All three teams in Thompson's senior men's baseball league have identical records early in a season that has been interrupted several times already by poor weather.

The Bankside Cubs, Matechuk Trucking Murphys and Boston Pizza Red all have a pair of wins and a pair of losses each, says league organizer Red Sangster. "Senior baseball got off to a slow start with bad weather and it's been bad ever since," said Sangster. "We've only played in two weeks of the season. We've had quite a few games rained out but other than that things are good."

The problem lies in the fact that the rain not only cancels games scheduled for the night it occurs but for most of the rest of the week, as games are played on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

"It takes about three days for the diamond to dry out after rain," Sangster explains.

The senior baseball league has more reason than usual to ensure the field stays up to snuff as Thompson will host the senior men's AA baseball provincials this summer.

"Were hosting the AA championships Aug. 3-5," said Sangster and it's Thompsons' first chance to host in a long time. "This is the first playoff we've had in 10 years up here."

Sangster says teams from all the other seven sports regions of Manitoba have confirmed their attendance and that action will get underway on the afternoon of Friday, Aug. 3 at 4 p.m.There will be two sets of games played that evening, either on the Red Sangster Ball Diamond or the adjacent softball field behind the Thompson Regional Community Centre. Games will be seven innings long.

Though he's happy to see the provincials here again, Sangster knows it will cost the senior baseball association a fair amount to host them. Umpires alone will run a bill of $85 per game - $45 for the umpire behind the plate and $40 for the one in the field.

"At this time, we really don't know how much more [they'll have to spend]," Sangster said.

Volunteers are still needed and Sangster says anyone interested in lending a helping hand can give him a call at 778-4010 or come to a meeting tonight in the boardroom at Harmony House.

So far this season, two players have been presented with the player of the week award from local Molson representative Kelly Salamandyk. Ryan Chigol of the Cubs took the honours in the first week and Todd Harwood was recognized in the second week.

"[Harwood] pitched a four-hitter against the Cub," says Sangster.