The Mid Island Pirates open the 2022 season with a pair of double headers against the Victoria Eagles and Victoria Mariners. (Mid Island Pirates)

By Dan Marshall

First Pitch

Mid Island Pirates to play first full BCPBL season since 2019

Apr 9, 2022 | 10:32 AM

NANAIMO — The 2022 Pirates Premier Baseball League season will be the first true campaign any of the current players have experienced.

There was no senior season in 2020, and the schedule was limited to 24 games in 2021.

Pirates Co-owner, co-general manager and head coach Larson Bauck said it’s been a long time coming for the organization.

“We’re just excited to get back to a regular season, to play some meaningful games that count for something. It’s really good to get back to some normalcy.”

The current squad has a core of mostly Grade 11 athletes.

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“We’re pretty young across the board,” Bauck said. “Our program is getting a wave of youth right now so next year and the year after we’ll be very strong.”

Bauck believes his roster will be solid on the mound, at the plate and in the field.

“This is probably one of the few years you could say we’re fairly strong in all aspects. There’s improvements to be made but we’re well balanced which is good.”

Mid Island starts the PBL season with four straight games against the Victoria area clubs.

The Pirates are scheduled to play a double header at Serauxmen Stadium Saturday, April 9 against the Eagles and then travel down island to take on the Victoria Mariners in a twin bill the following day.

The season is just beginning but already post secondary schools are taking interest in Pirates players who will be graduating high school in the next couple of years.

“Mostly the high end NCAA Division 1 schools are after Grade 11’s. When players get into Grade 12 there’s more junior college and NAIA interest. But the Division 1 schools are very aggressive in the Grade 11 year and sometimes all the way down to Grade 10.”

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