AMHERST, N.S. – After an eight-year hiatus, Nova Scotia Intermediate Baseball is back in Amherst for 2019.
“We have little league baseball, and bantam and midget baseball, but once you’re finished playing midget there’s really nowhere to play ball,” Bill Jobes. “So, in the end, we want to develop the younger kids and have someplace for them to play once they get older.”
Jobes is coaching the new intermediate team, while Darren Collins is the general manager.
“Being a first-year team, we’ve been beating the pavement pretty hard since October to get it going, and we’re looking pretty solid right now,” said Jobes.
The last time intermediate baseball fielded a team in Amherst was in 2011. Back then they were the Amherst Dooly’s Coors Light Silver Bullets.
They have a new sponsor now, Weston Bakeries in Amherst.
“Weston’s is going to be our major sponsor,” said Jobes. “We will be the Amherst Weston’s Athletics.”
Maritime Pride Eggs, also based in Amherst, is sponsoring the team as well.
“League fees, insurance fees, umpire fees, and equipment and uniforms are expensive,” said Jobes. “With Weston’s and Maritime Pride Eggs coming through, it’s been a big help. Without them we wouldn’t have a team.”
Players for the team will come from throughout Cumberland County.
“We’re looking to put the best team on the field we can, so if you can play ball we want you.”
Eleven players are committed to the team right now but Jobes said they would like to carry a roster of 15 players.
“With the guys we’re looking at I think we’re going to compete right away. We have a good group with pretty good depth,” said Jobes. “And depending on how tryouts go, and who comes out, I think we’re going to be pretty competitive.”
He says they have strong pitching, including Amherst’s Logan Dowe.
“I’ve been coaching Logan for quite a few years and he’s pretty excited to play in front of his home town. He’s a good athlete and a good kid,” said Jobes. “Plus, we have some other guys that are real good pitchers who are going to come play.”
Jobes says the town of Amherst had been very accommodating but adds that he hopes they can install a batting cage at Robb’s Field.
“I put in a letter into town council trying to get a batting cage put in because that’s essential for the development of young players,” said Jobes. “If you go across the province, every town that has competitive baseball has a batting cage.”
With the addition of Amherst, the Nova Scotia Intermediate Baseball League will have eight teams for the 2019 season, with the first games starting on the May 18 long weekend.
“We have a lot of baseball talent here and it will be good to put that talent on the field and compete with the rest of the province,” said Jobes.
