The timing is right for the Estevan Haulers to be in the zone.Five second-year members of the bantam AA baseball club - Lucas Lafrentz, Tanner Odgers, Austin Orsted, Calder Clark, and Jolan Lingelbach - found out this past weekend that they had made the Zone 1 team for the 2010 Sask Baseball Bantam Selects tournament.The squad is to be co-coached by Southeast Royals assistant coach Tom Copeland."Especially this year with us not playing much ball, it gives them another chance to get out there and start throwing and start seeing some more baseball," said Haulers head coach Mason Schick.The tournament is primarily a showcase for future provincial team prospects and Schick says it's a win-win for everyone involved.Some of his key players will get some extra reps before the Haulers start league and provincial playoffs, and they'll also get the kind of exposure that could start them on the path to bigger and better things."It's a big step toward things like the Canada Cup and Canada Games," said Schick. "That's a huge step if they can get out there and get looked at by some scouts. Guys like Derek Wallace, Dylan Lafrentz, Riley Panteluk, guys who went off to play college, that was the first step for them was the Bantam Selects."The five Haulers on the zone team are a versatile bunch.For starters, all five have been counted on to pitch this year. They're quick, they can rotate throughout the infield, and they're no slouches at the plate either."I think we're going to add [a lot] we can all pitch and play the infield or outfield," said Lafrentz. "Pretty well any position they need us to play, we can play."The Bantam Selects tournament is scheduled for Aug. 6-8 in Regina. The top 20 players from across the province will then be invited to play in the annual Prospect Series against a similarly chosen team from Manitoba."We've been playing together for our entire lives so I think we'll work really well together," said Orsted. "Hopefully we can do good in this tournament."Added Schick: "It's a good boost for them knowing that they're still going to be playing ball come August."
