East Vancouver Island Baseball League builds momentum with new team, open invitation
Published 5:00 pm Thursday, April 2, 2026
The East Vancouver Island Baseball League began with just two teams in 2022 and has now more than doubled in size. By all accounts, the league is just getting started.
“I am both surprised and not surprised with how it’s grown,” said founder and league president Heath Fenton. “We are now a full-fledged five-team league.
“I entered this experiment with no intention to start a league, but players kept falling into my lap, and it was inevitable that the area and age demographic needed a league, but I did not expect to have a full-fledged league within a couple of years.”
A double-header is scheduled for Opening Day, April 18, in Chemainus, and all are welcome to go and watch the action.
In fact, all are welcome to watch any or all of the 45 EVIBL games slated for Chemainus Baseball Field (35 games) and Holland Creek Park (10 games) all season long.
New this year is the Cassidy Spitfire. They join the Diamond Railmen, Mount Sicker Spirits, Stuart Channel Blue Heron, and Yellow Point Vultures.
There’s also a pool of spares that’s always looking for more players.
“We have a spare list. The spare list is for players who are waiting for next year to join, or for players who like the league but cannot commit full-time,” Fenton said. “The spares are the first to get spots that open during the season or the following year.”
The EVIBL is a community‑oriented recreational baseball league for adults, typically over 30 years old, focused on fun and participation rather than high‑level competitive play.
“I created the league simply because I wanted to play baseball,” Fenton admitted. “It was for very selfish reasons at first. I was 46 years old and too old to play in any of the other recreational baseball leagues in the area, so there really wasn’t any place for me to play. I started looking for people who wanted to play baseball, and I found that there were many in the same boat as me.
“The prospect of playing ‘real’ baseball and not slo-pitch or softball appealed to so many adults,” Fenton added.
While the oldest is 73, and the next oldest is 55, the age range is wide, with the majority of players between 30 and 50 years old. Women and men are welcome.
“The EVIBL is a very unique baseball league, and we have had tremendous support from the community of Chemainus,” Fenton said. “There is nothing like it in this region, and many people are unaware of its presence.”
All teams play all games out of Chemainus or Ladysmith, giving players from up and down the island a central place to play.
“The bulk of our players are from the Cowichan area (between Duncan and Nanaimo). But we have players from Qualicum Beach to Victoria and all parts in between,” Fenton noted.
For those who have hung up their cleats and ball gloves for good but want to stay in the game, there are always opportunities to volunteer and/or to get involved in helping the charitable organizations the league supports.
Fenton said there’s always an opportunity for more players who might not have heard about the league to take part. He can be contacted at 236-333-6233.
There’s a Facebook fan page so people can track the progress of the league.
“We have grown every year since year one,” Fenton said. “That can’t last forever, as the well has to dry up soon. But we aren’t there yet.”