By Chad Klassen

Kamloops Senior Men’s Baseball League hoping to keep growing

Jul 17, 2018 | 6:19 PM

KAMLOOPS — When players move on from the Kamloops Minor Baseball Association, some have the opportunity to play college baseball, whether it’s here at TRU or elsewhere. 

For the hundreds of others who don’t, however, that’s often the end of their baseball careers. But for three years now, a group of Kamloops ballplayers have been running a senior men’s baseball league. 

It gives many who love the game an opportunity to keep playing with a variety of talents in the four-team league. 

“There’s a great mix. There are guys that haven’t played organized baseball in 20 years. There are guys that played university ball last year. There are guys that have never played organized baseball,” says the league’s co-organizer Tyler Carpentier. “It’s a really healthy mix. The nice thing is, a lot of the guys that come out, if someone is struggling or somebody’s learning, they’re happy to teach them. So it’s a healthy atmosphere.”

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The league is in its third season, playing out of Norbrock Stadium and Canada Games Field with three full-time teams, up from the two last year, as the Midget AA Riverdogs who play every Monday. 

The third team that joined this season, Team Red, consists of AA Riverdogs players that graduated last year.

“I’ve played baseball now since I was four, so that’s 15 years now,” says player on Team Red Delray Willis. “I’ve been playing competitive baseball since I was a first-year Mosquito and been doing it ever since. I’m 19 now, so it’s been a long journey of playing ball. I want to keep going.”

Without the league, many of the players wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity to play. Most are young guys recently graduated from Kamloops Minor Baseball, or a few from the college ranks. 

But there are also guys like Dave Arthurs who’s been playing the game, in many capacities, for 50 years. 

“It’s kind of hard to call it senior baseball when we’ve got a bunch of young guys,” Arthurs jokes. “But it’s a combination of young athletes, 17-18, right up to myself and Len Goen. He’s 62 and I’m 57. We’re the senior guys. It’s challenging, right, but it gives us a reason to stay in shape, and when you’ve got 30 years difference between some of the guys you’re playing against. It really makes you think about why you’re out here. It’s interesting and fun. Keeps you young.”

For the first time this season, there is something to play for. The winner of the league in August will earn the right to play for a provincial championship. 

“It puts a little bit more on the line and guys really enjoy playing for something,” says Carpentier. “It’s more than just getting out to the ballpark, which is great. We’ve actually got standings. There’s a little bit on the line for it, so it makes it a lot of fun.”

The players hope it will encourage more to join, so the league can keep growing. 

“I’d love to see the league become something that everyone can come out and watch, something that’s similar to TRU baseball that they can hold to the same standard, as KMBA baseball, and really help grow the league as it is,” says Willis.