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After summer season was struck out by COVID-19, fall baseball thrives in Saskatoon

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Going Yard Baseball has seen a surge in registrations for fall baseball after COVID-19 foiled the summer season.

“2018 and before we would’ve hosted maybe one or two teams in an age division, now we’re finding enough registrations that we can make three or four teams in an age division,” Jordan Drager told CTV News. Drager formed the league in 2014 after he returned to Saskatoon from playing college baseball in West Virginia.

For James Heapy, having the fall option after two uncertain regular seasons was a relief.

“It was a roller coaster of emotions. It was like, we can’t quite do it, maybe next year, maybe next week,” Heapy said.

He’s been playing his favourite sport into the fall for three years.

Evan Helt has been enjoying fall ball also because it is different from regular spring ball.

“In my league there’s tiers so you don’t really see many players, but in fall ball, everybody is there so you get to learn about more baseball and how people play,” Helt said.

The September option has grown in popularity over the past few years, but COVID-19 has led to an even bigger surge.

Inside Pitch across the city also has fall programs. Cory Hall runs that program and played professionally with the Kansas City Royals.

Here he has four teams with 50 players competing against teams from Regina and Swift Current.

One of the big plusses to playing outside the traditional baseball season is having a competitive edge against other players when they return to the diamond in the spring.

“When I first started here in fall ball, I was still learning how to hit the ball, now I’ve hit home runs at these fields now,” Helt said.

Another appeal for parents and players with both programs is the option to travel to tournaments in the United States.

The Going Yard has taken players to compete in Phoenix before the pandemic and hopes to do so when it’s safe again.

Inside Pitch is planning to travel to a tournament in Las Vegas in November, restrictions permitting.

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