South Delta Padres are 2023 BC Senior AA Champs

SOUTH DELTA PADRES ARE 2023 BC SENIOR AA CHAMPS

“The boys grinded it out . . . . . ..” Ryan Buchanan

Courtesy Baseball BC

The 2023 Baseball BC Senior AA Provincial Championship concluded Monday afternoon in Maple Ridge with the South Delta Padres completing a perfect 5-0 weekend, to win gold with a 13-8 win over the defending champion Poco Blue Jays. The Padres opened the round robin with a 19-3 win over the Poco Phillies before sneaking past the Vancouver Gunners (VRBL) 2-1. A 3-0 win over the South Delta Brewers in the final round robin game, gave the Padres a direct berth into the semi-finals and a Sunday evening off to watch others battle through two dramatic quarter-final games. 

The first QF was a battle between two BC Minor JR Men’s teams, with the South Delta Brewers beating the previously undefeated Vancouver Minor Expos 2-1. The nightcap was a back-and-forth battle between the Kelowna Jays and Poco Blue Jays, with the host Poco side plating the go ahead run with a two out single in the top of the 7th before holding on for an 8-7 win. 

Championship Monday began with a marathon as the eventual champion Padres outlasted the Brewers 5-4 in ten innings. The Poco Blue Jays got revenge for an opening night loss by the Kelowna Pirates in the other semi-final, cruising to an 11-1 win. 

The South Delta Padres became the 4th different team from the 4th different league to win the Senior AA Provincial, in the event's four-year history. 

This year’s tournament was the most competitive thus far as 12 teams entered: three teams from the POCO Men’s 30+ Division, top three teams from BC Minor Junior Men’s (U26), the VRBL’s top team, two teams from the Kelowna Senior Men’s League, and one team from Vernon and Kamloops. “Recreational” baseball continues to expand in British Columbia, but the term does not represent the level of competition in this year’s event.

Congratulations to the Padres – they took a full roster of sixteen players including three Under 22 pick ups.  Throughout their LMBA tenure, they have always had good pitching and steady, often spectacular defense.  In this tournament they added some heavy offense and the overall factors resulted in a well-deserved championship.  Congrats and thank you for being outstanding representatives of the LMBA.