The Mid Island Pirates 2024 BCPBL campaign starts April 6 with a home game against the Victoria Eagles. (Mid Island Pirates)

By Dan Marshall

Batter Up

Mid Island Pirates set to open 2024 BC Premier Baseball League season

Apr 6, 2024 | 11:43 AM

NANAIMO — The Mid Island Pirates host the Victoria Eagles to start their BCPBL campaign on April 6.

The Pirates went 26-22 in their 2023 regular season and coach Pete Entwistle is looking forward to a new year with lots of new faces.

“We’re excited. We just got back from our spring training trip to Las Vegas. We got lots of work in down there. We’re looking to get after it.”

With only six returning players Entwistle said the culture will be different this year.

“We’re looking for them to step up in a leadership role. We lost quite a few good leaders last year but I’m confident the senior class we have is ready to fill those shoes. Our Grade 11 group is talented and we’re looking for them to fill a role this season.”

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Entwistle said the Pirates should be a strong hitting team in 2024.

“We have quite a bit of depth with our bats this year. Our pitching is going to need to step up because we lost a few arms from last year. We have some talent there but we aren’t as deep as we were in other years. We going to need our starting pitchers to get five or six innings every time they step on the mound.”

One of Mid Island’s top players Carter Cathers will miss some time in the early part of the season.

He’s heading to Florida April 17-27 for U18 Team Canada tryouts.

“It’s an opportunity to represent Canada,” Entwistle said. “He’s also our lone college commitment right now. He’s scheduled to move his career along at Cloud Community College in Kansas.”

Other Grade 12 players are having conversations with schools in Calgary, Colorado and North Dakota.

Entwistle is confident all of his senior class will have post secondary baseball options.

With four PBL teams on the island the competition will be fierce but Entwistle feels the Pirates will be able to hold their own this year.

“The Victoria teams have a large population to draw from. Parksville went on quite a run last year in the provincial championships, we have a talented group and I’d put us up against any team on the island and on the mainland.”

A major highlight for the Pirates will happen later in the summer when they host a national tournament qualifier.

“We’ve made the national tournament in Fort McMurray the last two years,” Entwistle said. “We’re hosting the qualifier at Serauxmen Stadium in late July. It’s a best of three series and the winner moves on to the nationals in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Hopefully we can play well and make it a threepeat for the Pirates.”

The Pirates and Eagles play a double header April 6 starting at 3 p.m. at Serauxmen Stadium.

Also on April 6 the Junior Pirates are on the road facing the Victoria Mariners and the Bantam Pirates host the Victoria Bantam Eagles.

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