As is often the case, Geoff White and Evan Bailey will be spending much of their weekend immersed in baseball.
Only this weekend, the two 琉璃神社 coaches will be inside Rogers Centre, Canada鈥檚 baseball mecca and home of the Toronto Blue Jays.
White and Bailey are helping guide B.C.鈥檚 U18 team at (T 12) an annual showcase of the top 14- to 19-year-old players in Canada.
The four-day event, hosted by the Blue Jays Baseball Academy, features eight teams and 160 players auditioning their talents for professional and college scouts from across North America.
White, the head coach and manager of the 琉璃神社-based , is making his second trip to Tournament 12.
鈥淭his is a pretty good opportunity to see the best kids in Canada,鈥� said White, who first coached at the tournament in 2o12. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big deal for the kids, one of the most important events of its kind in the country.
鈥淔rom my perspective, it鈥檚 great to be on the field with 20 of the best B.C. kids.鈥�
For White and his Okanagan College program, T 12 is also an opportunity to recruit talent from all across the country.
鈥淭o see all those kids up close and personal is going to be good,鈥� said White, who started the OC program in 2008. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not in a situation too often where you get to recruit kids of that calibre. I鈥檓 going there with the intention of signing at least a couple of kids.鈥�
Bailey, the program director and head coach of the B.C. Premier Baseball League鈥檚 , is making his coaching debut at T 12.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited for the opportunity, to be one of three coaches selected (for Team B.C. ) is an honour,鈥� said Bailey, in his ninth season coaching the A鈥檚. 鈥淭his is the golden nugget of events like this for the kids. It鈥檒l be cool for them, 16, 17, 18, to sit in the same dugout as the Blue Jays and just experience the environment at Rogers Centre.鈥�
One current member of the Athletics, , is in Toronto this weekend. The 16-year-old pitcher from Vernon is on the B.C. Futures team roster.
Three former Athletics have played at past T 12 events鈥擲am Avila, Trevor Lofstrom and Noah Patterson.
B.C.鈥檚 U18 squad will play a minimum of five games at the tourney. The other teams are: Alberta, Prairies, two from Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic and Futures.
Coyotes alumni weekend鈥�
The Okanagan College Coyotes are holding their fifth annual Alumni Tournament this weekend at Elks Stadium. Games are set for 6:30 p.m., both Friday and Saturday nights.
The Coyotes are celebrating their 10th season in the Canadian College Baseball Conference.
Twenty alumni players from the club鈥檚 first nine seasons will take part in the games against the current Coyotes鈥� squad.
Admission to the games is free.
