14U Grey 2021 Season Preview

Nearly the entire 14U Grey team will take the field this spring for the first time in the Canadian Premier Baseball League (CPBL).

Since the new baseball year began in September, head coach Pete Tassopoulos has been tasked with preparing the players for what they will see over the next couple years in the league, as well as in the high-level U.S. tournaments.

Tassopoulos said the fall schedule was a critical time for the coaching staff to establish team culture and getting the players as comfortable as possible at this level heading into the winter.

"Being the entry point into elite baseball it was important we established our team culture and mindset. Winning was not a priority throughout the fall, it was development and getting some experience that was most important," says Coach Tassopoulos.

"Having said that, the boys competed well every weekend and still found success as they ended the fall season with back-to-back winning weekends."

After the fall schedule that brought the young team together, the team continues to develop and continues on the path they have set forth to be able to hit the ground running in their first season in the CPBL.

Coach Tassopoulos says the team has really been taking advantage of the winter, even with the pandemic restrictions that have forced all teams to practice virtually for nearly the past two months.

The virtual practices run through Zoom have allowed players on the team to continue working on adding strength, to continue working on the team chemistry and identity as well as the overall balance of the team.

Tassopoulos and the rest of his coaching staff are excited to see what this team is able to accomplish in their first year together. The team is balanced with skill across the board and with the continued development throughout the winter, the organization is excited to see where this team is at once we head outdoors.

"Our team is versatile, and we have a lot of depth and as a result we expect the power, speed and skill to present itself every weekend up and down the lineup card," says Tassopoulos.

"We expect the team attitude and culture to continue and we know we will be a well prepared, competitive team, focused on development, experiences and of course winning games along the way will be the reward for the hard work put in during the winter workouts."