Kindersley Stallions head back to FVBL

By Jordan Parker

After a few years away, the Kindersley Stallions are back in the Fertile Valley Baseball League.

“We’re really excited. We’re excited to switch over. We were in the North Sask River Baseball League for a few years, and it’s nice to be back,” said Stallions player Blake Robertson.

“There were some teams – Wilkie folded, and Macklin moved to the Alberta league. It was going to be too much travel, so we moved back over. We’re looking forward to it.”

They did three years there in the NSRBL– though one was a COVID year, and had a great experience.

“We won the league once. We lost in the second round another year, and last year we went out in the first round. But it was a valuable experience,” Robertson said. “We are excited to play some local teams now and have a lot less travel.”

This is the 12th year of the FVBL, and teams are split into two divisions with four teams in each. The Stallions are with the Eatonia Wheat Kings, Kindersley Cubs and Oyen Eagles. The other league is comprised of the Rosetown Angels, Kindersley Klippers, Kindersley U18, and the Kindersley Raiders.

“It’s nice that we really know and see everybody in this league a lot. There is some animosity in the other league not knowing anybody. Here there will be good competitive spirit,” he said.

The team lost in the first round in the league last year, and they lost in the provincial final to Standard Hill, in a year where Kindersley hosted.

“We’re just hoping this year we can put a league title and provincial title together and have a really great year,” he said.

While the team definitely had some turnover of players from last year to this year, a few things make playing this year advantageous.

“We definitely lost a few guys, but now with less travel, we aren’t too concerned, and we can make it work,” he said.

“I have some recruits from the slo-pitch team, maybe more than last year, but it’s going to be great.”

He says team chemistry and the ability to work together has a lot to do with whether you succeed or fail on the mound.

“It’s a big thing, and this group has been together six or seven years as a core. We play rec hockey in the winter together too, and we’re already buddies. Chemistry won’t be an issue,” he said.

He can’t wait to see people in the stands cheering for the team all summer.

“Last year in provincials, we had good crowds. Evening games were often full. We just love the atmosphere, and it’s so big for our game to hear excited people,” he said.

The first game is May 23rd, 2023, and it’s a 10-game season.  “Four teams make playoffs, and we’ll have a mini-tournament and see who comes out on top,” he said.