NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Knights of Columbus Knights outfielder Kane Bishop looks up at his batted ball in the bottom of the third inning in a 19-5 win Wednesday at Athletic Park over the Fort Macleod Royals.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com@ReporterTubb
Two of Medicine Hat’s top youth baseball players will represent Alberta at the national stage in August.
Hatters Kane Bishop and Matthew Getz have been named to Team Alberta’s baseball roster for the 2025 Canada Summer Games hosted in St. John’s, Nfld., Aug. 8-25. The male baseball tourney will run Aug. 10-16.
“I’m stoked for sure, it’s really big to me,” Bishop said. “I’m definitely really excited about it.”
Both attended tryouts two weeks ago in Innisfail, competing against the top 40 players invited to the 12-inning tryout game. Bishop, primarily playing centre field for Medicine Hat’s Knights of Columbus Knights, worked through all three outfield positions. Getz, who mans third base for the Medicine Hat Moose Monarchs, says the extended-inning game is a fun challenge.
“It wasn’t my first time but it’s definitely long, it’s a lot of baseball,” Get said. “It definitely makes you love baseball.
Bishop enters the opportunity at a young age, just 15, turning 16 at the end of August after the national competition is over. The Summer Games’ baseball age group is 17U, meaning he’ll play alongside and face off against 17- and some 18-year-olds, a challenge he looks forward to.
“I was stoked when I got the offer to go to this camp and then when I found out I made it, I was just ecstatic, it was awesome,” Bishop said. “At this point my life, getting this opportunity is just really big to me and hopefully I can actually take it somewhere and do good things with it.”
In 22 games this summer with the American Legion Knights, Bishop is batting .306 with 15 RBIs and 29 runs scored. He’s also stolen 11 bases.
Bishop says he made some friends at the tryout, and knowing Getz makes it easier having familiarity with the team. He is focused on the next month of Knights’ baseball but likes the idea of representing Alberta.
“I’ve never done that before, but it sounds like lots of fun,” Bishop said. “Representing a province seems pretty big and I’m just going to do my best to represent it.”
Bishop and Getz are the only two from southern Alberta representing the province. It’s an honour not lost on the 17-year-old Getz.
“That’s pretty fun, it means a lot to represent the City of Medicine Hat and the province,” Getz said.
His older brother Brett, who pitched for the Medicine Hat Mavericks last season in the WCBL and now pitches for the Lethbridge Bulls, played at the 2022 Summer Games held in Niagara Falls. Getz has previously donned the Alberta blue, but never on a national level.
“I’ll just be soaking up every moment, probably a little pressure there, but just have to deal with it and make the most of it, because it’s going to be a blast,” Getz said.
In 23 games this season with the Monarchs, Getz is hitting .270 with a home run, 10 RBIs and 18 runs scored. He’s also nabbed four stolen bases on the summer.
He’ll be playing in a couple straight weeks of high intensity baseball, with the Monarchs hosting the Alberta Montana Legion AA State Tournament from July 30 to Aug. 3. He says the Monarchs (4-19-2) will heat up as the American Legion season rolls on toward that State tournament.
“We’ve had close games, we definitely could have won some of those games,” Getz said. “We’re already in State, so that’s a blessing. So as soon as we heat up, we’ll be good, I’m not too worried.”
Both are looking forward to the trip to Newfoundland and getting to experience the province while also playing for Summer Games gold.
“It’s definitely a business trip but we’re there a long time, the furthest I’ve been is Saskatchewan so Newfoundland will be a change,” Getz said.
They also understand the impact a tournament like this can have on the baseball dream, both working toward the hope of making baseball a career. The Canada Summer Games has had some Major League alumni, with Mike Soroka, Russell Martin, Jeff Francis, Zach Pop and Abraham Toro all notable alum who have played in the tournament.
“It’s definitely a goal of mine to take baseball and pursue it further, try and make something out of it,” Bishop said.
