The Yorkton Orioles have been named the 2015 Twilite Maxi Provincial champions after their 2015 鈥楢鈥� Side final opponents were stripped of their title for using an illegal player.
The Regina Drifters - who had defeated the Orioles 7-6 in the 鈥楢鈥� Side final game at Yorkton鈥檚 Jubilee Park on Sunday, July 5 鈥� were officially stripped of the 2015 Twilite Maxi Provincial championship as well as a $200.00 performance bond on Monday afternoon after the SBA Twilite Committee ruled that the team had used an underage player throughout the 35-and-over Provincial men鈥檚 tournament to help them win the title. 鈥淚 give the committee members credit for their determination in their ruling,鈥� said Orioles鈥� head coach and manager Chris Wyatt upon learning of the decision made by the committee. 鈥淭his ruling will definitely send a statement. The committee followed our guidelines in Twilite and stepped up harder with the ineligible player.鈥�
The ineligible player, Regina Drifters鈥� Rod Bauck, was found to be using falsified documents to declare his age which stated that he was 35 instead of his actual age of 34. 鈥淗e had a chance to admit he was a touch younger than the rules allow but he didn鈥檛,鈥� offered Wyatt, adding that instead Bauck provided an altered driver鈥檚 license in the hopes of convincing Wyatt of his age.
Unfortunately for Bauck, Wyatt recognized the license as a fake immediately. 鈥淚 knew it was fake and got that verified and then the manager of the Drifters informed the committee that he was too young,鈥� mentioned the Orioles鈥� bench boss, adding that he was tipped off by a member of the Orioles who was absent from the game but listening to it on Game Time Radio. 鈥淥ne of our players played all his bantam, midget and junior ball either with or against him and Bauck was always a year behind.
鈥淥ur guy just turned 35 this year so it was impossible for Rod to be the same age.鈥�
In addition to the loss of the Provincial title and performance bond each roster member of the Drifters is ruled ineligible for all 2016 Twilite tournaments (Maxi and Masters) while Bauck is suspended for 10 years, meaning he cannot participate in a Twilite tournament until the age of 45.
