Rob Law, Jeff Bligh and Jeff Thompson.
