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The P.E.I. Islanders host a New Brunswick Senior Baseball League doubleheader at Memorial Field on June 3 at 2 p.m.
The Kevin MacLean-coached Islanders – 3-1 in the early going – will host a Fredericton Royals’ club (1-1) that was scheduled to play at home June 2.
The Islanders’ only loss was an ugly 11-10 defeat at Saint John May 27 in a game where P.E.I. ace Jordan Stevenson sailed through five shutout innings, before handing the ball to the bullpen. Saint John scored nine runs in the bottom of seventh inning for the win.
The Islanders have a group of very good young players and a pitching staff anchored by Stevenson, who has not given up a run in 10 innings, with zero walks and 16 strikeouts. He’s the league’s best pitcher.
The supporting pitching cast is strong, too, with lefty Brody MacDonald, Jake Beck, Brady Arsenault, Ben MacDougall and Jack MacKenzie.
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The Islanders have a group of up-and-coming standouts with seven or eight hitting over .300 in the early going – guys like Tyson MacInnis, Logan MacDougall, Jonathan Arsenault, Ryne MacIsaac, Taylor Larkin, Scott Harper, Josh Myers and Nick MacPhail.
It’s a great chance to see Atlantic Canadian baseball rivals meet at beautiful Memorial Field, so let’s get out and support the local team.
In Kings County Baseball League (KCBL) action, there are two games June 4. The Morell Trixie’s Cubs visit the Northside Brewers while Cardigan travels to Peakes for a date with their bitter rivals, the Bombers. Both games are at 2 p.m.
The Bombers are the defending champions, and they’ve got plenty of offence with MacKenzie, Mitchell Power, Ethan Smith, Connor Myers, Colin Myers and the big banger, Dillon Doucette, who’s back with the Islanders.
Several Islanders also play in the KCBL, and the competition is fierce. P.E.I. Premier Dennis King is a graduate of the KCBL with Cardigan, and the rumour that he may make an appearance – as a fan – is always a possibility.
Hockey
Gerard (Turk) Gallant is still a hot ticket in NHL hockey circles. The Toronto Star, the largest daily in Canada, suggests that Gallant has the inside track as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs – if, and when, they replace Sheldon Keefe.
Ironically, Gallant’s name is also among the front runners for the Calgary Flames’ job. Calgary’s Jonathan Huberdeau played for Turk in Saint John when the Sea Dogs won the Memorial Cup and played for him in Florida.
I expect Mike Kelly will be moving with Turk as an assistant coach, but we don’t know if the uniforms will be blue or red. It’s great to be wanted.
The Maple Leafs announced Brad Treliving, who played with the P.E.I. Senators when it was the main AHL farm club of the Ottawa Senators, as new GM.
Treliving is the son of Dragons’ Den star Jim Treliving, who owns Boston Pizza and had an office right next to Charlottetown’s Tom Mullally when Tom was working in Vancouver.
Mullally, former GM at Red Shores Casino and Racetrack, was Boston Pizza’s point man in North America opening more than a hundred BP operations on both sides of the border. I think Treliving is a great hire by Toronto, and so does Tom.
Harness racing
Live harness racing continues in Charlottetown June 3 (6 p.m.) with a top-notch card. The $3,800 feature in Race 11 has a small field, including Ys Mathis, Time to Dance, Middleton Terror, Rollwithhottytody, Fern Hill General and Avatar J.
… Racing returns to Connell Park in Woodstock, N.B., on June 3 for the Bremner Stakes for three-year-old fillies.
… Many Grand Circuit three-year-old pacing colts are in action June 3 at Mohawk, testing the stake waters as the North American Cup is on the horizon. Dr Ian Moore’s Stockade Seelster (Jody Jamieson) and Moment is Here (James MacDonald), who posted a 1:49 victory over aged company last week, meet in one $75,000 Division of the Somebeachsomewhere Stake. Another division has U.S.-based El Rey (Scott Zeron), Annapolis Hanover (David Miller) and Bamboozler (Dexter Dunn).
… Therealprincess (Doug McNair), listed at 10-1, had the rail in a $16,000 class she should have handled June 2. Also, June 2, Redlandbethanyjean had the rail in a $102,000 Gold event for pacing fillies. Austin Sorrie drives for trainer Steve Charlton, but this is a big jump in class.
… WaitforeverN, co-owned by Don Rae, D Racing Stable and Kay Singh, won the $20,000 open mares at Northfield half-mile track May 27 in 1:51:4. The four-year-old mare is by American Ideal.
… The P.E.I. Colt stakes produced some terrific miles May 28 as Malignity stunned fans with a 1:54:2 mile, handing heavy favourite Saulsbrook Ian his first defeat of the season. Not to be outdone, the lightly-raced three-year-old pacing filly Saulsbrook Mabel (Malicious) really impressed in taking a new 1:55.2 record.
… We regret to report the passing of former Inverness athlete and horseman Harold Gillis, who lived in Prince County for the past decade. He owned and trained horses and was a frequent visitor at Charlottetown, Summerside and most tracks in Ontario and New England. He was often travelling with his pals, Taxi Dan MacDonald and Horace MacKay of Tyne Valley. Harold’s nephew is Jonathan Drury, one of the top drivers at Mohawk Raceway. Our condolences to his partner, Lynda Fry of Clinton, and all connected to this gentleman.
Fred MacDonald’s column appears every Saturday in The Guardian. He can be reached at [email protected].