Merchants take B title at Innerkip fastball tournament while Mustangs reach A semi-finals

By Lee Griffi

The Tavistock Merchants earned a 2-0 victory over the Toronto U23 Batmen in the B Final of the Innerkip Victoria Day Weekend Tournament.

“I would say the Batmen are ranked number one. They are the defending national champions and have a majority of their team returning. The New Hamburg Mustangs have the majority of their team returning as well, who finished third at last year’s Canadians,” said Tavistock head coach Kevin Zehr.

“We had nine players age out from last year's team, but with our seven returning players and the new guys, we look to be right there with them. I’m excited to see what they can accomplish the more we play together. The new players fit in right away, and every game they got tighter and more comfortable on the field. It was definitely a confidence boost for all of them this weekend.”

The Merchants finished play in Pool B with a pair of ties, a win and a loss. Also competing were the Tavistock Yardgoats, who finished with a pair of wins and a defeat. They lost to the Chippewa Chiefs in an A semi-final matchup.

“We had seven players age out in 2024 and nine in 2025, leaving us with just seven returning players this season. Connor Brooks from Napanee is back for his fourth year with us, and he brings along his brother, Gavin, a first-year player who has played for Team Ontario at the Canadian Summer Games,” Zehr said.

“We have local players back. Tripp Gilbert, Justin Roth, Will Schlotzhauer, Aaron Waugh, Bo Schurink and Keaton Bartlett are returning from last year’s silver-medalist team at the Canadians. New to this year we have added local talent Dylan West, Brett Vandendool, Nathan Brenneman, and from the Tavistock U-17 team, Marshall McKay.”

Other Merchants include Drayton Howell (Owen Sound), Ben Redmond (Chatsworth), Lander Hartley (Shallow Lake), Jack Kivell (Chatsworth), Dakota McComb (Chatsworth), Reese Martin (Teeswater), Jack Myles (Wiarton) and Kalib Stonefish (Chatham).

“We are so fortunate that guys want to come to Tavistock and become a part of our program. It’s very refreshing knowing the players want to come here,” Zehr said. 

Other top teams for the 2026 season include the New Hamburg Mustangs, who finished third last year at the Canadians and have the majority of their team returning, as well as teams from Saskatchewan, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. 

“As far as league competition, the Tavistock Hops are four-time champions, which is setting the standard for the rest of the league,” added Zehr.

The Mustangs had a good start to the season at the same tournament. In Game 1, the Mustangs jumped out to an early 8-1 lead against the hosts from Innerkip before holding on for an 8-5 victory.  Sean Demerest took the win on the mound, while Coby Ricketts and Cohen Christner led the offence with three hits each. 

Next up was the Elmira Expos as New Hamburg scored four times in the first inning, including home runs by Demerest and Matt Van De Wynckle, on their way to an 8-0 win. Jared Vosper pitched a five-inning shutout. 

In Game 3, the Mustangs scraped out a 3-1 win against Puslinch.  Cohen Christner picked up the win, while Trent Agnello led the offence with two hits.  

The final round robin game was against the Georgian Bay Giants.  In a tight pitcher's duel, New Hamburg only had two hits, but one was a home run by Demerest, who also pitched a shutout in the 1-0 victory.  With a 4-0 record, the Mustangs were again matched up with Georgian Bay in an A semi-final game. Another pitcher's duel occurred as Cohen Christner kept the Giants hitless through four innings, but Georgian Bay finally broke through in the final inning for a 3-0 victory.  

The powerhouse Chippewa Chiefs took the A division championship with a 3-1 victory over the Giants.