We are pleased to announce dates and locations for our 15th Annual Muskoka Cup summer baseball tournaments.

9U A - Huntsville - July 28-30

11U A - Bracebridge - July 21-23

13U A - Bracebridge - July 14-16

13 U AA - Huntsville - July 14-16

15U AA - July 28-30

18U AA - June 9-11

Please contact Peter Haynes at muskokahornets@rogers.com to book a spot.  See tournament flyer below for additional information.

The Muskoka Hornets will host its 2022 Annual General Meeting at Life Church in Bracebridge on Sunday December 4 at 7 pm.  Public is welcome and all members in good standing are eligible to vote on program matters.

Life Church is located at 2 Monica Lane, Bracebridge P1L 1P8.

All games played at McCulley Robertson Diamonds - 300 William St - Huntsville

We are pleased to announce our Muskoka Hornets travel team try out schedule for the 2023 season.  Important Note:  all players must register and pay the $20 try out fee on line prior to attending a try out.  This registration form will then be used for all player fees for 2023 Hornets travel teams.  Fees will be withdrawn in two equal installments, one at the end of September and one at the end of March, 2023.    Fees for 2023 for 13U and below are $650 and fees for 15U and above are $700.

Try out registration form is here

Note: players are permitted to try out at more than one age slot but require Board approval in order to play out of age slot and this approval is only granted in exceptional circumstances.

Coach selection will be announced prior to try outs.

Please contact Peter Haynes at muskokahornets@rogers.com if you have any questions about try outs or Jen Novak at jennynovak2977@gmail.com if you have questions about the registration form.

2023 Try Out Schedule

9U A - 2014 - 2016 birth years - Sunday Sept 11 at 12 pm at Peake and Wednesday Sept 14 and Wednesday Sept 21 at 6 pm at McCulley A - Note: no registration required as the 9U session are just skill assessment only - formal try outs will be in the Spring

11U A - 2012-2013 - Peake Field - Wednesday Sept 7 at 6 pm, Thursday Sept 8 at 6 pm and Sunday Sept 11 at 2 pm

13U AA - 2010-2011 - Peake Field - two teams - AA team - Wednesday Sept 7 at 6 pm, Thursday Sept 8 at 6 pm and Sunday Sept 11 at 2 pm -13U A  - all tryouts above and Monday Sept 12 (postponed) at 6 pm and Wednesday Sept 14 at 6pm.  Added try out Sunday September 18 at 12 pm at Peake.

15U AA - 2008-2009 - McCulley - Wednesday Sept 7 at 6 pm, Thursday Sept 8 at 6 pm and updated - McCulley - Sunday Sept 11 at 2 pm

18U AA - 2005-2007 - McCulley - Tuesday Sept 6 at 6 pm (postponed), Thursday Sept 8 at 8 pm (updated time) and  updated to McCulley Sunday Sept 11 at 12 pm - a third date will be tacked on at the end.

Here is the schedule for the 11U B Provincial Championships to be held at Peake Field in Bracebridge this weekend.  Please come out and watch some great baseball and support our local Hornets as they chase Muskoka's first ever provincial championship - cost of admission - free.

The Muskoka Hornets are pleased to announce our travel team coaches for 2023:

9U - will be picked in Spring - see notes below re Fall skill assessments

11U A - Cam Boyd - muskokabaseball@live.ca

13U AA - Brad Bissell - bissellbrad@hotmail.com

13U A - Greg Zedic - zedicgreg@gmail.com

15U AA - Zack Boese - zackboese10@mail.com

18U AA - Joe Hickes - joe@muskokaoutlaws.com

Note: we will select our 9U travel team head coach in the Spring - Tyler Fields -tyler.everett.fields@gmail.com - will run fall skill development assessment sessions for 9U.

August 8, 2022:

We are a very proud organization today knowing that four Muskoka Hornets alumni played critical roles in helping  the Newmarket Hawks capture the 22U Junior Nationals in Halifax this past weekend.  Ethan Murdy from Huntsville (second from left) and Cody Thomas from Bracebridge (third from left) handled all the catching duties throughout the season, with Murdy a force all season at the plate - he even captured the Home Run Derby before the start of the Nationals tournament, beating out a local player from Dartmouth on his way to a D1 baseball scholarship. 

Meanwhile  on the pitching front, southpaw Jordan Howse  from Windemere (far left) pitched a complete game 2-1 victory against Kitchener in a must win round robin game on Saturday and Logan McKnight (far right) from Port Sydney scattered three hits over 6 shut out innings in a round robin victory over PEI and was given the honor of starting the gold medal game Sunday night against the host Dartmouth team in a packed Beasley Stadium.  McKnight did not disappoint, tossing a complete game gem giving up 5 hits and only one run in a 3-1 final win for the Hawks.  

Both Murdy and McKnight played their entire minor baseball careers with the Hornets and now ply their trade for Laurentian and Western University respectively.  Howse (who will also suit up for Western this Fall) and Thomas played most of their minor ball in Muskoka and all four alumni are still involved with player development in our program, helping future Hornets achieve their baseball dreams.

Congrats boys on a job well done!

Congratulations to the Muskoka Hornets and Barrie Baycats 18U AA teams for qualifying for Baseball Ontario's provincial championship in Windsor in two weeks.  Scores below

Full Schedule (Revised July 28)

2022 18u AA YSBA Playdown Schedule

Kerr Park (130 Beaumont Drive, Bracebridge), McCulley Diamond F (300 Williams Street, Huntsville)

Friday, July 29, 2022

Game 3, 5:30pm: Barrie 5 vs Vaughan 6 @ McCulley

Game 2, 5:30pm: Markham 7 vs Caledon 2 @ Kerr

Game 1, 8:30pm: Thornhill 7  vs Muskoka 8 @ McCulley  

Newmarket Bye

Saturday, July 30, 2022

Game 4, 10:00am: Caledon 4 vs Barrie 11 @ McCulley

Game 5, 10:00am: Newmarket 13 vs Muskoka 7 @ Kerr

Game 6, 1:00pm:  Markham 9 vs Vaughan 6 @ Kerr

Loser Game 1 Bye

Game 7, 4:00pm: Barrie 12 vs Thornhill 3 @ McCulley

Game 8, 4:00pm: Muskoka 10 vs Vaughan 0 @ Kerr

Game 9, 7:00pm: Newmarket 10 vs Markham 6 @ McCulley

Sunday, July 31, 2022

Game 10, 10:00am: Newmarket 1 vs Barrie 2 @ Kerr

Game 11, 10:00am: Markham 3  vs  Muskoka 4 @ McCulley

Game 12, 2:00pm: Muskoka 8 Newmarket 5 @ Kerr

The Muskoka Hornets are excited to be able to offer local baseball enthusiasts our 11th Annual Summer Training Camp scheduled to take place from July 4 – July 8.  This camp, a staple on the calendars for many Muskoka Hornets players, will be held at Peake Field in Bracebridge.  Campers will receive 30 hours of expert instruction on the fundamentals of baseball led by former college and professional baseball player Brad Bissell and his assistants, many of whom are former Muskoka campers who are now themselves playing baseball at college. 

Click here to register - note you must have a spot reserved before registering by emailing Tournament Chair Peter Haynes at muskokahornets@rogers.com. Most of our divisions are full on reservations save for Fall Ball but you can be added to wait list as we often have teams pull out after reserving spots.

Dates: 

June 17-19 - 18U AA  - NEW DATE

July 1-3 - 12U AAA

July 15-17 - 11U A and 15U AA

July 22-24 - 9U A and 13U A

Fall Ball (Hold Dates)

Sept 30- Oct 2 - 13U AAA and 15U Elite

The Muskoka Hornets will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Monday, November 8th, 2021.  This meeting will be virtual and details will follow.  Members in good standing are eligible to attend.  The meeting will review the 2021 season, update the financial status of the program and elect Board member for 2022.

If you have any questions, then please contact Peter Haynes at muskokahornets@rogers.com

The minor baseball programs of Midland-Penetang, Orillia and Muskoka are pleased to announce a collaboration to offer elite baseball locally.  Starting in the fall of 2022, the Northern Elite Osprey will join the Elite Baseball League of Ontario (EBLO), Baseball Ontario's highest level of competition, with a 15U team.  Over the following two years, the program plans to add 16U and 18U teams and expects that the Osprey teams will be made up primarily of the top-level players from each of the three local community programs.

For a copy of the complete release, please see attachment below or visit the new Osprey website at www.ospreybaseball.ca.

Please click here if you wish to register for our 12U (2010 Birth Year) Open tournament this fall.  First chance for 2022 teams to test out the bigger diamond dimensions in Muskoka at its most beautiful time of the year.

Please contact Peter Haynes at muskokahornets@rogers.com with any questions.

We are receiving a couple common questions about our house league program, not surprising given it has been over two years since we last were able to operate in Huntsville:

1) When do we play?  Our Huntsville House League runs each Wednesday - once the season begins on July 7, time slots will begin at 530 pm, with younger players occupying the early time slots - specific timing for each age group will be determined at a later date. Note: all players registered for house league are welcome to attend free skill clinics Wednesday June 23 and June 30 from 6 pm to 7 pm;

2) Where are the Huntsville Events? All house league activities in Huntsville take place at McCulley Roberston Diamond Complex - 300 William St, Huntsville.

3) When does the season end?  Given the late start, we plan to extend the house league season to the end of September, meaning that all players will get approximately 12 weeks of baseball, the same as a normal season.

4) Will there be additional practices?  Depending on how the season progresses, Hornets management may add some voluntary skill development sessions on Friday evenings as after the first couple weeks, Wednesday evenings will be reserved for game play.  We will also be running a day camp in the first week of August -details will follow;

5) When do kids get uniforms?  After teams have been finalized a couple weeks into the season;

6) What are you doing to keep my child safe from COVID?  The Hornets take player safety as its number one priority.  We are following Baseball Ontario guidelines for sanitation and social distancing as well as active screening.  That said, players do NOT need to wear masks while in competition unless natural social distancing is not possible;

7) What equipment does my son or daughter need?  Bat, helmet and glove and during game play a jock or jill is recommended - the Hornets have a limited supply of bats if needed, but equipment needs to be sanitized between usage if shared.

For further information on house league, please contact Bill Coombs at wcoombs0@gmail.com.

In the event that a family needs financial assistance with the cost of minor sports including baseball, there are local funding opportunities available.  Historically, Children's Foundation of Muskoka was an avenue available in our community.  However, the Foundation asked us to direct funding requests directly to Jumpstart and to connect with them only in the event an applicant is not successful or is in need of top up funds.  

To apply, please contact Jumpstart at https://jumpstart.canadiantire.ca/pages/apply

For more news click here

We are looking forward to finishing our house league season in Huntsville with Finals Night on August 31.  5U, 7U and 11U age groups will participate in Skills Competitions while 9U and 13/15U will crown division champions.  Congratulations to the Coldwell Banker Twins for winning the 11U Finals against their arch rival Festing Toyota Tigers.  The score in the final was 14-7 for skip Andrew Hall and his Twins.

Final match ups for 9U and 13/15U are as follows:

9U Placement Game - Diamond B - 645 pm - Nationals vs Giants

9U Championship Game - Diamond A - 645 pm - Cubs vs Dodgers

13/15U Placement Game - Diamond F - 6 pm - Brewers vs Mets

13/15U Championship Game - Diamond F - 730 pm - Blue Jays vs Royals.

Good luck to all participants.

Congratulations to our 2020 Muskoka Cup Festival Winners:

9U - Barrie AA Baycats

11U - Collingwood Jays

13U - Valley East Jr. Voyageurs

15U - Muskoka Hornets

Congratulations to Hornets Alumni Amrit Brown who will suit up next year for Hood College, a division 3 baseball program in Maryland.  Amrit is a top student and corner infielder at his high school in North Carolina who has become an integral part of our Hornets program since arriving in Muskoka for summer ball some 5 years ago,  We wish Amrit the best in his academic and baseball future and hope he continues to spend time in Muskoka in his adult life.

Congratulations to Thornhill who won a close battle over Richmond Hill 21-20 in the final of the 9U Muskoka Cup.  For a complete list of scores for our tournaments, please search under the Tournaments tab.

Congratulations to Creemore, our 11U A champions for the 2022 Muskoka Cup.  Creemore went 3-0 in round robin play, then defeated London in a close semi final and disposed of a strong Niagara Falls squad 5-2 in the final.

Congratulations to the Oakville A's on capturing the 12U AAA Canada Day Weekend Muskoka Cup with an 8-3 win over Brantford in the final.  The A's went 5-0 on the weekend and looked every part a team that can compete for a championship at OBAs.    Please click here for complete tournament results.

Congratulations to Brantford for winning the 2022 13U Muskoka Cup championship game 8-5 over a strong team from Toronto Playgrounds.

Congratulations to Cambridge for winning our 2002 15U AA Muskoka Cup tournament in a thrilling 8-6 finals victory over Brantford.  A great tournament for all teams.

Congratulations to the Cambridge Cubs 18U AA team for its victory in the 2022 Muskoka Cup held June 17-19.  Great weekend of baseball all around - please click here to see scores for this event.

If you are interested in becoming an umpire for the Muskoka Hornets, then please reach out to our UIC Aiden Courville at  muskoka.umpire@gmail.com.   We are looking for umpires for both our house league and travel programs.  If you like baseball, then learning to umpire is a great way to get to know the game better, earn a little bit of extra cash and control your own schedule.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Northern Elite Osprey – Call for Baseball Coaches – 2023

The Northern Elite Osprey baseball program is looking for coaches for its inaugural baseball team at the 15U age category.

Coaches interested in applying for a position in the program can do so by completing the application form found on our website at www.ospreybaseball.ca.  We are looking for coaches to help in different capacities including head coaches, skill coaches and volunteers looking to lend a hand at practice or help in other team activities.

The Osprey program is also in the process of looking for lead sponsors.  If you know of any organizations that might be interested in helping out, then please contact Wes Winkel at wes@ellwoodepps.com.

Osprey executives are very excited for the prospects of our first team.  The program held skill assessment sessions in the fall of 2021 and the talent and interest level in prospective players was strong. 

"With any new program, there is always some uncertainty about whether the teams will be able to compete at the elite level in the early years," commented Osprey President Peter Haynes.  "After watching the prospects go through extensive drill sessions in the fall, it is clear the talent and athleticism with this group will be very capable of competing at baseball's highest level of play," Haynes added.  The Osprey expect to hold additional skill development sessions in the next couple months and tryouts will take place in August 2022.

To help promote elite baseball in our region and to increase awareness of the Osprey, the program plans to host an elite 15U fall ball tourney in Muskoka on the weekend of September 30 – October 2, 2022.  This weekend event will be a great opportunity for local baseball enthusiasts to come out and see the new team in action.

Please contact David Gemmell, Director of Player Development, at david_gemmell10@hotmail.com if your son or daughter is interested in being considered for a spot on the 2023 team or if you are interested in coaching in the program.

About the Northern Elite Osprey

The Northern Elite Osprey are an elite baseball program formed from players from the three minor baseball programs in Midland-Penetang, Orillia and Muskoka.  The Osprey will field a 15U team in Baseball Ontario's Elite Baseball League in 2023 with plans to add 16U and 18U teams in the years to follow.  To learn more about the Osprey, please visit our website at www.ospreybaseball.ca and follow us Twitter @ospreybaseball.

We are pleased to announce our head coaches for 2022:

9U A - 2013-2015 - Tyler Fields - tyler.everett.fields@gmail.com

11U B* - 2011-2012 - Cameron Boyd - muskokabaseball@live.ca

12 U AAA - 2010 - David Gemmell - david_gemmell10@hotmail.com

13U A - 2009-2010 - Greg Zedic - zedicgreg@gmail.com

15U AA - 2007-2008 - Joe Hickes - joe@muskokaoutlaws.com

18U AA - 2004-2006 - Joe Hickes - joe@muskokaoutlaws.com

* Cam Boyd is running 11U try outs - head coach not finalized

Please contact Peter Haynes at muskokahornets@rogers.com if you have any questions.