The Yorkton Orioles have been named the 2015 Twilite Maxi Provincial champions after their 2015 ‘A’ Side final opponents were stripped of their title for using an illegal player.
The Regina Drifters - who had defeated the Orioles 7-6 in the ‘A’ Side final game at Yorkton’s Jubilee Park on Sunday, July 5 – were officially stripped of the 2015 Twilite Maxi Provincial championship as well as a $200.00 performance bond on Monday afternoon after the SBA Twilite Committee ruled that the team had used an underage player throughout the 35-and-over Provincial men’s tournament to help them win the title. “I give the committee members credit for their determination in their ruling,” said Orioles’ head coach and manager Chris Wyatt upon learning of the decision made by the committee. “This ruling will definitely send a statement. The committee followed our guidelines in Twilite and stepped up harder with the ineligible player.”
The ineligible player, Regina Drifters’ Rod Bauck, was found to be using falsified documents to declare his age which stated that he was 35 instead of his actual age of 34. “He had a chance to admit he was a touch younger than the rules allow but he didn’t,” offered Wyatt, adding that instead Bauck provided an altered driver’s license in the hopes of convincing Wyatt of his age.
Unfortunately for Bauck, Wyatt recognized the license as a fake immediately. “I knew it was fake and got that verified and then the manager of the Drifters informed the committee that he was too young,” mentioned the Orioles’ bench boss, adding that he was tipped off by a member of the Orioles who was absent from the game but listening to it on Game Time Radio. “One of our players played all his bantam, midget and junior ball either with or against him and Bauck was always a year behind.
“Our guy just turned 35 this year so it was impossible for Rod to be the same age.”
In addition to the loss of the Provincial title and performance bond each roster member of the Drifters is ruled ineligible for all 2016 Twilite tournaments (Maxi and Masters) while Bauck is suspended for 10 years, meaning he cannot participate in a Twilite tournament until the age of 45.
