Suddenly, Wiarton may have become the fastball capital of the broadcast region.
The Wiarton Red Devils won the Canadian Midget Championship last month in New Brunswick.
Then over the weekend, the Wiarton Nationals won the Ontario Champions Cup at New Dundee, which also earned the Nats a berth in the 2012 ISC World Championship Tournament next summer at Midland, Michigan.
For Wiarton, a small community with a long history in the sport in beautiful ballpark, these are obviously significant results for both the Midgets & the Men’s program and it will be interesting to watch their preparation for 2012 at both levels.
But is Wiarton the fastball capital of Grey & Bruce ?
You’d certainly get an argument from Owen Sound where the Selects program won the Ontario Junior title and hosted the Canadian Men’s Championship.
You’d get an argument from Saugeen Shores, home of the Port Elgin Blue Devils who won the Bluewater regular season title, again, and acquitted themselves very well at the Canadian Championship.
The village of Chepstow could stake a claim here too, with the Bluewater Playoff Championship in their grasp, and you might hear from Walkerton too where the Southern Ontario Jays and the Wild appear to be emerging, potentially to become a factor for years ahead.
The fastball capital of the broadcast region is a topic of much debate, but the fact it’s debatable essentially means the sport remains very vibrant on local diamonds.
I’m Fred Wallace