This was a big week for baseball in Kingston

The Kingston Jr. Ponies can’t wait to start galloping in the Premier Baseball League.

The newly formed association in the Limestone City has entered four teams in the province’s top minor league for players 14 to 18 years of age.

“It’s an exposure league to help develop kids that want to get to a higher level of baseball,” said Ponies president Jim Hunt.

The PBL member franchises have produced more than 500 college baseball players, highlighting the emphasis placed on academic success and degree fulfillment.

The PBL has also seen more than 50 players selected in the Major League Baseball draft, with notable alumni like Dalton Pompey (Toronto Blue Jays) and Jamie Romak (L.A. Dodgers) competing at the MLB level.

Hunt says it’s one of the best amateur organizations in Canada and the junior Ponies are happy to be a part of the nine-team league.

“We’ve been practising indoors since January and just recently got the nod to hold workouts at John Machin Field,” Hunt said.

“This is a highly competitive league so we’ve told the kids they have to have a purpose with every pitch. We need to come to the diamond, ready and prepared to play.”

The Ponies will play their home games at Megaffin Park but the diamond is under repair and won’t be ready until the middle of May. The PBL will release its 2022 schedule in the coming days.

This was a big week for baseball in Kingston. Limestone City native Matt Brash made his major league pitching debut with the Seattle Mariners and the city confirmed they will host the Canadian Little League championship tournament in August of 2024.