The VIBI Mariners refused to put baseball season on hold.
Nanaimo’s Canadian College Baseball Conference team played through the sleet on Saturday in Vancouver to complete a perfect 3-0 weekend on the mainland in pre-season action against the Okanagan Coyotes. Vancouver Island Baseball Institute won two 5-0 games Friday at UBC, then 10-2 on Saturday.
Jordan Blundell, VIBI manager, said ice was forming on his players' batting helmets as they played in sleet that was coming at them sideways.
"I don't think any other sports teams would be playing in those environments," Blundell said. "That in itself is something our guys will never forget."
The M's used a mix of veteran and young pitchers, who generally threw strikes, and every position player got in some game action.
"We got as many guys in as we could and we feel like the guys are on the right track," Blundell said. "There's a lot of things we need to get better at."
VIBI has six road games scheduled this weekend, starting at Skagit Valley in Washington on Friday (March 4), continuing up through Vancouver on Saturday and over to Victoria on Sunday. The Mariners don't play at home until their CCBC regular-season opener March 26 against the Victoria Mavericks.
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