Baseball PEI has announced the schedule of NCCP baseball clinics being offered on PEI in 2019. There will be twelve offered in total - four Initiation clinics, six Regional-level clinics and two Provincial-level clinics. For the first time this year, there will be Initiation clinics offered in Cardigan and in O'Leary in April, for coaches in eastern and western PEI who wish to get a start on their NCCP certification prior to the start of the summer. Below is the schedule of the 2019 NCCP baseball clinics:

• Wednesday, 24 April: NCCP Initiation Clinic - Hernewood Intermediate School, O'Leary (6 pm - 9 pm)
• Thursday, 25 April: NCCP Initiation Clinic - Cardigan Consolidated School, Cardigan (6 pm - 9 pm)
• Saturday, 25 May: NCCP Strategies Clinic - Sport PEI, Charlottetown (9 am - 12 pm)
• Saturday, 25 May: NCCP Pitching and Catching Clinic - Sport PEI, Charlottetown (12 pm - 3 pm)
• Thursday, 20 June: NCCP Initiation Clinic - Sport PEI, Charlottetown (6 pm - 9 pm)
• Saturday, 22 June: NCCP Teaching and Learning Clinic - Sport PEI, Charlottetown (9 am - 11:30 am)
• Saturday, 22 June: NCCP Absolutes Clinic - Sport PEI, Charlottetown (11:30 am - 2 pm)
• Saturday, 22 June: NCCP Planning Clinic - Sport PEI, Charlottetown (2 pm - 4:30 pm)
• Thursday, 11 July: NCCP Initiation Clinic - Summerside Intermediate School, Summerside (6 pm - 9 pm)
• Saturday, 13 July: NCCP Teaching and Learning Clinic - Summerside Intermediate School, Summerside (9 am - 11:30 am)
• Saturday, 13 July: NCCP Absolutes Clinic - Summerside Intermediate School, Summerside (11:30 am - 2 pm)
• Saturday, 13 July: NCCP Planning Clinic - Summerside Intermediate School, Summerside (2 pm - 4:30 pm)

If you are not sure what clinics and certification are necessary for your level, check out https://cdn1.sportngin.com/attachments/document/0097/4527/Baseball_NCCP_Progression_-_2018.pdf?_ga=2.213768402.757233344.1549719462-935842557.1548004626.

To check out exact dates and to register, go to https://nccp.baseball.ca/.

Finally, just a friendly reminder that all coaches on the bench or the field at Provincial Tournaments (Eliminations and Championships) must have their proper NCCP certification. There are no exceptions.

For more information, email baseball@sportpei.pe.ca or isedelyod@yahoo.ca.

Randy Byrne has been named the Head Coach of the 2019 Provincial 16U Girls team. 

Byrne has a great deal of experience in coaching and skill development, as he has also served as Baseball PEI's Executive Director since September 2014 and has headed Baseball PEI Summer Clinics Program since that time. 

The Provincial 16U Girls team will be representing Baseball PEI at the 2019 Baseball Canada National 16U Girls Championship in Bedford, NS, from 22 - 25 August 2018. In 2020, the Provincial 16U Girls team will be the host team as the Baseball Canada National 16U Girls Championship that will be in Summerside, PE in August of 2020.

Girls in the 16U and 14U age groups will be invited to come out to this team's sessions.

"The plan right now is to have some indoor sessions in April and May, and get onto the field in late May or early June," says Byrne.

"Right now, any girls in the 14U and 16U level will be invited to take part in our Provincial program (and three 17-year-olds are permitted to be on the roster at the National 16U Girls Championships, so 17-year-olds will be invited as well). Obviously, as many of these girls will be taking part with their own club teams or even in other sports, during the summer, we'll likely get onto the field together once a week during the summer. From the group of players taking part, we will put together a team to represent PEI at the National 16U Girls Championships. On top of that, our hope is that if there are enough girls at the 14U level taking part, we can field a team at the Baseball Atlantic 14U Girls Championships in Moncton in September. 

"We are hoping to get together a good group of girls to compete at these two events this summer. Also, we are aware that we are building towards hosting the 2020 National 16U Girls Championships in Summerside. So, these are exciting times for girls' baseball on PEI."

Byrne has also confirmed that two assistant coaches from last year's Provincial 16U Girls team, Tessa Hood and Mackenzie Pinet, are slated to return to the coaching staff.

"I'm really excited that Tessa and Mackenzie are coming back to be coaches on this squad," reveals Byrne.

"Both have had so much experience at National Championships, both know the game extremely well, and both did a great job on the coaching staff of last year's Provincial 16U girls team. It is a real benefit for the girls on this team and for me that Tessa and Mackenzie are planning on returning.

"We are planning to sit down together sometime within the next week or two to create a plan for the summer. I'm really excited to work with them."

For more information or questions on the 2019 Provincial 14U and 16U Girls program, contact Randy Byrne at baseball@sportpei.pe.ca.