TORONTO – Stepping on to a Major League Baseball field is a dream come true for any aspiring baseball player. Well, over the days of September 19 to 22, that dream did come true for some of the best young baseball players across Canada. 55 of the best 15 and 16 year old players from across the country were brought to the Rogers Centre in Toronto to participate in the Mizuno Junior Elite Camp. While in Toronto, these talented young men would be led through drills and techniques by Toronto Blue Jays coaches Brian Butterfield and Brad Arnsberg, Baseball Canada coaches Greg Hamilton and Denis Boucher and Canadian Olympic Team players Adam Stern and Chris Robinson. On top of receiving some of the best coaching available, the players were involved in “Life Skills” sessions, where Hyung Cho, National Team alumnist and Territory Manager with Mizuno Canada discussed finding proper equipment and sizing and Jeff Krushell of Krush Sports Performance educated the kids on proper nutrition and strength and conditioning. To add to the experience, the players got a chance to see some of the best baseball players in the world live and up close as they got to attend three Toronto Blue Jays games. It was a three-game series against the Boston Red Sox that featured two Canadians in Scott Richmond (Langley, BC) of the Blue Jays and Jason Bay (Trail, BC) of the Red Sox. Paul Schaak of Winkler, Manitoba was one of the 55 players selected for the four day camp. His experience in Toronto can sum up the feeling among the group that attended the annual event. “It was really good,” says Schaak. “This was my first time seeing a Jays game and being on the field. This was probably one of the best times of my life. I had a really good time.” The 16-year-old left-handed pitcher took in a lot of new information while at the camp, listening to the teachings of pitching coaches Brad Arnsberg and Denis Boucher. Of all the new information he received, one thing stuck out for 6’1”, 175 pound left-hander. “Consistency and repetition. You can’t get any better without doing it over and over. That’s why the guys in the Major Leagues are so good.” For Adam Stern and Chris Robinson, this was a chance to give back. They know the types of situations these young men are in as they were once there themselves as up and coming Canadian ball players. “This (camp) is so good to see,” says Stern. “I know when I was 16 and got a chance to play here (at Rogers Centre) I was really nervous. It’s good to see these kids and walk them through the process a little bit so they’re not so nervous and see what they can do.” “When I was their age I wasn’t good enough to come to this exact camp,” adds Stern, “but it’s good to see the best in Canada and see where baseball is going.” “It’s exciting to give back because they’re so willing to learn,” says Robinson. “But also we get to see the future of Baseball Canada. In 10-15 years, when I’m sitting on the couch watching the World Baseball Classic or, hopefully, the Olympics I can see what kind of progress these guys have made and what kind of players they turn into.” After two days of different pitching, infielding, outfielding, hitting and baserunning drills, the kids were divided into two teams to play an inter-squad game as Team Stern would take on Team Robinson. For the players, it was a chance to show off their talents in front of college and professional scouts. For the managers, there was much more up for grabs. “There’s a round of golf on the line,” says Stern. “I’ve lost to Robbie before and he’s not a guy you want to lose to, whether it’s hopscotch or a game of horse on the basketball court.” “I’m going to take the guys aside and walk them through what it’s all about and take it seriously. It’s like the World Series for me,” adds Stern jokingly. “More importantly than a round of golf, there’s bragging rights,” says Robinson. “If I lose to Stern I’m never going to hear the end of it. I don’t care if I have to buy a round of golf, because I’m probably going to get it all back on the golf course anyway.” In what was a heated contest at the Rogers Centre, Team Stern came out on top of Team Robinson, but both sides had some solid performances. Justin Atkinson (Surrey, BC) had an RBI triple while Alex Calbick (Burnaby, BC) had a pair of hits, including a double. Kellin Deglan (Langley, BC) had a pair of hits and an RBI and Etienne Levesque (Chateauguay, QC) had an RBI single. On the mound, Bruce Lombard (Oakville, ON) retired the side in order in his inning pitched, registering a pair of strikeouts. Jonathan Paquet (Québec City, QC) also had two strikeouts in his one-two-three inning and Mike Ellis (Surrey, BC) registered all three outs in his inning of work via the punch out. “We had a wonderful camp with some of the best young Canadian players here in Toronto,” says Greg Hamilton, Head Coach and Director of National Teams for Baseball Canada. “This is a tremendous opportunity for these young players to take advantage of some Major League instruction and gain knowledge from many different professional coaches and players. We’re very proud to have Mizuno, the Blue Jays and Major League Baseball to help make this event the success that it is.”
OTTAWA - Major League Baseball, Baseball Canada and Mizuno Canada will host some of the top 15-16 year old baseball players in the country for the 2008 edition of the Mizuno Junior Elite Development Camp at the Rogers Center from September 19th to 22nd. This select group of aspiring “big leaguers” from across Canada will receive on-field instruction from coaching and scouting staffs of the Toronto Blue Jays, Major League Baseball and Baseball Canada. “The comprehensive nature of the Mizuno Junior Elite Development Camp will allow these talented young Canadian players the opportunity to refine their skills while preparing them for competition at the next level,” says Greg Hamilton, Head Coach and Director of National Teams for Baseball Canada. During the camp, the players will sweat through fundamental skills training designed by the coaching staffs that include hitting, pitching, infielding, outfielding, catching and baserunning. On the final day of the elite camp, participants will form two teams to compete in a Canada East vs. Canada West intra-squad game. In addition to the on-field training, the young men will participate in a series of “Life Skills” classroom seminars. Seminar topics include proper nutrition, career goal planning, strength and conditioning, injury prevention and rehabilitation, talent evaluation and assessment. “Mizuno is pleased to be a part of this once in a lifetime opportunity to help these young athletes realize their dreams of playing in the Major Leagues,” said John Stacey, President of Mizuno Canada. “Our relationship with Baseball Canada continues to flourish and Mizuno will continue to help support the development of Baseball in Canada through grassroots programs.” Past players who have participated in the Mizuno Junior Elite Camp include current Major Leaguers Adam Loewen of the Baltimore Orioles and Russell Martin of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Instructors include from the Toronto Blue Jays, bench coach Brian Butterfield, pitching coach Brad Arnsberg, and Director of Canadian Scouting Kevin Briand. Also, Canadian Olympic and World Baseball Classic team pitching coach Denis Boucher, along with Olympic team members Adam Stern and Chris Robinson will be included in the instructional staff. Additional guest instructors will be represented by coaches from each province. Mizuno Camp RosterMizuno Camp Itinerary
BELOEIL - Baseball Canada’s Rally Cap program received a wonderful homage over the weekend as a film crew with Baseball Canada came to produce an educative film with some Rally Cap participants from the community of Beloeil. The objective of the film is to show what the Rally Cap program entails, as well as show the kids’ enthusiasm and the skills and drills they practice throughout the weeks. “The city of Beloeil has seen the most success with the Rally Cap program amongst all minor baseball associations across the country. That’s why Baseball Canada chose to have the film done here,” explains Sylvain Poissant, Rally Cap coordinator for Baseball Québec. “Baseball Canada’s selection of the Beloeil Minor Baseball Association (ABMB) confirms the excellent work done by our Rally Cap director Marc Hallée and his team of volunteers in the city. In fact, in the last four years, registration has gone up 612 percent,” says Sylvain Joubert, President of the ABMB. “After Baseball Québec recognized the results we were having in our association, thanks to Mr. Hallée attending the last provincial convention, now all of Canada will recognize the success that we’ve had,” adds Joubert. The project, which is funded by Baseball Canada, will be made available on DVD in both English and French and will distributed along with the other Rally Cap materials at the start of the season.
OTTAWA – Did you ever wonder how many Canadians are on the cusp of breaking into the Major Leagues? Have you ever wondered how a certain player is doing with his college team? These questions and many more can be answered with the help of this new website, the Canadian Baseball Network. Originally launched in 1995 as a tool to promote baseball in Canada, the Canadian Baseball Network is an extension of this concept. The purpose of the site is to provide exposure for Canadians playing “America’s Pastime” to coaches, scouts and universities as well as to strengthen the future of the game in Canada. The main goal of the site is to share knowledge and information, in order to introduce more young people to the sport and grow the game in Canada. You can join the Canadian Baseball Network and receive news updates as well as post comments on contributor blogs as well as chat with baseball fans across the country in the “Dugout Chatter” section. To visit the Canadian Baseball Network, go to http://canadianbaseballnetwork.com/ or to the Baseball Canada Links section and see how the Canadians are doing in this great game.
MATSUYAMA, Japan – The Women’s National Team’s quest for their first World Championship fell just short as Canada would fall to Japan by a score of 11-3 in the Gold Medal Game at the III IBAF Women’s Baseball World Cup. Despite the loss, Canada’s silver medal finish means that this is the team’s highest placement since the tournament’s inception in 2004. Canada earned bronze medals at the two previous Women’s World Cups in 2004 and 2006. “I’m really proud of our team. We showed a lot of character to get where we are and I can’t ask for a better performance out of the girls,” says Manager André Lachance. The Canadians got on the board first in the second inning when Karine Gagné (Granby, QC) singled up the middle to score Marie-Josée Tremblay (St-Honoré, QC) from third and give Canada a 1-0 lead. Canada added to its lead in the third inning when they would load the bases with one out for Tremblay, who hit into a fielder’s choice to drive in Amanda Asay (Prince George, BC) and put the Canadians ahead 2-0. Japan would bounce back however in the bottom of the fourth when they would plate four runs off of Canadian pitcher Kate Psota (Burlington, ON), who came in relief of starter Martine Nadeau (Québec City, QC), to take a 4-2 lead. The Canadians responded in the top of the fifth inning when Geneviève Beauchamp (Sherbrooke, QC), who reached on a double, would score on a RBI single from Tremblay to cut the lead to one. But then the wheels would fall off for Canada in the bottom of the fifth as they would run out of fresh arms on the mound and Japan would capitalize to score seven runs and put the game out of reach. Canada would pound out 12 hits to Japan’s 11, however a pair of costly errors and leaving 12 runners on-base was the story on this day for the Canadians. But there is a silver lining. “We’ve moved one step closer to our main goal here,” says Lachance. “Hopefully in 2010, we will accomplish what we’ve set out for since the beginning and that’s to bring home a gold medal.” Box Score
MATSUYAMA, Japan – For the second day in a row, the Women’s National Team came from behind late and this time it earned them a trip to the Gold Medal Game as Canada defeated Australia 7-6 at the III IBAF Women’s Baseball World Cup. The previous night, Canada executed two successful squeeze plays in the top of the seventh inning to come back and win against the United States, also by a score of 7-6. “We are playing like bandits! We keep stealing games from our opponents in the late innings or our last at-bats!” stated Team Canada Manager André Lachance. Tonight’s 7-6 win over Australia was very gratifying for the coaching staff as they’ve seen the Aussie’s play the role of spoiler before. “Australia beat us in 2006 in Taiwan and almost knocked us out of medal contention,” says Eric LaForest. “Australia certainly affected our chances of winning a gold medal in 2006; we again showed mental toughness tonight to come from behind late to get this win!” Canada gave up three runs in the top of the first inning but responded with one run in the bottom of the first and again in the second to cut the lead to one. Then the Canadian women posted three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 5-3. Australia rallied in the top of the fifth inning with another three-run frame to regain the lead 6-5. Leading off the bottom of the sixth, Nicole Luchanski (Edmonton, AB) singled to right and scored the tying run on a follow up triple by Autumn Mills (London, ON). With Mills standing at third, Ashley Stephenson (Mississauga, ON) singled to left field with two out and cashed the go-ahead run. Kate Psota (Burlington, ON) shut the door the rest of the way and got the win for Canada, putting them one win away from their first world championship. Canada plays Japan for the gold medal on Friday, August 29 at 6:30 pm local time (Friday, 5:30 am EST) at Botchan Stadium. You can follow the game live at the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) website at: www.ibaf.org. Box Score
MATSUYAMA, Japan – The Women’s National Team are now one step closer to earning a birth in the Gold Medal Game at the III IBAF Women’s Baseball World Cup after a hard fought 7-6 win over the United States. It was a rollercoaster battle that saw the lead change five times, but Canada took the lead for good in the top of the seventh to improve their record to 3-1. “I am proud of our players and the character they showed today”, said André Lachance, Field Manager for Team Canada. “There were times we could have given up when the momentum changed in (the U.S.) favour, but we were quick to get the momentum back. You could feel the energy on our bench.” Canada was able to flawlessly execute three squeeze plays in the late innings to come up with the victory, including a clutch pinch-hit single from Stephanie Savoie (La Pocatière, QC) in the seventh inning to tie the game. “We have been working on offensive execution”, said Wayne Parro, hitting and first base coach. “Our players are buying into the team’s plan, and we are starting to play with the confidence that matches our ability.” Leading Canada’s offensive attack was Kate Psota (Burlington, ON), who was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Ashley Stephenson (Mississauga, ON) was 2-for-3 with two RBI for Canada. Stephenson also got the win in relief, pitching one and two-thirds innings. Martine Nadeau (Québec City, QC), who started for Canada, went four innings allowing three runs on seven hits and a pair of walks while striking out three. Autumn Mills (London, ON) went one and a third innings in relief, giving up three runs, one earned, on two hits. Canada’s next game in the cross-over round is against Australia. A win will put Canada in the Gold Medal Game against Japan, who earned their spot with a 10-1 win over the Aussies. Canada takes on Australia on Thursday, August 28 at 12:30 pm local time, at Botchan Stadium. Box Score
MATSUYAMA, Japan – The Women’s National Team responded to yesterday's loss against Japan with a 15-0, four-inning mercy win today over Korea at the III IBAF Women’s Baseball World Cup. Although the game was called after four innings due to the mercy rule, this game took exactly five hours to complete due to frequent rain delays. "That was the longest mercy rule game I've ever seen!" says third base coach Eric LaForest. Canada opened the flood gates immediately by scoring 10 runs in the top of the first inning and then never looked back. They would go on to add two runs in the third inning and three run in the fourth inning to seal the win. "I knew we would be ready for today. Our players have a lot of character and most important, we were solid with our pitching and defence,” says Manager André Lachance. “We do not lose many games when we pitch well and play sound defensively." Marie-Josée Tremblay (St-Honoré, QC) started the game, allowing only one hit with three walks over two innings of work. Melanie Anctil (St-Hubert, QC) came in relief and she would also only give up one hit in her two innings on the mound. Anctil would also allow two walks with one strikeout. "M-J was pitching well but because of the frequent and lengthy rain delays, we had to go to our bullpen", says Lachance. "Both pitchers were sharp and combined gave up only two hits." Leading Canada's offensive assault was Ashley Stephenson (Mississauga, ON), who was 2-for-2 with four RBI. Megan Cornellson (Grande-Prairie, AB) was 2-for-3 with three runs driven in while Amanda Asay (Prince George, BC) was 2-for-4 and drove three runs of her own. All nine hitters in the Canadian lineup reached base at least once and scored at least one run. Canada now starts the divisional cross-over and will first take on the United States on Wednesday, August 27 at 12:30 pm local time at Botchan Stadium. Martine Nadeau (Québec City, QC) will get the start for Canada. Box Score
MATSUYAMA, Japan – The Canadian Women's National Team suffered a setback at the III IBAF Women's Baseball World Cup as they would lose their second game of the tournament at the hands of Japan by a score of 12-2. "This is far from over", quipped manager André Lachance. "We are not out of this tournament, we simply have to regroup and come back ready to play tomorrow." "They hit the ball well tonight, we did not", added Jean-François Lacroix, Team Canada's pitching coach. Canada came out swinging in the first inning; after one quick out, Marie-Josée Tremblay (St-Honoré, QC) hit a single, followed by a double by Ashley Stephenson (Mississauga, ON). Amanda Asay (Prince George, BC) ripped a single that plated both runners and gave Canada a 2-0. That lead was short lived as Japan responded with three runs in the bottom of the first. Canada was unable to get its offense in gear for the balance of the game and Japan had a big inning in the fifth, scoring eight runs to seal the win. Team Canada will next face off with Korea at 12:30 pm local time on Tuesday, August 26. Box Score
OTTAWA – The Junior National Team ended its two year cycle with a sixth place finish at the World Junior Baseball Championship in Edmonton in early August. Now Baseball Canada begins a new cycle for the 2010 World Juniors in Thunder Bay and it all starts at the Baseball Canada Cup, which took place from August 13-17 in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Baseball Canada coaches and scouts selected 30 new players from all over the country to participate in the Fall Instructional League camp in Orlando, Florida from October 2-12. There, these players will take on professional players from teams affiliated with Major League Baseball. The following is the list of players selected for the Junior National Team’s Fall Instructional League camp: Alberta Jordan Wong, RHP (Calgary)Joel Lutz, 3B (Medicine Hat)Mitch Frey, SS (Medicine Hat) British Columbia Keaton Briscoe, 2B (North Vancouver)Darren Kolk, OF (Cobble Hill)Ethan Stewart, LHP (Campbell River)Kellin Deglan, C (Langley)Steve McKinnon, RHP (Duncan)Wes Darvill, SS (Langley)Brooklyn Foster, C (Langley)Jason Gibson, LHP (Victoria)Mike Ellis, RHP (Surrey)Paul Barton, RHP (Qualicum Beach) Manitoba Paul Schaak, LHP (Plum Coullee) New Brunswick Mike Washburn, 1B (Fredericton) Ontario Jeff Gibbs, RHP (Toronto)Larry Balkwill, C (Chatham)Tanner Nivins, OF (Kitchener)Jonathon Solazzo, 3B (Mississauga)Maxx Tissenbaum, SS (Toronto)Andrew Ruck, OF (Whitby)Trevor Barton, OF (London)Donovan Latour, RHP (Barrie)Jerome Werniuk, RHP (Toronto) Québec Alexandre Béland, C (Trois-Rivières)Jonathan Paquet, RHP (Ancienne Lorette)Brian Bardis, OF (St-Constant)Yan Fortin, RHP (Laval) Saskatchewan Evan Zerff, RHP (Regina)Tyler McWhirter, 2B (Regina) A complete roster along with schedule for the Fall camp will be released at a later date.
