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BMSA puts in bid to host U-14 Fastpitch Championships

Oct 4, 2016 | 2:00 PM

The Battlefords Minor Softball Association (BMSA) placed a bid this week to host the 2017 U-14 Western Canadian Fastpitch Championships.

Each year, a different Western Canadian province hosts the tournament and next year is Saskatchewan’s turn. The latest possible date for the BMSA to find out if they are successful would be December 15, but it’s likely the announcement will come in November.

“The bid is pretty simple,” BMSA executive Chris Belanger said. “We show what we have for ball diamonds. It will be at the Battleford Flats if we do. That’s one of the nicest ball diamonds. We’ve got four good diamonds down there that are regulation for fastball.

“And you have to show that you have enough hotels, rooms and campgrounds to house that many people for the weekend.”

As part of the bid, a $150 deposit fee was included, which is 10 per cent of total host fee. Only the winner’s deposit will be kept, as deposits will be returned to unsuccessful bidders.

The deadline to submit an application was October 1. Belanger said he doesn’t know what other communities put their hat into the ring. Softball Saskatchewan board members will review the applications in the next several weeks.

“Our whole Battleford Minor Softball Association, we’re all in it for the same thing – we love watching the kids play ball,” Belanger said. “[The event] brings a lot of people to town.”

Two years ago, Battlefords hosted the U-18 tournament.

“It was great,” Belanger said. “I wasn’t involved in that one as much but we went down to watch a lot of games and the stands were packed down there.”

Last Thursday, Battleford town council put their support behind the BMSA for the bid.

Belanger said having that support means a lot.

“It shows that we’ve got the support from the whole community, from the town of Battleford, to the city of North Battleford, from the hotel association, from the chamber of commerce, all the businesses in town.”

If the bid is successful, the tournament would take place in June or July of 2017.

 

Nathan Kanter is battlefordsNOW’s sports reporter and voice of the Battlefords North Stars. He can be reached at Nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca or tweet him @NathanKanter11