The annual Quinn Stevenson Memorial U18 Baseball Tournament was held in Saskatoon this weekend, as players from the prairie provinces gathered for a weekend of sports to honour and remember Quinn.
“He was on the mound winning a city championship just a couple of weeks before he was killed,” said Quinn’s mother Bonny Stevenson. “It was fitting they put his name on the tournament.”
Quinn was killed by an impaired driver in 2013 in Saskatoon. He was a member of the Saskatoon Blue Jays.
“He was making a left turn on a green arrow and he was hit by a guy running a red light,” Stevenson said as she recalled the moment 10 years ago.
Quinn was both a player and a fan of baseball, and he even has a memorial plaque at the K & S multi sports centre.
His number 16 sits behind home plate at all ball diamonds used in the tournament.
“We are trying to really promote Quinn as a ball player and it wasn’t about the score and scoresheet,” Stevenson said. “It’s about enjoying the game and spending the weekend with friends.”
One former player in the tournament, and now coach of a team in Moose Jaw said the atmosphere and the legacy of Quinn keeps him coming back.
“It’s been awesome,” said Tyler Lorenz. “This is my fifth year here and I’m coaching now, but hopefully I’ll be coming back for many more.”
And while the tournament is a fun time to hit a home run, it is also a time to remind people of the life changing consequences of impaired driving.
“The biggest message I can leave with this tournament is enjoy the game and never drive impaired… Always plan a safe ride home,” Stevenson said.
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