Youngsters from Osoyoos and area who are interested in playing minor baseball this spring and summer are being invited to a winter baseball training camp in Keremeos starting this Friday night.

Kobau Park in Cawston will once again be home to competitive baseball for young baseball players from across the Similkameen Valley this coming summer and the winter baseball camp will get them in shape for league play that starts up in early April, said Marc LePage, who was the general manager of the peewee squad that participated in a South Okanagan league last spring.

“We will be fielding teams to join the South Okanagan Minor Baseball Association,” said LePage. “We have just got the go ahead to ask kids from Osoyoos and Oliver to join the Similkameen teams once again. Our goal is to put together teams made up of kids from the Similkameen and South Okanagan so that we can practice at Kobau Park in Cawston, but play games in Penticton against other teams in that league.”

There were eight peewee players between the ages of 11 and 12 who played for a team that participated in the league last spring and organizers are hoping to have at least that many this year, said LePage.

“Last year we had one peewee team and one mosquito team for players under 11 and this year we’re hoping to have two peewee teams and one mosquito team and maybe even a tadpole team for players under age 9 if there’s enough interest,” he said. “We would need players from Osoyoos and Oliver to join us if that is going to happen.”

It makes sense for young baseball players from Osoyoos and Oliver to play on the Similkameen teams as Cawston is much closer to Penticton and there is currently no organized baseball for youngsters living south of Okanagan Falls, he said.

The facility in Cawston now features a proper pitching mound and is a quality facility, said LePage.

Minor baseball has been offered in the Similkameen region for many yaers, but after age 11 the local program stopped and a group of parents worked together to turn that around last year with great success, he said.

“Last year, coaches took the initiative to invite kids from Cawston, Keremeos and Osoyoos to play baseball and over 24 kids participated, which made us all very happy,” he said. “We’re hoping for even better response this year.”

“Our hope is that kids have fun while learning the game of baseball,” said longtime baseball coach John Weber. “This is a great opportunity for kids to play on a team and we are excited about the upcoming season.”

The winter baseball training camp that kicks off this Friday evening will continue for six consecutive Friday evenings inside the gym at Similkameen Elementary Secondary School (SESS) in Keremeos. The sessions begin at 6 p.m. and will continue until 8 p.m.

All Osoyoos boys and girls born between 2001 and 2007 are invited to participate, said LePage.

“Coaches are looking for kids to express interest in joining our spring league as deadlines for joining the league in Penticton is just around the corner,” he said.

The spring league will run from early April until the middle of June.

For players who want to play all summer, they will be able to join a summer league that runs out of Penticton and plays ball against teams from Penticton, Summerland, West Kelowna and Kelowna, he said.

For more information, contact LePage at 250-499-4235 or email him at [email protected].

KEITH LACEY

Osoyoos Times