By Dan Marshall

Baseball Week celebrated in Nanaimo

Jul 26, 2018 | 11:06 PM

NANAIMO — Baseball Week in the Harbour City has seen involvement from all levels, and all age groups.
 
And if there’s such a thing as ‘baseball weather’ Nanaimo has seen that this week with temperatures soaring into the thirties.
 
Alumni from the Toronto Blue Jays were in town Tuesday and Wednesday to work with young kids in the two day Honda Super Camp at the Serauxmen Sports Fields.
 
Nanaimo Minor Baseball Association president Mike Holyk says there were 115 kids in attendance for almost eight hours of drills over the two sessions.
 

 
Jays Alumni JP Arencibia played in Toronto from 2010-2013 and says he and the other alumni like Roberto Alomar, Jesse Barfield, and Lloyd Moseby are happy to represent Canada’s only Major League Baseball team and give back to young ball players.
 
“We know that the Blue Jays represent not just Toronto, but all the provinces in Canada. There’s some good talent in this area. James Paxton (Seattle Mariner from Ladner) is from right around here,” said Arencibia.
 

 
The week also includes two charity games at Serauxmen Stadium.
 
Tuesday night a team from McGirr played a group of Nanaimo Minor Baseball Association coaches in a nine inning softball game.
 
The McGirr team was captained by former Jays pitcher Ricky Romero and the NMBA team was led by JP Arencibia.
 
Romero’s team won the game 11-1.
  
On Friday at 6 p.m. a Nanaimo alumni team will play the Victoria Harbour Cats of the West Coast League as the final event of Baseball Week.
 
Tickets for the game are $10 for adults and free for ages 12 and under and available at Center Court Collectibles (North Town Center) and Kirby’s Source for Sports.
 
Funds raised from the those games will be used by the newly formed Serauxmen Stadium Amateur Baseball Association to go towards repairs and upgrades at Serauxmen Stadium and the purchase of much needed on-field equipment.
 
Mike Holyk says they estimate close to $5000 was raised through ticket says, the 50/50 draw, Silent Auction, and other sales on Tuesday.
 
There were also games on tap this week in the Nanaimo Senior Men’s Baseball League and for the Mid-Island Junior and Senior Pirates programs.
 
The Pirates senior team will begin their playoffs with a tough draw on Saturday as they take on the BCPBL’s best team the Langley Blaze at McLeod Park.
 
 
 
dan@nanaimonewsnow.com
 
On twitter: @danmarshall77
 

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