NDBL gearing up for the season — Brewers have 21 man roster for 2013

March 20, 2013 · 0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart
The defending champion Bolton Brewers of the North Dufferin Baseball League won’t see a lot of change this coming season.
After winning the NDBL season four years in a row, the Brewers have 17 returning players for the 2013 season.
“We have 21 guys on our team, 17 returning players and four new players,” said Brewer coach Mike Wallace.
The roster will include three players from last year’s Orangeville AirFx team, who joined the ranks after Orangeville failed to field a squad this season.
“This should be our best year yet,” Wallace predicted. “Right now, we’re practising and working indoors in Newmarket.”
The NDBL will have 14 teams in the senior division when the season gets underway in May. Those teams include Bolton’s other senior team, the Dodgers, and a new entry from Nobleton. The league will also field eight teams in the junior division included new teams from Alliston and Stayner.
Success for the Brewers means they are now expanding their sphere of play in the province.
“We’re also playing eight games against Toronto in the provincial eliminations for the right to go to the nationals.” Wallace said.
That will make for a busy ball season for the Bolton squad.
“Come May, I think we’ll get officially ranked in Ontario,” he observed. “We’re on the brink of breaking the top 30.”
The Brewers played a 26-game season last year, winning 17 and settling for two ties before heading into the playoffs and going up against the New Lowell Knights in the final. They are only the third team in the league’s 83-year history to win four consecutive titles. Shelburne notched four titles from 1957 to 1960 and more recently Creemore was on top for four seasons from 2005 to 2008.
Wallace said being at the top means everyone else is going to want to knock you off the peak.
“A lot of teams are chasing us,” he said, “But we’re up for it.”
The NDBL season will officially get started with opening games May 5.
The Brewers’ regular home games are Thursday nights at diamond number one at North Hill Park in Bolton.
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