Even though there's fresh snow on the local mountains, the boys of summer are still busy training for their upcoming season in White Rock.
Players with the British Columbia Premier Baseball League's White Rock Tritons practise and train year-round to help hone their skills — and passion — at a sport usually associated with sunnier, summer weather.
As players in the elite league grow — Bantam players are 15U, Junior Tritons are 16U and the Premier, or senior, Tritons are 18U — and eventually "age out" of playing upon high school graduation, many are fortunate enough to sign with American colleges and universities south of the border.
After experiencing a banner season last year that culminated with the Tritons winning the BCPBL championship, the team has set a high standard for the 2025 BCPBL season, which starts in April. But they're ready for it.
"Honestly I’m hoping for another championship," said shortstop Kadyn Armitage, who played with the Tritons' premier 18U team all last season even though he was still only 15 and in Grade 10. "This is a group I think we can do it again. I think we’re very talented."
Armitage, who also made the 16U and 17U Canada Cup rosters, was also a key player in the BCPBL playoffs and, along with senior teammates Walker Kokotailo and Luke Thomas — both pitchers — was selected to the Toronto Bluejays Showcase Series, one of the biggest events of the year, last September. He was the Tritons' lead-off hitter as well as shortstop, the most important infield position, in 2024.
White Rock Tritons head coach Tyler Lawson had only praise for Armitage, noting his work ethic and leadership, calling him "One of the best infielders in B.C.’s 2026 Class."
"I think Kadyn’s future will take him as far as he wants to go in baseball. ... The future is tough to predict, but he’s on the right track," Lawson said. "He’s done an amazing job ... There’s no reason he can’t go as far as he wants in this game."
Armitage, who started playing baseball when he was two with his older brothers, said going to the Toronto Blue Jays Showcase Series was a huge highlight of 2024.
"It was definitely my best experience ... growing up as a Blue Jays fan, playing at Rogers Centre ... it was just absolutely unreal!"
Thomas agreed.
"It was my first time in Toronto, and I’d say it’s definitely one of my best experiences when it comes to baseball. It was the best field I’ve every played on for sure! The whole experience was great."
Thomas and Kokotailo (2024 was Kokotailo's second time at the Toronto showcase) also played with the Canadian Junior National Team in the Dominican Republic last year — two of only 26 Canadian players — which, both said, was an unforgettable experience.
"I loved it — it’s a whole different experience down there, like night and day from here," Koktailo said. "It was also a very humbling experience. When you do down there and you see these Dominicans and they’re working hard every day... it just makes me want to work even harder after seeing them work that hard."
Kokotailo and Armitage were both credited with helping Team BC (17U) win gold in Alberta last August, while Thomas also pitched two innings of a no-hitter with Ben McKinnon earlier in 2024's championship season.
All three players noted the importance of the mental aspect of the game.
As shortstop, the focus is "staying locked in mentally," Armitage said.
"You’ve got to be dialed in every single pitch... you’re the leader of the infield... so you've just got to be locked in every single pitch."
As pitchers, Thomas and Kokotailo also understand the importance of focusing on the mental side of the sport.
"If you don’t go out there with a good mentality, you’ll just fall apart mentally," Koktailo said. "As a pitcher, you’ve got to go out there with command, intent... with an 'I want to get this batter' mentality. You've kind of got to be on top of the world as a pitcher."
Thomas noted confidence is key in the position as well.
It was announced late last year that the Grade 12 pitcher had committed to Vernon College in Texas, and Lawson expects Kokotailo will commit soon.
"There's a ton of interest in Walker and Luke," Lawson said last November. "It will just be where they’ll want to go... both Walker and Luke have incredibly bright futures in baseball. We’re excited to see them continue to put their work in and to see where their hard work will eventually take them."
Armitage, who is in Grade 11 this year, has a little more time before he has to think about committing to any post-secondary school, but Lawson — who noted every senior Tritons player from last season moved on to play college ball — is confident his players will provide another season full of hard work and highlights.
"I feel with our program, we lean a lot onto the culture we’ve created as a team," Lawson said. "We’re fortunate to have a group of guys who care about each other and are genuinely rooting for each other's own personal growth and success. The goal is always to make it a collaborative effort, to help motivate each other and bring the best out of the group."
