By Eric Bourque
THE VANGUARD
NovaNewsNow.com
The head coach of the Nova Scotia team that will play host to the upcoming national bantam girls baseball championships says they didn’t know much about Morgan Theriault before tryouts for the team were held in the spring.
It was one particular session that opened their eyes, says Brandon Guenette.
“It was really her last tryout, where she was crushing the ball, that caught our attention,” he said.
Theriault is a 15-year-old from Mavillette. Digby County, who attends school in Yarmouth. The nationals will be held in late August in Bedford.
“She certainly earned her way on the team, especially with her bat,” Guenette said. “She’s improving rapidly, she’s a great listener and she’s definitely going to be one of our top bats going into the national championships.”
Prior to a Wednesday night practice in Yarmouth with her local club, Theriault was asked about the process she went through to make the team and about how she felt when she learned she had been selected.
“The first tryout was April 21 and that was an indoor tryout … I think we had to go to four outdoor ones,” she said. “Then we found out not long after if we made it or not. It was pretty exciting. I didn’t think at all that I was going to make it, so when I heard, I was pretty surprised and excited.”
“She’s certainly earned her way on the team, especially with her bat.” - Brandon Guenette
In the field, Theriault has been rotating between first and second base.
The national tournament will bring together teams from across Canada, as well as one from Chicago.
“It’s going to be quite the event. There’s been quite a bit of support from the community,” said Guenette, the new executive director of Baseball Nova Scotia.
As for the Nova Scotia bantam girls team, he said, the goal at the nationals is to be competitive with the teams from the big provinces.
The players on the Nova Scotia squad range from 14 to 17, he said, adding that, for girls, the bantam category includes 16-year-olds.
“As a smaller province, we’re allowed to have three over-agers who are 17,” he said.
The provincial bantam girls squad has been playing boys teams as part of its preparation for the nationals
