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Aldergrove Dodgers are Western Canada's champs

With only two years in AAA Bantam program Aldergrove Dodgers did the unthinkable by going undefeated during Western Canada Championships
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Aldergrove Dodgers celebrate their sweep of the Western Canadian Bantam AAA Baseball Championships for the gold medals.

The Aldergrove Dodgers are the Western Canada Bantam AAA Baseball Champions after sweeping all five of their games on the weekend.

With only two years in the AAA Bantam program the Aldergrove Dodgers did the unthinkable by going undefeated during the Western Canada Championships. The Bantam AAA Langley-Aldergrove Dodgers are Aldergrove Minor Baseball's representative in the Bantam AAA Division of BC Minor Baseball, and they hosted the Western Canadian Championships at Aldergrove Athletic Park, August 16-18.

The Dodgers started out Friday with a pair of back-to-back wins, an 8-3 victory over Regina Buffalos in the morning, followed by a 6-5 win over Alberta's Okotoks Dawgs in the afternoon.

On Saturday the Dodgers took an 8-6 win over Manitoba South Central, setting the team up for the semi-finals on Sunday. Aldergrove took that game 4-2 over the Saskatoon Braves in Pool B, while the Regina Buffalos defeated Vancouver 4-1 in Pool A, to set the gold medal game that afternoon between the Dodgers and the Buffalos.

The Dodgers defeated the Regina Buffalos 5-1 in the gold medal game. The game saw Dodger starting pitcher and game MVP Jake Polancic (in photo below) take control and he threw a complete game. The Dodgers' defence and bats were solid throughout the tournament and continued that way into the gold medal game.

Consistent with their season, the Dodgers' players showed confidence, team focus and a positive attitude during their tournament play.

The Dodgers' team roster consists of Jaron Jeske, Jake Polancic, Jarrod Manick, Ian Burns, Nick Atkinson, Cole Cantelon, Ken Dubois, Laith Sweiss, Owen Napieralski, Riley Ens, Yi-An Pan, Yi-Fan Pan, Mitchell Rennie, Isaiah Hayes, Kobe Morris, Kyle Stubbins, Samuel Avila, and Brendan Coulter. Coaches are Darren Rock, Dean Cantelon, Marty Van der loos and Dave Watkins.

As everyone knows, fielding a team for this tournament requires the addition of players, and the Dodgers would like to thank Sam Avila, Brendan Coulter, Isaiah Hayes, Kobe Morris, Mitchell Rennie and Kyle Stubbins for joining the team and bringing with them not only their skills but also their positive attitude.

Team manager Dean Cantelon noted that, "Behind this great team is a hard working and supportive group of parents. The coaches and players would like to take this opportunity to thank all the parent volunteers for making the tournament a success. In addition there were many individuals who do not have players on the team who also came out to volunteer and support the Dodgers.

"A special thanks goes out to Lyall and Eric Sharman, Jason and Bret Ducharme and Scott Manick for all the hours spent prior and throughout the championship tournament ensuring the facility and fields were in excellent condition."

Cantelon added, "A championship tournament of this calibre can not happen without the support of local clubs, and thanks go to Mike Kelly of BC Minor Baseball and Patrick Selinger of Aldergrove Minor Baseball for their support. Thanks also go to the sponsors, thank you for your generosity, we could not have done this without your support. A special thanks goes out to Ian Hannaford, Best Western Hotel in Aldergrove, Sandman Hotel in Langley, Toronto Blue Jays and the Township of Langley.

"On behalf of the 2013 Dodgers Bantam AAA Team, thank you to the players, coaches, parents and community for making this year the success it was. We wish all players the best of luck in their future endeavours and remember, 'Dare to be great!'" said Cantelon.

Aldergrove Dodgers' Cole Cantelon is safe at second in the 5-1 final victory over Regina Buffalos, Sunday, August 18 at the Western Canadian Bantam AAA Baseball Championships.

Aldergrove Dodgers' Brendan Coulter made the hit that started the rally for the Dodgers' 8-6 win over Manitoba's South Central Selects, Aldergrove's third successive win on Saturday, August 17.

Hosts with the most: Aldergrove Dodgers' volunteers such as this grounds crew kept the Aldergrove Athletic Park in prime condition for the Western Canadian Bantam AAA Tournament here on the weekend. Many of the out-of-province guests commented on the outstanding quality of the local ball park and facilities here.