Sean Allen
BRANT NEWS

With only four games remaining in the regular season, the Brantford Braves are challenging for the top spot in the Junior Inter-County Baseball League.

After splitting a makeup game and a regular scheduled game against the Kitchener Jr. Panthers on Monday, the Braves have a 19-5 record.

After home games against the Cambridge Jr. Cubs on Thursday and Guelph Jr. Royals on Friday, the Braves end the season with a double-header on the road against the St. Thomas Tomcats on Saturday.
Those games could decide first place, as the Tomcats currently have a 19-4 record.

Round 1 of the playoffs will begin next week, so the first round can be completed before the provincial championships start on Aug. 3.

The Braves have secured a spot in the junior double-elimination provincial championships, to be played Aug. 3 to Aug. 6 in Burlington.

A strong showing at the provincial tournament, which features the 20 best under-21 teams in Ontario, could propel the Braves to the national championships, being held in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec beginning on Aug. 16.

The Braves have only been to the national tournament once before, in 2007. That team featured players Shawn Boyle and Gary Money, who are now members of the Braves’ coaching staff.