OTTAWA-A special year is on the horizon for Baseball Canada in 2014 as the organization will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Today, Baseball Canada revealed its 2014 Calendar of Events outlining some important dates to keep in mind as the year unfolds.
The year kicked-off last weekend as the 12th annual National Teams Awards Banquet and Fundraiser took place at the Renaissance Hotel in Toronto. The evening included the induction of Jason Bay (Trail, BC) onto Baseball Canada’s Wall of Excellence where he joins current members Larry Walker, Justin Morneau, Joey Votto, Ernie Whitt and Ryan Dempster.
The month of February will see Women’s National Team Manager André Lachance bring a group of Bantam Girls to Cuba for the fifth annual Bantam Girls Development Camp.
In March, the 2014 Junior National Team schedule begins with the resurrection of Spring Training/Alumni Week in St. Petersburg, Florida after a one year hiatus due to the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
The highlight of the week will undoubtedly come on March 11th when the Toronto Blue Jays make the short trip up from their Spring Training home in Dunedin to Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg for a split-squad game against the juniors.
April will see the juniors hold their annual Spring Camp in Orlando, while May will see the club travel to the Dominican Republic for the annual tour through the Dominican Summer League.
In June, the second annual Challenger Baseball Jamboree will take place at Rogers Centre in Toronto following the Blue Jays game against the St. Louis Cardinals. The first annual event held last June was a great success with Challenger Baseball participants from coast-to-coast taking part.
Baseball Canada’s Executive, Board of Directors and Staff along with Provincial Staff will convene in Toronto June 25, 26 for the organization’s Annual General Meeting.
National Championship season gets underway August 6-11 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with the Baseball Canada Cup featuring some of Canada’s top players 17 years of age and younger.
Eight other National Championships will take place throughout August and September, for a complete list, please click here.
In September the Women’s National Team will travel to Miyazaki, Japan to participate in the 6th edition of the IBAF Women’s Baseball World Cup.
Competition begins on September 1st with medal games scheduled for September 7th. Canada is the defending bronze medalists.
The International Baseball Federation will host a 21 and under World Cup in 2014 with a date and location still to be determined. Baseball Canada is currently exploring the possibility of sending a National Team to the event.
In October, the Junior National Team will hold their annual Fall Instructional League Camp in Orlando.
The last event on the 2014 calendar is the Baseball Canada Fall Convention slated for November 6-8 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
To view the 2014 Calendar of Events please click here.
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