The Kanab City Rec department hosted the Girls Softball Heatstroker over the May 20 - 21 weekend and just wrapped up the Boys Baseball Heatstroker on June 3 - 4. The events brought families and youth from all over the state of Utah to Kanab, for the four days.
In the Softball Heatstroker, there were 26 separate teams which saw 78 games over two days, with 10 umpires umping games in the 10 and under division (10U), 12U and 14U. It took three field crews to manage the fields in between each game and handle trash and concessions all day long, which is long and demanding work in the hot sun.
In the Baseball Heatstroker, Kanab was joined by 38 teams in age divisions from 8U to 13U. It takes seven baseball fields to fill that many teams with a total of 84 games played over two days. Four field crews made up of high school baseball players and other concession workers, prepped the fields, by painting the lines, watering down the dusty fields and picking up trash after each game.
Two teams made up of Kanab players reached the championship games. The Kanab 11U team, coached by Danny Johnson, fought their way to the championship to face off against the Beaver Beavers in blue. They weren’t able to beat the Beavers this time but took home the second place trophy out of seven elite teams from around Utah.
The Young Guns made up of a mix of Kanab, Beaver and Cedar City players took home the 14U championship trophy after beating The Ballers.
The Kanab City Recreation Department would like to thank all the volunteers, the players, the teams, the coaches, and the city businesses for accommodating the large crowds over the two weekends. These events bring lots of families, fun and baseball and softball to the area. The weather cooperated wonderfully and lived up to the tournament name. Kanab Wonderstone provided the unique, one-of-a- kind trophies that make the Heatstroker a popular tournament among club baseball teams.
