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Men's hardball tournament this weekend

Maple Ridge will be hosting an elite-level men’s baseball tournament at Hammond Stadium and Larry Walker Field from May 16-21.

Maple Ridge will be hosting an elite-level men’s baseball tournament at Hammond Stadium and Larry Walker Field from May 16-21.

The event will feature eight teams from five different leagues around B.C.

The Maple Ridge Jerks and Dewdney Bulls from the Lower Mainland Baseball association (LMBA) an 18-and-over league, will be hosting the tournament and managing its day-to-day operations.

The rest of the tournament roster will be filled out by the Coquitlam Angels (Pacific Metro Baseball League – PMBL), Ridge Meadows Rays, Aldergrove Sun Devils, Howe Sound Cannons, Richmond Athletics and Burnaby Blue Jays.

The tournament will run from Thursday to Monday of the May Long Weekend, and will include 15 games.

There will be two pools where each team will play three games, with the top two from each making the semi-finals on Monday.

On Saturday evening the game play will pause for the featured event of the tournament, the Billy Minor Pub sponsored “Bash for Cash” Home Run Derby.

The derby will include two sluggers from each team, including last year’s champion from the Richmond Athletics David van Ostrand.  Van Ostrand was a draft pick of the New York Yankees in 2006 and played college ball at California Polytechnic State University.

The 6’6” 215 pounder put on quite a show at last year’s event, hitting several tape-measure shots over the parking lot in right field at Larry Walker.

Last year the Richmond Athletics won the tournament in a tightly contested matchup with the hometown Maple Ridge Jerks.

“We weren’t happy losing our tournament, especially to a league rival, on our home field last year,” said Jerks manager Matt MacLean. “This year will be different as we fully intend on keeping the trophy in Maple Ridge.”

The Jerks roster is comprised of many former B.C. Premier Baseball League and college players, but most were also members of Ridge Meadows Minor Baseball teams that brought midget division western Canadian gold to Maple Ridge in both 2000 and 2001.

The tourney is spectator friendly, with a beer garden on the right field line.  The barbecue at the fully stocked concession will be serving its featured ballpark item the “Hammond frank” hot dogs.