Northumberland Jacks Host Ontario Baseball Association 8U A Championship This Weekend

Jeff Gard/Today’s Northumberland

The Northumberland Jacks 8-and-under baseball team is the host for their Ontario Baseball Association provincial championship Friday through Sunday at Legion Fields in Cobourg.

Coach Rick Cromlish said the weekend is about more than just the games and results.

“I think the cool thing for the kids and all the families involved…sometimes there’s people who think that OBAs and being in those tournaments are a guarantee and sort of the way it works every year, but not every team qualifies for the OBAs, especially as they move on and get a little bit older,” he said.

Jacks 8U A players are Jude Amos, Ethan Black, Henrik Charysz, Jackson Clarey, Finley Cromlish, Nash Dudley, Jack Gifford, Joe Mercer, Jack Minifie, Eddie Reyns, Brody Skrinek and Maxwell Throop. 

Cromlish said he encouraged his players at practice Wednesday night to appreciate the opportunity in front of them.

“One of my messages to the team last night when we had a practice was just to try to enjoy it, try to appreciate the spot that they’re in for being in a really fun cool tournament and that we’re hosting it.”

The Jacks enter the provincial tournament having put together an impressive season. They posted a 16-2 record during the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association regular season and also won their home tournament.

The team reached the semifinals at a 16-team tournament in London and also advanced to the semifinals at a tournament in Peterborough.

“They’ve definitely developed and we have a strong team for sure,” Cromlish said.

That development has come not only from the players’ ability on the field, but also from the relationships they have built with one another.

“They’re all very talented kids, they’re athletic kids,” Cromlish said, adding that “they’re all very nice kids.”

He believes the team’s camaraderie has been an important part of its success.

“They get along with each other very well. They all go to different schools because Northumberland is a pretty big area so there’s very few that are in the same school so after the team was selected at the end of September last year we had practices together and really focused on making sure they were seeing each other a lot and getting to know each other.”

Cromlish said that chemistry has translated directly to the field.

“They all want to cheer for each other. There’s no inner conflict or inner competition. They all want to do well for the team.”

At the 8U level, games are played with a pitching machine rather than live pitching, putting the emphasis on hitting, fielding and teamwork as the young players compete.

The Jacks will open the provincial championship Friday morning at 9 a.m. against St. Catharines at Legion Fields. Their second game will be Friday afternoon, with the opponent determined by the result of the opening game.

The tournament uses a double-knockout format, meaning teams must lose twice before being eliminated from the provincial competition.