2006-06-21
Author: AM 1250/Mix 96 News

Second place in the Manitoba Junior Baseball League is on the line Wednesday in Steinbach as the Carillon Sultans will meet the Altona Bisons. Both teams have 9 and 6 records. The defending champion Elmwood Giants host Interlake. The Giants are in first place at 13 and 3 while the Knights are in fourth place at  8 and 7. Pembina Valley will meet the St.James A's in Winnipeg. The Orioles are 7 and 8 while the A's are 1 and 17. Pembina Valley's Justin Falk has been named the MJBL's Pitcher of the Week. Chace Porter of St.James is the Player of the Week.

Bob Smith had three hits and scored a pair of runs and Ron Giesbrecht was the winning pitcher as the defending Southeastern Fastball League champion Grunthal Generals blanked Eagles 4-0. Chris Smook and Travis Plett homered as the Ravens downed the Mitchell Mavericks 10-3. Farrel Reimer was the winning pitcher. Kelly Reimer took the loss.

Sean Walsh and Keith Maxwell homered as the Winnipeg Goldeyes beat the Calgary Vipers 6-2. The Goldeyes are 16 and 13 and trail the Northern Baseball League's West Division leading Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks by 41/2 games. Winnipeg and Calgary will continue their four game series with a doubleheader Wednesday at Can West Global Park. The first of two, seven inning games begins at 6 p.m. Donnie Smith has signed with the Goldeyes. The club's all-time leader with 183 appearances, Smith returns needing to pitch in just 11 more games to overtake former teammate Dan Guehne (193) for top spot on the all-time NL list.

The Manitoba Moose are looking for a new head coach. Alain Vigneault, who guided the Moose to a 44-24-7 record and a trip to the second round of the American Hockey League playoffs in his only season in Winnipeg, has been hired as the Vancouver Canucks bench boss. Vigneault becomes the Canucks 16th head coach in franchise history. He previously served in the National Hockey League as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens from 1997-2001.

The Brandon Wheat Kings will open the Western Hockey League's 2006-2007 season on September 27th at the Keystone Centre against the Eastern Conference champion Moose Jaw Warriors. The Wheat Kings will play 29 of their 36 home games on weekends. Fifteen games will be played on Friday's, twelve on Saturday's and two on Sunday's. Brandon's 72 game schedule will conclude on Saturday, March 17th in Regina.

Michelle Gisiger of John Blumberg won the City & District Championship at the South Interlake Golf & Country Club in Warren. Gisiger beat Jamie Jones of Southwood in a playoff as both finished the 36 hole event tied at 150. Judi Lidstone of Elmhurst was 151 and Tammy Gibson of St.Boniface was 156. Marlene Watson of Pinawa finished at 162.