Mitch Calvert
Mother Nature threw the International Falls Little League a curveball this spring with plenty of delays and rain-outs wreaking havoc with scheduling.
“We’ve been squeezing them in between the rain and freezing temperatures,” local Major ‘B’ coach Brent Tookenay laughed last week.
The Major ‘B’ team based out of Fort Frances, comprised of nine- and 10-year-olds, had struggled out of the gates but got their first win under their belts last week.
“Considering we have only three guys who have played baseball before, the guys are doing well,” Tookenay stressed.
“The biggest thing has been finding pitchers because going off the mound that far out is new to guys,” he noted.
“The biggest thing is teaching them how to play the game, and that’s what we’re trying to do most importantly.”
Despite a short season made even shorter by the weather, Tookenay said the players already are making major strides.
“From what I’ve seen from the first game to now, they’re getting better and will be good by the end of the year,” he stressed.
The squad nearly pulled off a come-from-behind win Monday night only to lose 16-12 to “Coca Cola” on a rare summer day weather-wise.
“We were losing games 21-0 at the start of the year, so they are learning quickly,” fellow coach Jim Fowler added.
Games usually take place Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. at Tony Rizzo Field over in the Falls.
The plan is still for the league to wrap up without stretching into July.
“I think it’s up in the air because we’ve had five games cancelled already,” Tookenay noted.
“There’s also pitch counts for the pitchers, so it’s hard to schedule and just play the next day when a game gets rained out, but I don’t think they want to go into July still.”
Meanwhile, the local Major ‘A’ squad of players aged 11-13 has had a rocky start in their own right, with just two wins to show for so far.
The bulk of the squad won last year’s championship in Major ‘B’ but still are adjusting to a higher level of play against older players.
The team lost a narrow 9-8 decision Monday to Northern Lumber, but showed plenty of promise that they are on the right track, as well.
