The Premier Baseball League is back up and running after a one year hiatus. The Mid-Island Pirates have been their season with a slate of games versus the Parksville Royals. (Instagram/Mid Island Pirates)

By Dan Marshall

Batter Up

Mid-Island Pirates on the diamond for first time since 2019

Jun 24, 2021 | 8:54 PM

NANAIMO – Premier Baseball League action is back for the Mid-Island Pirates.

They were on the diamond Thursday, June 24 against the Parksville Royals, the first time playing since the COVID-19 pandemic called three strikes on the entire 2020 season.

The Pirates’ first eight games are against the Royals, a move co-owner, co-general manager, and senior head coach Larson Bauck said was due to uncertainty around travel restrictions in the province.

“It’s a good thing. Parksville has a pretty strong team and some good pitching. It doesn’t really matter who you’re playing off the start. There are competitive teams in the Premier League so it’s never going to be a walk in the park.”

Their series against Parksville wraps on Canada Day, then they play two Victoria-area clubs on July 3 and 4 before returning home for several games.

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They’ll leave the region for the first time for a July 17 game in Langley.

The Pirates are defending their 2019 regular season title where they earned a 38-10 record.

Several players from the squad have since moved on to other opportunities and others, like Connor Caskanette, have garnered professional interest.

Caskanette was one of the early players signed by the West Coast League’s Nanaimo NightOwls who will begin their first ever season in 2022.

Six players currently with the Pirates have already committed to continuing their baseball careers at the post secondary level.

Bauck said the lack of a 2020 season made securing those college spots challenging.

“It was the probably the most difficult year I’ve ever gone through getting kids to post secondary. College coaches were in a log jam because of what COVID created. So many more kids could come back and were still eligible. Once their latest season ended though things did happen pretty quickly.”

The 2021 senior Pirates are made up of four Grade 10’s, two Grade 11’s and the rest of the players are in Grade 12.

Bauck explained the goal for him and his players is two fold: success on the field and moving players on to higher levels.

“The ultimate goal is to move as many kids as we can on to post secondary. Wins and losses are important too. We want kids to learn how to win because that makes you a better baseball player. We also certainly want a championship in the playoff tournament.”

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dan.marshall@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @DanMarshall77