I FEBRUARY 14, 2002

PAGES 18-20 I

The ·Boys of Winter

WINTER BALL Infielder
Conner Irving fields some ground
balls during Capilano College Blues
practice on Monday. The Blues begin
their inaugural season March 23.

Capilano College Blues prepare for inaugural baseball '
season with spring training - in mid-February.
By Justin Beddall

HEATER -

Catcher Jeff St. Pierre readies for some high heat.

The Boys of, um, Winter are back.
The Capilano College Blues baseball
team has started preparing for its inaugural season in the B.C. Junior College
League, which begins March 23.
"Because school ends in May you
have to start early," explained Blues
skipper Dave Empey.
"The schedule ends in the third
week in May so it's hard to get more
than 50 games in."
The Blues join Douglas, Malaspina,
Kwantlen and Cariboo colleges in a

five-team baseball league that plays a
SO-game schedule ending with a conference tournament in mid-May.
"The problem with starting this
early is the weather," Empey noted,
"but the Pacific Northwest doesn't get a
lot of snow, it just rains. We've prac~ticed outside in the winter when it's
not raining."
For the past week, the Blues have
practiced at their new home field,
Parkgate Park, for an upcoming tournament at Pierce Junior College in
Washington State, March 2 to 3.
Currently, Empey says there are 20

players on the Blues' roster, many of
whom have played for his successful
North Shore Twins teams.
"I'd say about half the players,"
Empey said.
Other players, like Alberta-born
infielder Conner Irving, are out-ofprovince players who've come to pursue baseball careers at Capilano
College under Empey's tutelage.
"It's the third year for the league
and it's our first," said Empey, "I think
it was important to get Cap involved
and have another team in the Lower
Mainland. @