With their regular season now behind them (story A30), the Quality Foods Parksville Royals will trade in their uniforms to represent British Columbia in the 2015 Western Canadian Midget AAA Championships.
For some, it’s a tune up after the BCPBL season has come and gone but for players like Liam Ballance, it’s one last hurrah before heading on to pursue the game at the next level.
Ballance, who recently graduated from Ballenas Secondary School, is looking forward to having one last handful of games with his teammates and get the chance to represent his province in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.
“It’s going to be fun,” Ballance said. “We’ll have a couple weeks off now that the BCPBL season is finished and then we’ll get right back into it.”
“I’m excited to be able to put on the Team B.C. uniform and represent at the Western Championships, it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
In the meantime, players will use the time off to heal from the long haul of the regular season, giving injuries a chance to heal up and getting a chance to take a breath from the on oing action before it all starts up again at the end of August.
As far as trading in his Royals’ jersey for a Team B.C. uniform, Ballance doesn’t seem to feel there’s going to be all that much that changes, just the logo on the front of the team hats.
“Not much changes really,” Ballance said. “Whether it’s the Royals jersey or the Team B.C. jersey, it’s all baseball and we’re out there to do our best, regardless of who it’s for.”
“Of course, having the chance to be part of a team where you get to represent your home province is always an honour and we’re all really excited to have this chance to do it.”
Once Ballance and his teammates return home from Saskatchewan, the Royals will get right back into the swing of things with their Fall Ball taking place early in September.
Ballance, meanwhile, will be heading off to Vancouver Island University and is hoping to carry on playing the game of baseball at the university level.
“That’s the plan,” Ballance said. “I’d love to be able to continue playing baseball after I’m finished with the Royals.”
“I’ll be attending VIU and I’m going to do what I can to make their team. I’d love nothing more than to be able to keep playing competitive baseball and hopefully it works out for me starting in the fall with the Mariners.”
Ballance hasn’t quite figured out what path he wants to take while at VIU but knows that no matter where his education takes him, the game of baseball will continue to be part of his life.
“We’ll see where I want to go,” Ballance said. “There’s lots of options but I’m just wanting to settle in there for my first year and get used to the university life.”
“Once I get that down, I’ll have a good idea of where I want to take things and it’ll all fall in o place.”