As is often the case, Geoff White and Evan Bailey will be spending much of their weekend immersed in baseball.
Only this weekend, the two Kelowna coaches will be inside Rogers Centre, Canada91Ƶs baseball mecca and home of the Toronto Blue Jays.
White and Bailey are helping guide B.C.91Ƶs U18 team at (T 12) an annual showcase of the top 14- to 19-year-old players in Canada.
The four-day event, hosted by the Blue Jays Baseball Academy, features eight teams and 160 players auditioning their talents for professional and college scouts from across North America.
White, the head coach and manager of the Kelowna-based , is making his second trip to Tournament 12.
91ƵThis is a pretty good opportunity to see the best kids in Canada,91Ƶ said White, who first coached at the tournament in 2o12. 91ƵIt91Ƶs a big deal for the kids, one of the most important events of its kind in the country.
91ƵFrom my perspective, it91Ƶs great to be on the field with 20 of the best B.C. kids.91Ƶ
For White and his Okanagan College program, T 12 is also an opportunity to recruit talent from all across the country.
91ƵTo see all those kids up close and personal is going to be good,91Ƶ said White, who started the OC program in 2008. 91ƵYou91Ƶre not in a situation too often where you get to recruit kids of that calibre. I91Ƶm going there with the intention of signing at least a couple of kids.91Ƶ
Bailey, the program director and head coach of the B.C. Premier Baseball League91Ƶs , is making his coaching debut at T 12.
91ƵI91Ƶm excited for the opportunity, to be one of three coaches selected (for Team B.C. ) is an honour,91Ƶ said Bailey, in his ninth season coaching the A91Ƶs. 91ƵThis is the golden nugget of events like this for the kids. It91Ƶll be cool for them, 16, 17, 18, to sit in the same dugout as the Blue Jays and just experience the environment at Rogers Centre.91Ƶ
One current member of the Athletics, , is in Toronto this weekend. The 16-year-old pitcher from Vernon is on the B.C. Futures team roster.
Three former Athletics have played at past T 12 events91ƵSam Avila, Trevor Lofstrom and Noah Patterson.
B.C.91Ƶs U18 squad will play a minimum of five games at the tourney. The other teams are: Alberta, Prairies, two from Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic and Futures.
Coyotes alumni weekend91Ƶ
The Okanagan College Coyotes are holding their fifth annual Alumni Tournament this weekend at Elks Stadium. Games are set for 6:30 p.m., both Friday and Saturday nights.
The Coyotes are celebrating their 10th season in the Canadian College Baseball Conference.
Twenty alumni players from the club91Ƶs first nine seasons will take part in the games against the current Coyotes91Ƶ squad.
Admission to the games is free.