The Abbotsford Angels baseball club are 13U Western Canadian champions.
The Angels represented B.C. at the 13U Western Canadian championships in Saskatoon from Aug. 11 to 14, and played some of their best baseball of the year at the event.
The team opened the tournament with an 11-2 win over North Winnipeg. Micah Bucknam and Noah Thomas were strong on the mound, with Thomas also contributing offensively with a home run. Maguire Wakelyn was four for five with three doubles.
Abbotsford then defeated St. Albert 7-2 in their second game. Brady Fehlauer scored the win on the mound, while Trey Smith and Aaron Vulcano both drove in two runs.
The Angels then dropped their first game of the tournament to Saskatchewan 3-2 to finish second in their pool heading into the playoff round.
In the semifinals, the Team BC bats caught fire. In the first inning the team sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five runs, en route to an 11-0 win over Manitoba. Pitchers Thomas and Dakota Janzen combined for the shutout. Trey Smith was equally impressive at the plate going three for five with two doubles, a home run and seven runs batted in.
In the finals, Team BC took on the number one team in Saskatchewan, and their offensive prowess led them to a 9-2 win. Smith smacked a three-run home run in the first inning, which proved to be all the Angels would need. Pitcher Max Yuen picked up the win, and Thomas was four for four with two triples and a double.
Players on the gold-medal-winning team were: Jack Taylor, Cardell Dick, Joel Robinson, Nick Rabinovitch, Maguire Wakelyn, Aidan Koetsier, Max Yuen, Aaron Vulcano, Connor Krahn, Jack Neil, Noah Thomas, Micah Bucknam, Brady Fehlauer, Dakota Janzen and Treyson Smith.
Coaches for the team are: Tim Smith, Dan Dick, Rob Taylor and Richard Rabinovitch.
For more information on the team and minor baseball in Abbotsford, visit abbotsfordbaseball.ca.