A dozen teams from across the province will gather at Evans Park this weekend to contest the U14A provincial girls softball championship.
The ‘A’ level is the best calibre of softball at any age group, Softball B.C. spokesperson Katrina Bull points out, meaning these girls are the best in B.C. at their sport.
“It’s the highest level you can play before you’re paid to play, and they’re a little ways away from getting paid to play,” she said.
The tournament will start at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, with the last games scheduled for 4 p.m. Play resumes at 8 a.m. on Saturday, with playoffs beginning at 4:30 p.m. The playoffs continue on Sunday with semifinals at 2 p.m. and finals at 4 p.m.
There are no Duncan teams in the tournament, but two of the Victoria teams will boast Cowichan Valley content.
The host Victoria Devils 2002 squad is coached by Stan McKinlay and Brian Bull, who will also be guiding the U16 Island team at the upcoming BC Summer Games. The 2002 Devils picked up Katie Murphy from the U14B Duncan RiverCats for the provincial tournament, while the 2003 Devils have added her RiverCats teammate Brooklyn Lang.
The winner of this weekend’s provincial championship will qualify for the national tournament in Winnipeg in August. The competing teams have already done plenty of travelling, including playing at tournaments in Nevada and Colorado.
The provincial championships will serve as a fundraiser for the peewee AAA Cowichan Valley Mustangs baseball team, who will also be hosting their provincial tournament at Evans Park in August.