STRAIT AREA: Granting Mother Nature doesn’t spoil everyone’s fun, the Richmond Amateur Baseball Association (RABA) will start its season this Sunday at the Ned MacDonald Memorial Field in Inverness as the Port Hawkesbury Bucs are slated to visit the host Athletics.
“It’ll be good to have Port Hawkesbury back,” said league president Bruce Joshua, speaking to The Reporter last week just after releasing the 2017 schedule. “They’re a long-standing member of the league who went through some challenges these last few years.
“From all accounts, they seem to have the commitments they need this year, and they’re looking forward to getting back on the field.”
The Bucs suffered from a perpetually short bench last season, necessitating an exit from league play after just six games. While Port Hawkesbury had a rough year, in seasons past the squad was often comparable with the top teams in the league.
The team playing the Bucs on May 28, the Inverness Athletics, had a great season last year. The Route 19 squad captured the Intermediate A provincials. The Athletics also made it to the RABA league championship series, where they lost to the Little Anse Hawks.
It was a controversial finish to the season, as Inverness was unable to field a team for the first two games of the best-of-five series. Inverness management felt the games ought to have been postponed, but the league disagreed. Little Anse won the third game 7-2, leading to their fourth consecutive league title.
“Little Anse is the team that has the target on their back, but we can’t forget Inverness as well who are the defending provincial champions from last year,” said Joshua. “They offered a great caliber of ball last summer too: solid pitching, strong hitting, and they’ll be a contender again this year.”
Also returning to the league are the always dangerous Petit de Grat Red Caps, the St. Peter’s Royals, and the Isle Madame Mariners. Sidelined this year is the Louisdale Baracos, who were unable to come up with the players to field a team.
It’s too bad they’ll be out, said Joshua, but given work-commitments and off-field preparations, it’s understandable. The team will be on a leave of absence for the season.
However, having a six-team league does make scheduling a little easier. Every team will play every other team four times each, twice at home and twice on the road. Single games are nine innings, and double-header games are seven innings.
The playoff format is the same as last season. The first and second place teams are given byes, meaning the first round has two best-of-three series take place. The third and sixth place teams battle, as well as the fourth and fifth place teams.
The second round has the first place team play the lowest-ranked team coming from the first round. The second place team challenges the other first round survivor.
Joshua said he and the league are hopeful locals come out to watch the highly-competitive ball. This year, in an effort to spice things up a little, the Red Cap/Hawks games will take place on Friday nights at the Petit de Grat field. The scheduling is meant to give local fans a Friday night event on a regular basis.
The Red Caps and Hawks have a long-standing rivalry, so any meeting between them is usually spirited.
The league executive remains the same as last season, with Joshua serving as president, Don Boudrot acting as treasurer/secretary, and Eddie Bungay serving as the umpiring chief.
“I hope even more people will come out to the field so they can see their neighbours and colleagues at work play a very good calibre of baseball,” Joshua said, adding he hopes kids will be encouraged to play due to watching the league.
On the subject of developmental play, the RABA executive has arranged for a Baseball Nova Scotia skills camp to take place at the Petit de Grat field on June 10.
RABA Schedule
May 28
Port Hawkesbury at Inverness (2) 1 p.m.
May 29
Little Anse at St. Peter’s 6 p.m.
June 1
Little Anse at St. Peter’s 6 p.m.
June 3
Petit de Grat at Inverness (2) 1 p.m.
June 4
Isle Madame at Port Hawkesbury (2) 1 p.m.
June 6
Petit de Grat at Port Hawkesbury 6 p.m.
June 7
St. Peter’s at Little Anse 6 p.m.
June 9
Little Anse at Petit de Grat (2) 6 p.m.
June 10
Baseball Nova Scotia Skills at Petit de Grat
June 11
Inverness at St. Peter’s (2) 1 p.m.
June 12
Port Hawkesbury at Isle Madame 6 p.m.
June 13
St. Peter’s at Little Anse 6 p.m.
June 14
Petit de Grat at Isle Madame 6 p.m.
June 15
Port Hawkesbury at Petit de Grat 6 p.m.
June 17
Little Anse at Inverness (2) 1 p.m.
June 18
Isle Madame at St. Peter’s (2) 1 p.m.
June 20
Little Anse at Isle Madame 6 p.m.
June 23
Port Hawkesbury at Isle Madame 6 p.m.
June 24
St. Peter’s at Petit de Grat (2) 1 p.m.
June 25
Inverness at Isle Madame (2) 1 p.m.
June 27
St. Peter’s at Port Hawkesbury 6 p.m.
June 28
Port Hawkesbury at Little Anse 6 p.m.
July 3
Port Hawkesbury at Little Anse 6 p.m.
July 4
Isle Madame at Little Anse 6 p.m.
July 5
St. Peter’s at Isle Madame 6 p.m.
July 6
Port Hawkesbury at Petit de Grat 6 p.m.
July 7
Petit de Grat at Little Anse 7:30 p.m.
July 8
St. Peter’s at Inverness (2) 1 p.m.
July 9
Isle Madame at Petit de Grat (2) 1 p.m.
Little Anse at Port Hawkesbury (2) 1 p.m.
July 11
Petit de Grat at Port Hawkesbury 6 p.m.
July 12
Petit de Grat at St. Peter’s 6 p.m.
July 13
Little Anse at Isle Madame 6 p.m.
July 14
Port Hawkesbury at St. Peter’s 6 p.m.
July 16
Inverness at Petit de Grat (2) 1 p.m.
July 18
Petit de Grat at Isle Madame 6 p.m.
July 19
Port Hawkesbury at St. Peter’s 6 p.m.
July 20
St. Peter’s at Isle Madame 6 p.m.
July 21
Petit de Grat at Little Anse 7:30 p.m.
July 22
Inverness at Port Hawkesbury (2) 1 p.m.
July 23
Isle Madame at Inverness (2) 1 p.m.
July 25
St. Peter’s at Port Hawkesbury 6 p.m.
July 26
Isle Madame at Little Anse 6 p.m.
July 27
Petit de Grat at St. Peter’s 6 p.m.
August 6
Inverness at Little Anse (2) 1 p.m.