Sarnia

The Baseball Canada Midget Championships were a huge success both on and off the playing field.

For the second consecutive year the London Badgers captured a medal at the Midget Nationals. Although they won bronze and didn't duplicate last year's Gold Medal winning performance the entire event was a huge success and will have people from across the country talking about it for years to come.

Baseball Canada official Tom Valcke had words of praise for the organizers of the event, "It is one thing to coach a top-notch, nationally-respected baseball team.  It is another to govern an organization with the size and scope of the London Badgers.  It is yet another to run a National Championship baseball tournament.  To run all three simultaneously, and with the success that Mike and Cindy Lumley pulled off this weekend, is incredible." Valcke continued his praise of the volunteers, "The quantity and quality of volunteers that London provided to slam dunk this championship, proved yet again that this city is capable of hosting anything. I even mean an international championship, with first class professionalism while maintaining ‘true Canadiana wholesomeness.’ Add to this the three fields that were utilized, and the support provided by the city crews in London and St. Thomas, and you have the recipe for success."

Gold medal winning coach Dave Cooper who has participated in 23 Baseball Canada National Championships as a player and coach had words of praise of his own, "We had a great experience here in London.  The parks were top notch and the organization of the tournament was as good as and probably better than any I have been to." 

Cooper's Tecumseh Thunder representing Ontario won the Gold Medal by defeating Quebec by a 6-2 score while the London Badgers defeated British Columbia 5-2 to take the Bronze medal.