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Defence sparkles as 9U Astros claim WOBA Enhanced title

Published Aug 15, 2026  •  2 minute read

Mitchell's 9U OBA team won the WOBA Enhanced championship Aug. 9, 14-3 over Kincardine. Back row (left): Coaches Kyle Verberne, Nick Chessell, Chad Verberne, Brad Walt. Middle row (left): Boyd Vosper, Griffey Johnston, Henry Verberne, Ryker Chessell, Easton Mackenzie, Jasper Ritz. Front row (left): Kasen Verberne, Tyler Walt, Rowly Havens, Will Docking, Ollie Schoonderwoerd, Mason Feltz.

A strong display of defence all across the diamond was instrumental in the Mitchell DG Eckert Construction 9U Astros claiming the Western Ontario Baseball Association Enhanced championship on their home field Aug. 9. 

Mitchell allowed just nine runs in four games en route to the title, capped by a 14-3 rout of Kincardine Rep — the top team in the regular season standings and the lone club ahead of the Astros — in the championship contest.

In their opening contest Aug. 7, the Astros shook off some early-game jitters to rally from a 4-0 first inning deficit for an eventual 13-4 win over the Kincardine Selects. Mitchell scored six runs in the bottom of the first and never looked back, with an RBI-triple by Henry Verberne serving as the big hit. 

Ryker Chessell went 3-for-3, including two doubles, to pace the 20-hit attack, while Verberne also had three hits. Jasper Ritz had two hits and drove in three runs while Kasen Verberne, Mason Feltz, Griffey Johnston and Tyler Walt each collected multiple hits. Chessell also stood out defensively, making a diving catch in the outfield. 

The next morning against Exeter, Mitchell came out ready on both sides of the ball and cruised to a 13-0 triumph. Easton Mackenzie and Henry Verberne both had three hits while the shutout was proof of their overall stellar defence. 

The 2-0 mark in the seven-team division propelled Mitchell to the semifinal on Aug. 9 as the top seed, and they looked it. The Astros easily dispatched Owen Sound 14-2 to punch their ticket to the final. The Mitchell club busted the game open in the bottom of the second inning when they scored six runs on seven hits to take a 6-2 lead and never look back. 

A seven-run third added to the Astros’ lead, keyed by a bases-loaded double from Mackenzie, one of his three hits in the contest. Mitchell collected 17 hits in the game as Rowly Havens, Chessell, Johnston and Ritz each collected multiple hits. 

In the final against Kincardine Rep, a seven-run first inning set the tone early, keyed by a two-run single from Johnston that helped overcome an early 2-0 deficit. 

Walt drove in four runs on three hits to pace the victory. He hit a two-run single in the first and added a two-run double in the fifth when they added another seven runs in a big uprising. Kasen Verberne and Will Docking also hit two-run doubles in the outburst. 

Henry Verberne, Havens, Chessell, Johnston, Ritz and Docking each had multiple hits as Mitchell collected 20 all told in the mercy-run rule win. 

Kasen Verberne was sharp at the hot corner at third base the entire tournament, while a “pickle” highlighted the fine defence in the championship game. In that memorable play, a throw from Chessell in right center field to Havens at second trapped the runner heading toward second. Five or six throws between Boyd Vosper at first and Havens during this rundown culminated with shortstop Henry Verberne finally tagging the exhausted runner out. 

The Astros hope to show off the same skill when they battle for the Ontario Baseball Association ‘C’ championship in Kingsville over Labour Day weekend.