Local Yorkton baseball player Luke Walters, who plies his trade with the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League's Yorkton Midget Cardinals, recently travelled to Las Vegas with Regina's RBI Cobras baseball team to take part in the 2014 Las Vegas Desert Fall Classic baseball tournament held over the Halloween weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Walters, 16, was the only non-Regina player to be selected for the RBI Cobras, a team made up primarily of Regina Angels players with a couple of AAA Regina Mets players sprinkled in.
The Cobras played a total of four games, two on Friday and two on Saturday, losing all four, falling to California's Central Coast Hustlers 11-3 and Arizona's Coyote Baseball 5-2 on Friday before losing to the Minnesota Millers (Blue) 13-5 and eventual tournament champion Northwest Elite from Washington 11-0 on Friday.
The losses were to be expected of course, with nearly every team at the tournament being a club team that plays together all season long.
Many teams that took part also boasted some of the United States' top college prospects and approached the game with a more power first mentality; something that Walters suggests is very different than how things are done in Canada. "They're very strong power hitting teams which is different than most of the teams up here," said the first baseman, adding that many of the American teams had an advantage because they practice year round and don't have to worry about snow.
But despite the losses, Walters believes that the chance to play down in the States was one that he just couldn't pass up. "It was definitely a great experience," offered the 16-year-old first baseman. "Although it was very nerve racking at the start going down there and playing against some bigger competition and seeing some of the bigger guys on their teams and knowing you're playing against some guys from the big cities that are going to be going to college for baseball."
However once Walters shook off the nerves he began to prove just why he was the only non-Regina baseball player to be selected for the team, going 4-for-8 with three singles and a double over four games, three of which he started at first base and another in which he saw time at third; a position he rarely played throughout the 2014 season.
But unfortunately for Walters none of his hits came with men on base. Instead, the first baseman that teammates affectionately call 'Weezy' found himself taking swings each and every time in a spot in the order that he is very unfamiliar with. "I ended up usually leading off or being the second batter up every time," laughed Walters, knowing all too well that he's known more for his bat than his speed. "It's definitely not where I'd like to be hitting."
Walters also believes that taking part in the Desert Fall Classic was not only a great experience, but one that will benefit him for the upcoming midget baseball season. "I think it'll give me a head start now that I've played baseball already," offered Walters, continuing, "Our winter ball will be starting up here soon so it should give me a bit of a head start knowing that I've played high calibre baseball for a week already this offseason.
"I can't wait for the season to begin."
