Potential changes coming to Kinsmen Park
By Tyler Lowey, Times Reporter
Tyler Lowey Photo
During the Strathmore town council Committee of the Whole meeting May 9, a proposal came about suggesting potential changes to Kinsmen Park by the president of the Strathmore and District Minor Baseball Association, Trevor Jensen.
Of the three plans that were proposed, the main upgrades that were consistent on all three new diamonds were electricity, new lighting, a reliable water source, dugout upgrades, batting cages, moving the backstop further back and the addition of aluminum bleachers.
Two of the proposals suggest the diamond rotate 180 degrees to face northwest, opposite of how the field lies now. It was also suggested the outfield be resurfaced but adding grass to the infield was not a requirement at this time.
“This council has really taken it upon themselves to try and do what we can for minor ball and to take care of the diamond” said Mayor Pat Fule in response to the proposal. “One of the things that came up is that it is a part of Kinsmen Park. We’ve always wanted to look at the idea of improving it from just an aesthetics point of view, but it would also be a big help to minor ball.”
Funding of this new project will be determined in the coming weeks based on a grant application that was submitted May 15. The plan is to apply for $125,000, with the town and Strathmore Minor Baseball to come up with the remaining costs.
Strathmore Minor Baseball hopes these changes will attract more provincial championships and even a western Canadian championship one day. All the proposals include dimensions and criteria that would allow them to host these types of championships.
Whatever happens to Kinsmen Park, there is one member of the midget Reds that hopes it stays the same after the weekend he just had.
Rejoining the Reds program after leaving Calgary Jr. Dinos midget triple-A program last season, Nathan Bogstie was a one-man wrecking crew in the Reds’ home opening weekend.
The weekend started on a high note when the Reds battered the Foothills Outlaws 9-1 May 12.
The Reds were threatening with a mercy through the first four innings during the Bogstie show. The starting pitcher led the way offensively with a pair of RBI while going 2-for-3 at the dish. He would have ended up with a complete game shutout if his team could have scratched across another run in the fifth or sixth, but ended up going six strong innings without allowing a run and striking out six.
The Reds headed home early later that afternoon in a rematch with the Outlaws, as they pulled off the 10-run mercy with the 13-2 decision.
Bogstie was a handful again at the dish, going a perfect 4-for-4, scoring a pair of runs and driving three runners in. Centre fielder Andrew Ericson was also impactful at the dish, driving in three runs on a pair of hits in two trips to the dish.
“Nathan wasn’t with our program last year, but we are sure happy he’s back with us. He’s a local guy that is always having fun and when he’s putting up those kind of numbers, he’s having a lot more fun,” said Cockx.
One of the youngest pitchers on the team, Colby Tanton, recorded the complete game when he chucked five innings of four-hit, two-run ball, striking out nine to go the distance.
In their third and final game of the weekend, Bogstie didn’t cool down one bit, as he cranked his first dinger of the season and notched another four RBI to give him 11 RBI on the weekend.
Mitch Desserre added a pair of RBI, while Kaden Wilson, Ryan Rushford, Jack Sauve, Ryan Oxford, Aidan Cockx and Carson Polet added one RBI each.
Wilson struck out six in five innings to record the complete game victory in the 13-3 decision.
The Reds will have the May Long weekend off, while both bantam programs resume action in tournaments in Calgary over the long weekend.