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THE CANADIAN STATESMAN, MAY 2,2001 PAGE 9 BHS doesn't want to strike out in baseball league BY BRIAN McNAIR Staff Writer DURHAM - A return trip to the SkyDome just got a whole lot more difficult for the Austin Wildcats. But you won't hear coach Mike Hill complaining. Although a growing number of high school baseball teams in the area will make for a bumpier road to the Greater Toronto Area championships, championships, Hill is happy to sec the sport on the rise again. "I think if we can get it up to about 20 teams, we'd be doing well," Hill says of the Lakeshorc Baseball League, which grew from six teams in 2000 to 11 when the first pitch was thrown Monday. "So, I'm encouraged." Bowmanville High School Boxers hitting main stage OSHAVVA - The Motor City Boxing Boxing Club hopes to perform like a well- oiled machine come May 6. Considering the strong lineup of opponents opponents arranged by head coach Don Nelson, they'll have to. Ontario bantamweight champion Clay 'The Machine' Dales of Port Perry is expected to headline the event, billed as Ontario vs. Quebec, on May 6 at Durham College. Dales will be joined by three other Motor City boxers who recently won provincial titles - featherweight Jonas Pierce, lightweight Vince Soto and ju- . nior featherweight Matt Smith. Mike Roesch, Harold McNeil, Chad Campbell, Jeremy White, Mart Phum, Chris D'Andre and promising youngsters youngsters Jerome and Jeremy Gabriel are among the other locals who will step into the ring. Doors will open at 1 p.m. and the first punches will be thrown at 2 p.m. at the Durham College gym. Tickets can be purchased for $12 at tire door or $8 in advance at the Motor City Boxing Club, the Durham College Athletic Complex and Domino Pizza locations in Durham. Cost is $5 for children under 12. Flames ready for new season BY BRIAN McNAlR Staff Writer OSHAWA - The Durham Flames are hoping hoping three's a charm. Gearing up for their third season in the Canadian Professional Professional Soccer League, the Flames believe a quick start to the campaign is crucial. crucial. But Danny Stewart, the team's new head coach, is tempering tempering enthusiasm with pragmatism. "Realistically I definitely think we can finish in the middle of the pack," Stewart says of a league that has grown from eight to 12 teams. Coming off a 2-9-3 campaign, the Flames expect expect to be strong defensively, but they realize more experience and offensive punch will be needed to move up in the pecking order. The Wizards, Montreal Dynamites, Dynamites, Toronto Supra and Brampton Hitmen Hitmen will join the Flames, Toronto Olympians, Toronto Croatia, St. Catharines Wolves, Glen Shields Sun Devils, Devils, London City, North York Astros Astros and York Region Region Shooters in the league this season. The Flames fitce the Wolves (May 27, 6 p.m., Civic Fields) and Olympians (June 3, 4 p.m., Civic Fields), who finished finished tied in first place with 12-1-1 records. coach Doreen.Ross is also happy to sec a return of baseball. Last season her team was forced to play in tournaments tournaments in Markham and York as well as exhibition games because of a lack of a league. Bowmanville opened its season yesterday (Tuesday, after Statesman deadline) and will play its home opener on Friday at Soper Creek Park. "We have a young team that has a lot of potential. "We have the potential to be competitive competitive if we gel quickly, if not, we have a lot of youth to build on for" next season." Ross is also encouraged by the fact that her team has six pitchers to choose from, a welcomed commodi ty- Dave Phillips, one of three league conveners and the coach of Anderson Collegiate is also happy to see baseball baseball return. "The main thing is we're playing again. I'm encouraged by that," says Phillips, a teacher at Anderson. "I'd like to see us get back to where we were a few years ago, but if you look at two years ago, we weren't even playing. I think each step is important." important." 'Lakeshorc' is a new moniker for the baseball league created after the suspension of Lake Ontario Secondary Secondary Schools Athletics, which governed sports in high schools throughout Durham until government-education government-education turbulence curtailed matters. Austin and Anderson will be joined by Henry Street and Sinclair, giving Whitby 100 per cent representation representation in the loop. That's far from the case in Os- liawa, where only McLaughlin will throw its hat into the ring. St. Mary's, Dunbarton and Pine Ridge from Pickering, Ajax's Pickering Pickering High School and Port Hope's Trinity College School will round out the field. Austin figures to be among the teams to beat, coining off a semifinal appearance at the SkyDome a year ago and minus only two players from that team. Matt Tosoni, Paul Ovsonka and Matt Harden give the Wildcats the foundation of a solid pitching staff while Adam Sylvestre, Justin Bird, Ryan Sisson and Adam Balan will be key players in the batting order. "We feel pretty good, but it'll be a tougher road to the SkyDome," says Hill, who, like many of the coaches in the league, comes from outside the school system. Each team will play an eight- game schedule, followed by playoffs on May 29 and 31 at the Iroquois Park Sports Centre in Whitby. The winning Lakeshorc team will join a 16-team Greater Toronto Area playdown June 6-9, where four will advance to the SkyDome June 12. -with files from Brad Kelly TENT SALE Maplefest Weekend Saturday, May 5th 9am - 5pm OPEN SUNDAY 10am - 4pm Pay No GST and PST Cash and Carry on stock items ile Ltd. Hwy.2 |ZO0| Paml Tile! 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