Wiarton Red Devils win the U21 Nationals UPDATED (with "Android" story)

The Wiarton Red Devils won the Softball Canada U21 (Junior) Men's Nationals in Owen Sound yesterday, defeated the Napanee Express in the final game. Wiarton lost their first "double life" game of the playoff round and had to win four straight for the title.

Congratulations to Andy Barber, of West Carleton Electric, who played the outfield for the Red Devils, and hit clean up in the final game. Barber also saw time pitching for Wiarton during the round robin.

Andy was also profiled in a recent article in the West Carleton Review newspaper - see below

The Android, Team Ontario return victorious

Fastball player Andy Barber is now an internationally winning pitcher, after retuning from the International Fastpitch Championship in Saskatoon.

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West Carleton Review 

By Patricia Leboeuf            

Sports -Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electric player Andy Barber returns triumphant from the International Fastpitch Championship in Saskatoon.

Nicknamed the Android for his steely talent, he is part of the Team Ontario U21 Men's Team who took home the first place in the Championship. They narrowly beat out New Zealand in the finals on July 14.

                        

The Canadian and the American teams were be joined by players from such faraway places as Argentina, Australia and New Zealand.

                        

"It's incredible," said Barber. "There is so much talent. "The guys are just so incredibly talented," he added. "It's just an honour." Barber saw the stadiums full every day of the championship, a nod to the incredible ball talent at hand.

 

The 20-year-old has been playing his whole life, starting when he was about five years old.

Though he and his brothers have always played competitively, he didn't really get serious about the sport until he was 16 years old. He didn't even realize he could be serious about fastball until he joined the Electrics.

 

"I thought that once you finish your minor sport that was it," said Barber. Once he grew out of the minor leagues, he met up with old teammates who pointed him into a new direction.

                        

"I was actually too young to play with the men's league but they made special exceptions for me 'cause I was just talented," said Barber. "I was just talented enough. I got pretty lucky I think."

                        

He loves the team. Their cheer, their talent, their companionship, their support and their sportsmanship keeps him on his toes.

                        

"They are a great group of guys," said Barber. "They don't take themselves extremely seriously. They are there to have fun, but they like to win. It's just a good vibe when I'm playing with them.

                        

"They are very, very supportive," he added. "Anytime I go to a tournament or anything like that with my own age group or with other teams, they are always asking me how I did, congratulating me, like they are texting me during the tournament to find out how I am doing. They are just very supportive."

                        

His teammates are generally older than he is. They've played more games, been through more and aren't afraid to share their knowledge.

                        

"Anytime they have any advice for me," said Barber. "They give it to me. I love it. I really appreciate all the advice they give to me," he added. "I definitely use it. I find that it helps out a lot."

                        

Fastball isn't as popular in Eastern Ontario as it is in Toronto. So he also joined the Wiarton Red Devils located out about six hours from Ottawa. When he goes to compete with them, he has to travel at least five hours "That kind of sucks but it is worth it when you get there," he said.

                        

ON THE MOUND

He fell into pitching naturally.

                        

One of his older brothers was a pitcher and he would attend the games and practise on the side with his dad and "try to pretend to be him, do exactly what he did.

                        

"It's fun being able to strike out batters and it's just the complete opposite of batting," said Barber.

Not that he doesn't enjoy batting. He loves the rush of connecting wood with a leather ball flying 75MPH.

"It's almost like an adrenaline rush," said Barber. "It's like you are trying to guess what the pitcher is going to throw at you, how hard he's going to throw it to you and then you have to react to it and be able to hit it."

                        

"It's just so fun every time I'm able to do that," he added.

                        

TRAINING

During the summer months, he spends nearly every weekend away at tournaments and he'll spend two to three nights during the week playing locally. In games where he isn't pitching, he'll work on his aim earlier in the day and lift weights.

                        

In the offseason he still trains but to a lesser degree. "I don't take it extremely, extremely, extremely serious, but I like to work out," he said.

                        

The constant physical activity helps him keep in tip top shape particularly after a devastating hamstring injury last summer.

                        

The young athlete tore his hamstring in June 2012. It took a full month to recover enough to return to the game and even then it wasn't completely the same.

                        

Just basic things like running made him uncomfortable, he admitted.

                        

He has returned to complete mobility for the season and is ready to take on the world. His ultimate goal is to one day make it on the national men's team, but for now he's just enjoying himself.