Year: 2009

On the road with the Jets – Day 3!

Las Vegas, Nevada –

Today was another travel day filled with unneccessary, excess napping by all players (and coaches), a single lunch stop at the only respectable looking stop between Twin Falls and Las Vegas along the I-93, and a welcome respite from single digit temperatures. We got up at 7:30 to leave Twin Falls by 8. Not even a half hour into our trip Terry flew through a small town at around 20-25 mph over the speed limit and was quickly pulled over by your typical American highway patrol officer: middle aged, bald, and very proudly wearing a pair of large aviator sunglasses – very Super Troopers-esque. He tore into Terry for all of five minutes and off we were without a ticket. 
 
The bus trip went relatively quickly from there on and we made great time arriving in Las Vegas at 3:45 PM Las Vegas time (one hour ahead of Alberta time). We were greeted by 29 degree Celcius weather and not a breath of wind. From there we checked into the Travelodge, went for supper at Blondie’s, a popular sports restaraunt and bar located within Planet Hollywood’s buildings. From there Coach Mac cut us loose for a few hours to roam around the Miracle Mile shops located beside the Planet Hollywood complex. Curfew was for 10:00 as we have two tough games scheduled for tomorrow against Sierra Vista HS and Green Valley HS at 2:30 and 7:00 respectively. 
 
-AC

On the road with the Jets – Day 2 with Game Recap

Twin Falls, Idaho –

6:45 AM – Twin Falls, Idaho
 
Woke up for 7:15 breakfast downstairs which proved to be delicious and a good way to start a successful day. Weather outside was chilly around 8 degress Celcius with a cool breeze. The rain stayed off all day which was nice. Headed to the park at around 8:30, Twin Falls High School takes very good care of their ballpark and it showed as it was one of the nicer high school fields most of us have ever played on. 
 
10:03 AM – Twin Falls HS Field
 
Game starts on time. The game ended up in an 8-6 Academy victory but it was a journey to get there as the game was one of our uglier wins thus far this spring and one we hope to leave behind, but also learn from. We came out flat as a group and got down 3-1 after one inning. Jordan Wong battled his way through three innings allowing three runs on only two hits, but struck out four. He walked one and hit two batters. The game maintained a slow, steady pace through the middle stages until Twin Falls added two more runs in their half of the fifth inning off of Tyson Denham who worked 1.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits, striking out one and walking one.  Down 5-1 at this point, we came in the dugout, collected ourselves and broke out in the top half of the sixth. Aided by a Bilodeau home run (on his 18th birthday) that scored three, a Heller RBI single, and an impressive pinch running performance by pitcher Cole Stober, we were suddenly ahead 6-5. Victor Caruso came on in relief and pitched his way to his second consecutive win. He allowed the tying run in the bottom of the sixth but was picked up by Mike Washburn’s bases loaded 2-run single in the top of the seventh inning paving the way for an 8-6 Jets win.

12:35 AM – Twin Falls HS Field
 
Game two proved to be a breakout offensive game for the Jets. A combination of plenty of good at bats strung together, along with a depleted Twin Falls pitching staff – it was their fourth game in the past two days – proved to be the recipe for success for us this game. The game was only five innings long due to the ten run mercy rule. We managed 18 runs on 18 hits. Highlights of the offensive fireworks were home runs by Tyler Hayes, Jean-Guy Bilodeau’s second of the day, and a deep grand slam by Matt Clark. We put the game well out of reach with a 13-run fourth inning in which we plated the first ten batters we sent to the plate. Our pitchers all threw the ball very well with Steven Inch starting and throwing 2 solid innings, followed by Tyler Vavra who pitched very effectively even if the numbers don’t suggest that, and Brandon Petite settled in to strike out the side in the fifth inning after walking the lead off batter on four pitches. 

This pushes our record to 9-1-2 overall.  The double header sweep breaks the Twin Falls Bruins 14 game winning streak.
 
Following our games, we got a chance to catch the second half of a doubleheader between the College of Southern Idaho (CSI) and Salt Lake City CC. Ties to CSI run deep in our program: Coach Jim Kotkas attended the college for two years, three Academy alumni currently attend CSI (Dale Anderson, Tanner Craswell, and Lionel Morrill), and two current players (Tyler Vavra and Jean-Guy Bilodeau) have committed to join the Golden Eagles for the 2009-2010 year. It’s always fun to see former players competiting at the next level. CSI took won three of four games this weekend against Salt Lake City CC this weekend.
 
Next up for the Jets is a team meal tonight followed by an early curfew so we can get up to leave for Las Vegas tomorrow morning at 8 AM. The trip from Twin Falls to Las Vegas is 8 or 9 hours.
 
-AC

On the road with the Jets – Day 1

6:30 A.M. – Just outside Vauxhall.
 
It’s 6:30 a.m. and I’m already blogging, what a wonderful existence. Today marks the first day of the Jet’s 11-day road trip deep into the heart of the Midwest United States to play alotta baseball, have a little fun, and get some much needed sun. I’m Austin Cooper and I’ll be posting daily updates chronicling the Vauxhall Jets while on the road. Check here daily for game scores complete with player reaction, as well as a behind the scenes look at what your favorite players are up to throughout the day.
 
6:41 P.M. – Twin Falls, Idaho
 
As predicted, the ever reliable Terry got us to Twin Falls safely, we got our normal bus day lunch stop, and Victor Caruso didn’t muster up more then five words the entire twelve hour trip. The weather is suspect thus far with constant showers but the sun is beginning to peak out far to the west. A pretty uneventful day altogether; a much needed supper at Applebee’s tonight where we’ll be joined by former Jet Tanner Craswell (2008 graduate attending College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls) who also needs a meal pretty badly as he’s struggling to figure out how college life works. Curfew at 10 PM tonight and game time at 10:00 A.M. tomorrow for a doubleheader against a Twin Falls HS team with a 15-1 record thus far this year.
 
And remember today is Good Friday, so please take a small part of your day to be thankful for what you are blessed with each day.
 
-AC

Jets go undefeated to win the Best of the West!

Kamloops, BC –

The Vauxall Academy started Sunday morning with a 5-2 victory over the Langley Blaze.  This was the 2nd victory over the Blaze in 3 days.  Although, stats were not available at the time of the posting Taylor Simmonds threw 4 solids innings for the no decision.  Tyler Vavra earned the victory going the final 3 inning scoreless.  Offensively, Mike Washburn had the big hit with a bases clearing double in the bottom of the 5th inning to push the score to 5-2.

After the Jets advanced – they meet up with the only other undefeated team – North Shore Twins  – coached by Hall of Famer – John Haar.  Jamin Heller earned the no decision with 4 plus solid innings.  Victory Caruso earned the victory in relief including a big bases loaded strikeout in the top of the 7th with the score tied at 3 a piece.   Jean Guy Bilodeau had the first RBI.  Mike Washburn was again a hero with a big game tying double in the bottom of the 5th and the game winning RBI in the bottom of the 7th.  Daniel Worb had a huge lead off double to start the rally in the bottom of the 7th inning. 

This pushes the Jets record to 7-1-2 overall and 5-0 in the tournament.  Next action is Saturday April 11th in Twin Falls, Idaho vs Twin Falls HS.  The Jets will continue on for 8 days to Las Vegas.

Jets beat Kelowna to finish as the #1 seed!

Kamloops, BC –

The Vauxhall Academy beat the Kelowna Cubs 7-0 behind a great start from Jordan Wong who earned the victory going 5 innings allowing 0 hits, 8 K’s, 2 BB’s.  Victor Caruso threw solid inning allowing 1 hit, 1 BB with 1 K.  Tyler Vavra struck out the side to close out the game.

Offensively the Jets were led by Shane Zimmer who was 1-3 with 2 RBI’s and a double.  Tyson Denham was 1 for 1 with an RBI.  The Jets capalized on several walks and wild pitches from the Cubs. 

This pushes the Jets record to 5-1-2 overall and 3-0 in the tournament. 

The Jets got a by to the semi-final and play at 9:30 am Sunday with the opponent yet to be determined.

Jets take 2 to open up the Best of the West!

Kamloops, BC –

The Vauxhall Academy opened up a cool and windy day in Kamloops with a 12-1 victory over St. FX Academy in the opening game.  On the mound Cole Stober started and went the distance on the mound going 5 innings allowing 1 unearned run, 3 hits, 6 K’s, 3 hits, with 3 BB’s to earn the victory.  Offensively the Jets were led by Tyson Denham who was 2 for 3 with a double and 2 RBI’s.  Josh Stephenson had a double, Adam Nelubowich, Jean Guy Bilodeau, Mike Washburn, Jamin Heller all had 1 hit each. 

Game 2 saw the Jets beat the Langley Blaze by a score of 2-0.  Steven Inch started on the mound to earn the win going 5 innings allowing 2 hits, 3 K’s, with 0 BB.  Brandon Petite earned the save going 2 innings allowing 0 hits, 0 runs, 3 K’s, with 2 BB’s.  Offensively the Jets were led by Mike Washburn, Matt Clark, and Kym Barthel who all had 1 hit each. 

This pushes the Jets record to 2-0 in the tournament and they match up tomorrow at 2 pm PST against the Kelowna Cubs. 

The Jets overall record is now 4-1-2.

Best of the West Field Directions!

Below is a press release from the tournament organizers in Kamloops.  Lets hope that the weather holds for us.

Good day Coaches, Managers, Parents and Players:

It’s the countdown to the 2009 KR3 Best of the West Tournament and weather
is looking good. REMEMBER, Kamloops and Penticton are part of the Sonora
Desert (the extreme north end) which means dryer climate and weather. It
is forecasted to be brisk for this time of the year, in Kamloops we are
looking at highs of 7 on Friday climbing to 12 by Sunday, but freezing in
the night, so early games and later games expect colder temperatures. In
Penticton,it will be much the same.

It’s springtime, so be dressed for it. I have included the link for
directions to the fields in Kamloops:

http://www.kamloops.ca/pdfs/maps/MacIsland.pdf

4 more Jets make college committments!

Vauxhall, AB –

The entire Jets organization is proud of the following 4 student-athletes who have commmitted to collegiate baseball programs for 2009/2010.  It is exciting for these young men to get one step closer to their dreams. 

C – Josh Stephenson – Strathmore, AB – has committed to play for Canadian Junior College powerhouse Prairie Baseball Academy Prairie Dawgs  in Lethbridge, AB.  Form more details on PBA: www.prairiebaseball.com

RHP – Jordan Wong – Calgary, AB – has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for NJCAA Division 1 – Hill College Rebels in Hillsboro, Texas.  For more details on Hill College: http://www.hillcollege.edu/athletics/?aid=1&dept=15

RHP – Tyler Vavra – Calgary, AB – has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for NJCAA Division 1 – College of Southern Idaho Golden Eagles in Twin Falls, Idaho.  For more details on the Golden Eagles: http://athletics.csi.edu/baseball/index.asp

C – Jean-Guy Bilodeau – Winnipeg, Manitoba has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for NJCAA Division 1 – College of Southern Idaho Golden Eagles in Twin Falls, Idaho.  For more details on the Golden Eagles: http://athletics.csi.edu/baseball/index.asp

Committs earlier in 2009

OF/3B – Adam Nelubowich – Stony Plain, AB – signed a National Letter of Intent with NJCAA powerhouse Midland College Chaps in Midland, Texas.   For more details on Midland College: http://www.midland.edu/athletics/baseball/

RHP – Cole Stober – Vauxhall, AB – signed a National Letter of Intent with the NAIA Minot State Beavers in Minot, North Dakota.  For more details on Minot State University:  http://www.minotstateu.edu/baseball/program.shtml

RHP – Brandon Petite – Glace Bay, Nova Scotia – signed a National Letter of Intent with NJCAA powerhouse Gulf Coast Commodres in Panana City, Florida.  For more details on Gulf Coast College: http://www.gcathletics.com/AthleticTeams/MensBaseball/Baseball-index.html

RHP – Steven Inch – Edmonton, AB – signed a National Letter of Intent with NJCAA powerhouse Midland College Chaps in Midland, Texas.  For more details on Midland College: http://www.midland.edu/athletics/baseball/

Bishop Gorman Tournament Schedule announced in Vegas!

 

17th Annual Easter Classic Pairings (April 15-18)

POOLS:

  • Pool A — Bishop Gorman; Churchill County, NV; Cornerstone Christian, TX; Highland, UT
  • Pool B — Douglas, NV; Montclair Prep, CA; San Benito, CA; Bishop Gorman 2
  • Pool C — Bishop Manogue, NV; Dublin, CA; Galena, NV; Newbury Park, CA
  • Pool D — Damonte Ranch, NV; Irvine, CA; South Tahoe, CA; Vauxhall, Canada

Wednesday, April 15 Games (Home team listed second)

(Note: Please check back periodically, in case of changes; If there is a change it will be highlighted in blue)

(at Hadland Park):

  • 8 a.m. — Galena vs. Bishop Manogue
  • 11 a.m. — Dublin vs. Galena
  • 2 p.m. — Irvine vs. Damonte Ranch
  • 5 p.m. — Highland vs. Cornerstone Christian
  • 8 p.m. — Bishop Gorman 2 vs. Montclair Prep

(at Peccole):

  • 8 a.m. — Damonte Ranch vs. South Tahoe
  • 11 a.m. — Douglas vs. Bishop Gorman 2
  • 2 p.m. — Bishop Manogue vs. Newbury Park

(at Rivera):

  • 8 a.m. — Churchill County vs. Bishop Gorman
  • 11 a.m. — Cornerstone Christian vs. Bishop Gorman

(at College of Southern Nevada):

  • 9 a.m. — Irvine vs. Vauxhall
  • 6 p.m. — San Benito vs. Douglas

Thursday, April 16 Games (Home Team Listed Second)

(at Hadland Park):

  • 8 a.m. — Vauxhall vs. South Tahoe
  • 11 a.m. — South Tahoe vs. Irvine
  • 2 p.m. — Bishop Manogue vs. Dublin
  • 5 p.m. — Newbury Park vs. Dublin
  • 8 p.m. — Churchill County vs. Cornerstone Christian

(at Peccole):

  • 8 a.m. — Bishop Gorman 2 vs. San Benito
  • 11 a.m. — San Benito vs. Montclair Prep
  • 2 p.m. — Montclair Prep vs. Douglas

(at Rivera):

  • 8 a.m. — Highland vs. Bishop Gorman
  • 11 a.m. — Churchill County vs. Highland

(at College of Southern Nevada):

  • 9 a.m. — Newbury Park vs. Galena
  • 6 p.m. — Vauxhall vs. Damonte Ranch

Friday, April 17 Games

Note: Friday and Saturday home teams will be determined by coin flip, with the exception of Bishop Gorman, which will always be the home team)

(at Hadland Park):

  • 8 a.m. — #4 (A) vs. #4 (B) (Game 1)
  • 11 a.m. — #2 (A) vs. #2 (B) (Game 4)
  • 2 p.m. — #2 (C) vs. #2 (D) (Game 6)
  • 5 p.m. — #1 (A) vs. #1 (B) (Game 7)
  • 8 p.m. — #1 (C) vs. #1 (D) (Game 8)  

(at Peccole):

  • 8 a.m. — #3 (A) vs. #3 (B) (Game 2)
  • 11 a.m. — #3 (C) vs. #3 (D) (Game 5)

(at Rivera):

  • 8 a.m. — #4 (C) vs. #4 (D) (Game 3)

Saturday, April 18 Games

 (at Hadland):

  • 8 a.m. — Loser Game 4 vs. Loser Game 6 (seventh place)
  • 11 a.m. — Loser Game 7 vs. Loser Game 8 (third place)
  • 2 p.m. — Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8 (championship)

 (at Peccole):

  • 8 a.m. — Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 6 (fifth place)

Jets loose a close one and tie at PBA!

Vauxhall, AB –

The Vauxhall Jets lost a close one 5-3 and tied 8-8 in Lethbridge against the PBA Friday afternoon.  Game 1 saw Jordan Wong start on the mound going 3 2/3 innings to take the loss allowing 2 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned runs, 5 BB’s and 2 K’s.  Victor Caruso threw 2 1/3 solid innings in relief allowing 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 BB, with 2 K’s.  Tyler Vavra threw 2 solid innings allowing 4 hits, 1 run, 0 BB’s, with 2 K’s.  Offensively, the Jets had several players with 1 hit each – Kym Barthel, Tyler Hayes, Jean Guy Bilodeau, Josh Stephenson, and Tyson Denham.  Former Jet – Alex Tufts got the win for the PBA.

Game 2 saw the Jets tie the Dawgs 8-8.  Cole Stober started on the mound going 3 2/3 innings allowing 6 hits, 6 runs, 0 earned runs, 1 BB, and 5 K’s.  Taylor Simmonds threw 3 1/3 innings of solid relief allowing 4 hits, 3 runs, 3 BB’s, with 1 K.  Tyson Denham threw 1 inning allowing 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 BB’s, with 2 K’s.  Kym Barthel went the final inning allowing 0 hits, 0 runs, 2 BB’s, with 1 K.   Offensively, the Jets were led by Mike Washburn who was 2 for 3 with a double, 2 BB’s, and 3 runs scored.  Matt Clark was 2 for 4 with a BB, SB and 3 runs scored.  Brandt Hittel had a great game going 2 for 3 with a double, triple, 2 RBI’s, and 2 BB’s.  Daniel Worb, Adam Nelubowich, Tyler Hayes all had 1 hit each.  Jean Guy Bilodeau was 1 for 1 with a big HR in the top of the 9th with the Jets down 1 run to tie the game. 

The Jets record is now 2 wins, 1 loss, 2 ties. 

Next action is intrasquad next weekend in Vauxhall followed by the Best of the West tournament in Kamloops April 3rd to 5th.