NDBL season not far off

March 19, 2014 · 0 Comments

It may not look like it, but the start of the North Dufferin Baseball League season is just over a month away.

Whether or not the ground crew will have to shovel snow on the baselines remains to be seen, but we’re betting that Spring will finally take hold and dry up the diamonds for opening day.

The season is scheduled to get underway on May 3.

There are 15 teams in the Senior division including local entry – the Mansfield Cubs.

The Cubs will be returning to their home diamond at the top of the hill in Mansfield.

The Mansfield diamond is a fun venue – even if the occasional foul ball makes it over the left field fence and onto Airport Road. Rumour also has it there there are scores of missing balls to be found in the soy field on the other side of the road.

The Cubs had a good start last year before going into a mid-season slump, then rallying late in the schedule to put some more wins behind them.

They ended the regular season with a 10–15–1 record and didn’t qualify for the playoffs.

At the annual general meeting and awards ceremony held in Lisle on March 9, Mansfield’s Rob Kinsley shared the ‘best catcher’ award with Bolton Brewer’s Adam Wallace.

Kinsley also was honoured with the ‘most home runs’ award after knocking seven out of the park last year and chalking up a .459 batting average.

The Cub’s Tyler Linger was awarded the ‘most sportsmanlike player’ trophy.

All the other teams from last year will be returning this season as well as the team from Orangeville that took last season off after having some difficulty filling the roster.

The Senior division will play a 28 game schedule.

In the Junior division of the NDBL, the line-up will expand this season with the addition of Aurora, Collingwood, Ivy, and Midland.

Returning teams are Alliston, Barrie, Creemore, and Orillia.

Two teams from last season –Stayner and Ininsfil – won’t be fielding teams for 2014.

The Junior division teams will play 21 games for the season.

The full schedule for both divisions will be on the League’s website at www.NDBL.ca as soon at it is finalized.

By Brian Lockhart