They’re not just representing their academies. They’re playing for their province.
Team Saskatchewan has brought together players from all programs – including Going Yard Academy, Berries Academy and Martin Academy – to suit up in The Road to Okotoks.
They ran roughshod over the competition at the Prairie Qualifiers in Lethbridge and Vauxhall in late May and are hoping to bring that same energy to Okotoks for the first 19U national championship.
Many of the players have gotten to know each other over the years thanks to other Baseball Canada national championships, so Baseball Sask head coach Greg Brons says his staff is focused on just letting them do what they have done time and time again.
“To keep the momentum going, I think we just need to keep staying out of the way,” Brons told Saskatchewan Dugout Stories. “We’ll just give them reminders throughout the tournament about keeping composure and staying aggressive.”
It’s an approach that the coaches and players hope give them an edge as they set their sights on capturing the inaugural Morneau Cup.
PUNCHING THEIR TICKET
Of the 13 teams that suited up in the Prairie Qualifiers, just two weren’t from Alberta – Home Run Academy out of Winnipeg and Team Saskatchewan.
The latter sent an early message by beating up on the Calgary Premier Blues 18-3, following that up with a 13-5 hammering of Dawgs Academy Red.
Things got a little closer in the final two games of the round-robin with a 10-6 triumph over ATHX Academy and a 6-1 win against the Calgary Cubs.
Their only loss came in the semi-final when they fell 9-5 to Vauxhall Academy in what turned out to be the final game of the tournament as rain took over for the other semi and the medal games.
“We treated the qualifier like it was a showcase – at times we were a little too aggressive, but I like that,” Brons said. “I like letting these kids discover their limits and learning from their mistakes, as they are still developing and aren’t a finished product.”
Originally, Baseball Canada had stated only the top three teams from the Prairie Qualifiers would go onto Okotoks, but with one “wild card spot” available, the decision was made to allow all four semi-finalists to punch their ticket.
ONE MORE TIME TOGETHER
While they might not be a traditional academy program like the others heading to Okotoks, Team Saskatchewan’s players are more than familiar with each other.
Most of the team has played together in showcases and tournaments over the last few years, with the most notable being the 2025 Canada Summer Games in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
“I believe the key to our success in Lethbridge and Vauxhall was knowing that this could potentially be the last time playing together,” said outfielder Trentin Kooy.
“We all wanted to play one more time with this group of guys before we go off to college, and that required winning.”
First baseman Rhett Anderson agrees, saying it takes a certain kind of player to wear the green, gold and white of Saskatchewan.
The Hanley native says you need a good attitude and buy into the team-first philosophy because they’re never thought of as a favourite, even though they won bronze at the Canada Games.
“We’re always going in thinking we’re the underdogs and have nothing to lose,” Anderson said. “One thing we have that no one else does is that we’re playing for our province and that’s a huge upside.”
PRIDE OF A PROVINCE
With “Saskatchewan” blazed across their chests, it’s clear winning a national championship, particularly the inaugural Morneau Cup, would mean a lot to the players.
It’s part of the reason Brons and his staff decided not to select anyone in the Morneau Cup Draft – a three-round option for teams looking to expand their rosters with players from teams that didn’t advance to the final 16.
“I believe you have to at least endure a winter or two here first before you put on our jersey,” the Team Sask architect said.
The players, meantime, are now focused on enjoying the experience of one more tournament together and perhaps righting a wrong from the Canada Games.
“Winning the Morneau Cup would mean everything,” Anderson said. “We had that tough semi-final loss against Quebec in August, and this is just another chance to redeem ourselves from that one.”
For Saskatoon’s Kooy, he’s looking forward to the level of competition that a national championship brings as well as the pride involved in representing their respective programs.
In their case: all of Saskatchewan.
“To win the very first Morneau Cup would be super-special to me as well as our province,” Kooy said. “If we can come home with a trophy during our last Sask trip, it would mean a whole lot.”
Team Sask is in Pool B with the Abbotsford Cardinals, Mississauga Tigers and UBC Thunder. You can get your tickets to The Road to Okotoks here or watch all games online here.
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