The Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders celebrate after winning the 2025 Baseball Canada national senior men’s championship in Regina on Aug. 24. Photo by Wanda Harron Photography /Special to The GuardianArticle contentI would like to congratulate the Charlottetown Islanders on their magical run to win the 2025 Baseball Canada Men’s National Championships that took place in Regina from Aug. 20-24. It may seem a shame the games were played so far away and so few from P.E.I. had the chance to see them shine, but perhaps this was a story that could only be authored by a group that had worked so hard, travelled so far, and overcome such adversity to emerge as champions.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentArticle contentAn airline strike meant the team was split up, some driving to Boston, others to Moncton and Ottawa, connecting flights through New York, Cincinnati and Minneapolis, and a bus ride from Saskatoon. A minor miracle they all arrived in one piece, they missed the Wednesday opening ceremony, touched down in the wee hours of Thursday morning but were on the field that afternoon to start the campaign with a win over Ontario. A win against the defending champions from Quebec followed on a morning so wet and chilly it must have felt like an April home game in the Maritimes. From there the temperatures rose and soared alongside the Islanders’ quality of play as a cold morning turned into scorching hot afternoons and beautiful evenings under clear prairie skies.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentFor more stories, photos and highlights from the tournament, check out Charlottetown Islanders: 2025 Canadian baseball champions.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentAs the weekend wore on, game after game the scrappy underdogs from the country’s smallest province slayed the giants of Canadian baseball. They did so by pitching to contact, near-flawless defence, station-to-station hitting, small ball, speed and cunning on the base paths – a brand of baseball as resemblant of a bygone era as their free-flowing mullets and bushy moustaches.Article contentEven more impressive than their on-field tactics were the human traits that defined this team – they exemplified teamwork, discipline and sportsmanship. Led by a coaching staff that was calm and collected, the young men were gracious and generous guests in our city and truly upstanding representatives of the island and Maritime spirit. Small but mighty like the province itself, the little cheering section of family and friends ensured that all in attendance were aware (in spite of the official announcer’s proclamations about the team representing New Brunswick) that this team were Islanders, the team from P.E.I. (that is to take nothing away from the five pick-up players from N.B. who were equally fantastic).Article contentIn the final game, the local crowd, spirits dampened by the Islander’s semifinal victory over the hometown host Regina Trappers, were won over by the boys wearing dark green and as the sun set behind the hills beyond the right-field fence everyone knew where this team was from and what they had accomplished. On their feet as the final out was secured, the residents of Saskatchewan’s capital saluted the ballplayers of P.E.I., bringing to a close a wonderful, magical weekend of baseball in Canada.Article contentDrew Lawn,ReginaArticle content
LETTER: Islanders brought baseball magic to Regina
