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.

Muskoka Hornets house league registration for 2022 closed on Sunday May 15.  Prospective house league participants will now be placed on a waiting list and will be added to the program if space permits.  Please contact Bill Coombs at wcoombs0@gmail.com to be added to the wait list.

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. 

The Muskoka Hornets player registration for house league is now closed.  Please contact Bill Coombs at wcoombs0@gmail.com to be placed on age appropriate waiting lists.

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.

The 9U Muskoka Hornets travel baseball team is looking for players to round out its roster for the 2022 season. Please contact Head Coach Tyler Fields if your son or daughter (birth years 2013-2015)  is interested in coming out and meeting the coaches and participating in winter training.  The team practices each Saturday at 1 pm at Life Church, 2 Monica Lane, Unit 2, Bracebridge, ON.

Contact Tyler Fields - tyler.everett.fields@gmail.com

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

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.

Location - Life Church - 2-2 Monica Lane, Bracebridge, ON

Saturday

9 am - 18U, 11 am - 15U, 1 pm - 9U, 3 pm - 12U

Sunday 

2 pm - 13U, 4 pm - 11U

Starting after government restrictions lifted (hopefully late January)
 

The Muskoka Hornets organization is pleased to announce that Laura Hamels and Elyse Moodie have joined the Board of Directors for the 2022 season.   The new Hornets Board was constituted at the Annual General Meeting held virtually on Monday, November 8th.  A complete list of Board members and positions can be found under the Executives tab.  For members interested in the Board discussion at the AGM, please find a brief presentation attached below.

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

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.

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.

The Muskoka Hornets are looking for head coach applications for our travel teams for 2022.  Please complete the form below and return to Peter Haynes at muskokahornets@rogers.com by September 10, 2021.  Coach decisions will be made by September 23.  Try outs for 2022 will take place in early October - schedule will be posted on our website as soon as available.  Stay tuned.  

2022 Teams in Need of Head Coach

9U Rep - 2013-2015 birth year

11U Rep - 2011 -2012

12U Rep - 2010

13U Rep - 2009-2010

15U Rep - 2007-2008

18U rep - 2004-2006 (already awarded)

Please contact our House League Convener Bill Coombs to be placed on a waiting list at wcoombs0@gmail.com

September 8 - 7pm - 9pm McCulley F (Huntsville)

September 13 - 7pm - 9pm McCulley F (Huntsville)

September 15 - 7pm - 9pm McCulley F (Huntsville)

September 18 - 2pm - 4pm Kerr Park (Bracebridge)  (if necessary - at the discretion of the coaching staff) 

All interested players who are not a member of the Muskoka Hornets 18u AA 2021 program are required to pre-register by sending an email to joehickes@imaginetherapeuticservices.ca

Players must attend at least one tryout to be considered for the team. 

Note: try out dates for other Hornets teams will be released at a future date.

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.

As a result of the decision by the Ontario Government to enter a lock down stage, as of April 3, 2021, all Muskoka Hornets in person activities are cancelled until further notice.  We remain hopeful that our travel and house league programs will still be able to start up in May.   

House league registration remains open.

Please click on the link below to register your son or daughter for the 2021 house league and travel ball season.

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

Unfortunately, we are forced today to cancel all 2021 Muskoka Cups following Baseball Ontario's decision on April 18 to cancel all tournies for summer 2021.

Please contact Jen Novak if you need to arrange for a refund - jennynovak2977@gmail.com

2021 Tourney Dates - Cancelled

9U - July 16-18 - Select

11U - July 23-25 - all levels of play rep and select - FULL

13U - July 30 - Aug 1 - A and below - FULL

15U - July 2 - July 4 - A and below - one spot

18U - July 16-18 - AA and below - FULL

Released July 2, 2020

In this very difficult time, thank goodness for small victories.  After an incredible amount of preparation, The Muskoka Hornets five travel teams are ready to get back on the diamond to train starting today and hope that later this summer there will be game play.  The Hornets Board recently adopted Baseball Ontario's protocol for return to training, a requirement for all associations to ensure the necessary safety measures are in place to protect players, coaches and family members from COVID 19.  In addition to maintaining attendance records for all in person gatherings, team officials are required to ensure all participants sanitize hands every 30 minutes and keep all equipment clean. 

"It is very impressive the work done by Baseball Ontario to ensure a safe and healthy environment for minor baseball to return in this province.  My hat is off to the volunteers that put the protocols in place, and we are committed to ensuring compliance with the additional rules," commented Peter Haynes, President of the Muskoka Hornets. 

The Muskoka Hornets will field five travel baseball teams in 2020 with players aged 8-18 years old. Training for the season was halted in February and the entire season was in doubt with the pandemic spreading like wildfire.  Thankfully, as the situation normalized in Ontario, officials began to prepare for a return to the diamond including the potential for game play later in the summer.

"I am very pleased that our season was not lost completely and we have a chance to play some games if all goes well and the trend in COVID infections continue to improve in Ontario.  I have 7 players graduating out of minor baseball this year and the thought of them not having a chance to return to the playing field after losing high school graduation and prom was motivation enough to do anything to keep the hope alive for a return to baseball this summer," stated Joe Hickes, Head Coach of the Hornets 18U AA team. "For the health of all children, it is important that minor sports return as long as it is safe to do so," added Hickes.

Each of the five Muskoka Hornets travel teams will start with training in groups of up to 10 on two separate areas of the diamond.  Eventual return to game play is dependent on gathering sizes increasing in Ontario.  Other provinces in Canada have already moved to larger gathering sizes and games have started.  If this occurs in Ontario, then the Hornets plan to organize exhibition games with other association teams.  There will not be any tournament play this summer and no provincial championships.

Meanwhile, the Hornets still hope to be able to offer a modified house league program focused on skill development later this summer in Huntsville, as well as to host our annual summer baseball camp, a staple for many local baseball enthusiasts. Stay tuned for additional updates.

For information on the Muskoka Hornets, please visit our website at www.hornetsbaseball.ca.   

For more news click here

Congratulations to our 2020 Muskoka Cup Festival Winners:

9U - Barrie AA Baycats

11U - Collingwood Jays

13U - Valley East Jr. Voyageurs

15U - Muskoka Hornets

Hello baseball families.  If you are a first timer on the Hornets baseball site or just want a refresher on our house league program, then please click on this link  or go to the House League drop down menu for our house league page of FAQs.

If your question is NOT answered on this page, then please do not hesitate to contact our head of house league Kate McNaughton at k.mcnuaghton19@icloud.com.

As the Ontario government moves to Stage One as of Friday June 11, the Muskoka Hornets are pleased to be able to return to training.  Our travel teams will start up in earnest next week and we have a special opportunity for all of our registered house league players to receive three weeks of free extra baseball training prior to the formal start of our house league season on July 7.

Starting Wednesday June 16, the Hornets will run training clinics for all age groups in our house league program from 6 pm to 7 pm  for three weeks ending Wednesday June 30.  These clinics will be about skill development and are open to any house league registered player.  So sign up now by clicking on this link which takes you to the registration page in order to be eligible to participate in this special training offer.  The house league season is expected to continue each Wednesday until September 15th and will likely be followed by a weekend wind up (depending on COVID rules at the time).

Note: COVID protocols will be enforced at house league including player sign ins for COVID tracing.

The Muskoka Hornets are pleased to offer early bird clinics for our Huntsville house league program starting Wednesday June 16 and continuing June 23 and June 30.   These clinics are open to ANY player registered to play in the Huntsville house league program and will be from 6 pm - 7 pm each Wednesday. 

The formal house league program will start Wednesday July 7 and is expected to run each week until the end of September.

In order to register for the 2021 house league season, please click on this link.  If you have any questions, then please contact Bill Coombs at wcoombs 0@gmail.com.

On Monday August 26th, 16 year old Zack Boese of the Muskoka Hornets 18u AA Team will depart for Oyen, Alberta to play for the Badlands Badgers.

Zack will be attending South Central High School in Oyen for Grade 11 and will play for the Badgers throughout the fall and spring seasons.

This is an exciting opportunity for Zack as the program has an impressive track record in placing players in college programs throughout the USA and Canada.

A heavy fall and spring game schedule (50+ games) will allow Zack the opportunity to compete against some of the best high school aged players that the States and Canada have to offer.

“We are excited to see another Muskoka Hornets player pursuing baseball at a higher level.  After graduating several players to US and Canadian colleges in the past two years, Zack is the first player from our program to play for a high school academy," commented Peter Haynes, President of the  Muskoka Hornets.  "We are very proud of Zack and wish him the best in his school year," Haynes added.

It is no easy feat for a 16 year old kid to move thousands of km’s from home to pursue this incredible opportunity. The Muskoka Hornets wish Zack the best of luck, and are excited to see him back in a Hornets jersey in July of 2020.

By Helen Payne, Muskoka Hornets Executive and UIC