Riverside Minor Baseball is well represented in this year's Ontario Baseball Association Championships.
Mosquito Major head coach Pat Grondin says seven of the organizations eight AAA level teams, ranging in age from eight to 15 years old, have moved on to provincial tournaments — the most teams of any organization in Ontario.
"Seven of eight have qualified, that is the highest of any organization in the province," he says. "We should be proud of that, hopefully the rest of the teams do well. They're scattered across the province right now."
Both the major and minor Mosquito Division teams are playing at home at Riverside Park in a 12 team tournament.
"It's great to have our home crowd, sleep in our own beds. I think it's the crowd out here cheering for the kids, they have a blast," Grondin Says.
He told AM800 News the team was a little worried the field wouldn't be ready for game time on Friday, but the city and the kids came through.
"The city of Windsor did a great job today, I saw them out there yesterday working on the diamond," says Grondin. "Even the crew here at Riverside, a lot of students put their time in when school was out. Have to give them credit, both the city and the kids."
Royal's pitcher and second basemen Kade Murphy says the park got better as the week went on.
"There were puddles everywhere, I though it wouldn't dry up," Murphy says. "We practiced yesterday and it was fine."
Riverside Minor Baseball Association's Mosquito Major AAA pitcher Kaden Murphy on the hill in the 7th inning against the Hamilton Cardinals at the Ontario Baseball Association Championships at Riverside Park Friday Sept. 1, 2017. (Photo by AM800's Gord Bacon)
Murphy and his teammates held off the Hamilton Cardinals for a 10-9 win in their first game of the tournament.
The finals are Sunday afternoon at Riverside Park. Five more RMBA teams from its Rookie, Peewee, and Bantam divisions are in action throughout the province.
For scores and schedules visit www.riversidebaseball.com.
.@RMBAWindsor Mosquito Majors protected a 10-9 lead for their first win of the OBA Championships at Riverside Park. #cklw pic.twitter.com/JwknTBZ9rq
— Gord Bacon (@baconAM800) September 1, 2017
.@RMBAWindsor Mosquito Majors pull off a 10-9 win over Hamilton in the first game of the OBA Championships @ Riverside Park. #cklw pic.twitter.com/Rjcjyex4bT
— Gord Bacon (@baconAM800) September 1, 2017