GUANUMA, DR – The Junior National Team’s final game for their Dominican Summer League Camp has been cancelled due to rain and will not be made-up. The Canadians finish their tour of the Dominican with a 7-1 record, arguably one of their most successful tours thus far. Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) was on fire during his eight game stretch, hitting .500 (17-for-34) with eight home runs and 24 RBI. The Junior will return to Canada on Friday, May 30 and rejoin their respective clubs. The will reunite in July to begin a cross-Canada tour which starts in Thunder Bay and makes its way to Edmonton for the World Junior Baseball Championship, which take place from July 25-August 3.
BOCA CHICA, DR – The Junior National Team put runs across in every inning except the eighth inning on route to a 21-5 drubbing of the Toronto Blue Jays in the Dominican Republic. Carter Morrison (Langley, BC) led the way going 3-for-5 with a home run, a double and five RBI. Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC), James Kottaras (Markham, ON) and Jeff Hunt (Cambridge, ON) all contributed with three RBI apiece. For the seventh time in eight games, the Juniors took the lead early in the first inning. Brett Lawrie came in to score the game’s first run on a Luke Willson (LaSalle, ON) single. The Canadians doubled their lead in the second inning when Jeff Hunt stroked a double to bring in Carter Morrison for his first RBI of the game. With the score 3-2 for Canada after three innings, the Canadians put up a six spot in the fourth inning. Lionel Morrill (Edmonton, AB) scored the inning’s first run on an RBI single from Carter Morrison. Morrison came in to score on a Jeff Hunt single, followed by Ivan Hartle (North Vancouver, BC) who drove in Jonathan Gilbert (St-Georges, QC). After Hunt came in to score on James Kottaras’s single, Hartle and Kottaras crossed the plate on Brett Lawrie’s single to complete the inning’s scoring. Canada added three runs in the fifth thanks to the patience of the hitters. A fielder’s choice, a walk and an error loaded the bases for Jonathan Gilbert who then drove in a run on a single. Jeff Hunt and James Kottaras would then draw walks to bring in the two other runs. With already a seven run lead, the Juniors added another three runs in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, Carter Morrison hit a bases clearing double to put Canada ahead 15-5. Two doubles in the seventh, one by James Kottaras and one by Marcus Knecht (Toronto, ON), drove in two more runs and increased the Canadian lead to twelve. The Juniors concluded their onslaught in the ninth inning with four more runs, highlighted by Carter Morrison’s solo home run. Hidden in all this offence was another solid pitching performance from the Canadian hurlers. Nick Bucci (Sarnia, ON) got the start on the mound and went three innings, allowing two runs on three hits and one walk, while striking out a pair. Andrew Ledger (Toronto, ON) came in relief of Bucci and threw two innings, giving up three runs on four hits and a walk, and two strikeouts. Then Brad Furdal (Ancaster, ON) and Brandon Petite (Glace Bay, NS) combined to shutout the Blue Jays for the final four innings. Furdal only allowed one hit over three innings of work, striking out four. Petite threw a scoreless ninth inning, giving up only a walk. The Junior National Team will play its final contest of the Dominican Summer League camp on Thurdsay, May 29 against the Philadelphia Phillies. Game time is at 11 am in Guanuma.
BOCA CHICA, DR – The Junior National Team continue to have great success over their competition in the Dominican Republic. This time, the DSL Minnesota Twins fell victim to the offensive attack and precision pitching of the Canadians as the Juniors came up with an easy 7-1 win. For the sixth time in seven games, the Juniors opened the scoring in the first inning. Marcus Knecht (Toronto, ON) hit into a fielder’s choice to bring in James Kottaras (Markham, ON) for the games first run. The Twins would tie it up in the bottom of the second off of Canadian starter Jake Eliopoulos (Newmarket, ON). That would be the only run allowed by Eliopoulos as he would go for three innings, allowing one hit and three walks while striking out a pair. The Juniors would retake the lead in the fifth inning as three Canadian runners would cross the plate in the frame. Jonathan Gilbert (St-Georges, QC), Dale Anderson (Strathmore, AB) and Maxx Tissenbaum (Toronto, ON) would all come in to score and give Canada a 4-1 lead. Anderson, who was 1-for-1 with a two runs, an RBI, a pair of walks and was hit by a pitch, drove in Michael Crouse in the sixth inning on an RBI single to make 5-1 Canada. The lead would climb to six in the seventh inning when James Kottaras came in to score his second run of the game on Luke Willson’s (Lasalle, ON) RBI single. That would be more that enough for the young men on the mound for Canada as David Walkling (Nanaimo, BC) and Evan Grills (Whitby, ON) would combine to shut out the Twins for the last six innings. Walkling scattered three hits and gave up a walk in three innings on the mound, while Grills allowed only two runners to reach and struck out six. The final run came in for the Canadians in the ninth inning when Dale Anderson scored on an Ivan Hartle (North Vancouver, BC) single. The Junior National Team continues its Dominican tour with a matchup against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday, May 28 at 11 am in Boca Chica.
SAN PEDRO DE MACORIS, DR – The Junior National Team’s offence continues to excel in the Dominican, this time crossing eight runners at the plate. However, it was almost not enough as the Texas Rangers put up five runs in the last two innings, three in the eighth and two in the ninth, but the Juniors held on to an 8-7 win. Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) continues to tear the cover off the ball, once again going deep for his eighth homer in five games in the Dominican. His latest long ball came in the first inning, making it four time out five games that the Canadians put up at least a run in the first. After Lawrie opened the scoring, the Juniors added a pair in the second on a two-run double from Greg Densem (Toronto, ON) to score Lionel Morrill (Edmonton, AB) and Carter Morrison (Langley, BC) and put Canada ahead 3-0. The Rangers would respond in the bottom half of the inning on a solo home run off of Andrew Ledger (Toronto, ON) to bring the lead down to two. That would be the only run Ledger would allow, going three strong innings. The Canadians brought the lead back to three in the fourth inning when Morrill came in to score on a fielder’s choice to make it 4-1. But the Rangers quickly responded in the bottom half of the inning with another solo shot, this time off of Danny Britton-Foster (Ladysmith, BC). But like Ledger, that would be the only run allowed by Britton-Foster in three innings of work. He allowed five hits and struck out three in his outing. In the fifth inning, the Juniors padded their lead with three runs in the frame to put them ahead 7-2. Ivan Hartle (North Vancouver, BC) started the inning with a bunt single, followed by an error by the shortstop to allow Lawrie to reach base. After a walk to Marcus Knecht (Toronto, ON) to load the bases, Michael Crouse (Port Moody, BC) drew a walk to score Hartle. An RBI single from Morrill brought in Lawrie and a wild pitch allowed Knecht to score. The lead would increase to six in the seventh inning on the second RBI of the day for Brett Lawrie, who was 2-for-5 on the day, to bring in Hartle. It turned out the Canadians would need every one of those runs as the Rangers would shorten the lead to three on a three-run home run in the eighth inning. Texas would load the bases with nobody out in the ninth and would bring two across on a double play and an RBI single, but Mike Monster (Kelowna, BC) got the last hitter to strikeout putting an end to the game. The Junior National Team will next take on the Cleveland Indians on Monday, May 26 at 11 am in Boca Chica.
BOCA CHICA, DR – The Junior National Team keeps on rolling at the Dominican Summer League camp. All four pitchers for the Canadians were lights out and the offence once again provided an early lead as the Juniors would go on to beat the Cleveland Indians by a score of 7-0. Stosh Wawrzasek (Langley, BC), Philippe Charpentier (l’Épiphanie, QC), François Lafrenière (St. Bruno, QC) and Brandon Petite (Glace Bay, NS) combined to shutout the Indians in this matchup. Stosh Wawrzasek started on the mound for the Canadians and threw three solid innings. He allowed only two hits, one walk and hit one batter while striking out a pair in his outing. Philippe Charpentier followed in Wawrzasek’s footsteps by allowing only four hits with one going down on strikes over two innings of work. François Lafrenière came in relief of Charpentier and gave the Indians hitters headaches as he give up only a pair of walks while fanning three over three innings on the hill. Brandon Petite closed things out for the Canadians and threw a perfect one-two-three ninth inning. Offensively, the Juniors opened the scoring in the first inning for the fifth time in six games. This time Marcus Knecht (Toronto, ON) drove in the run bringing in Ivan Hartle (North Vancouver, BC), who reached with a leadoff double, to put Canada ahead by one. The Canadians would put two more across in the fourth on the strength of Luke Willson’s (Lasalle, ON) first of two doubles on the day. Willson’s double scored Michael Crouse (Port Moody, BC) who reached on a fielder’s choice. Willson would later score on an error by the shortstop. Willson, who was 2-for-4 with two RBI, hit his second double of the day as part of a four-run sixth inning. His double drove in Marcus Knecht. Jonathan Gilbert (St-Georges, QC) followed suit with a two-run single to plate Willson and Michael Crouse. Maxx Tissenbaum (Toronto, ON) drove in Gilbert with a single to complete the scoring. Next up for the Junior National Team is a matchup with the Minnesota Twins in Boca Chica on Tuesday, May 27. Game time is 11 am.
BOCA CHICA, DR – Brett Lawrie continued on his torrid pace by displaying his power as he would combine to hit five home runs in the two games as the Junior National Team kept their good start going at the Dominican Summer League camp with a sweep of the Seattle Mariners in a doubleheader with a 8-5 win in game one and a 14-5 win in game two. Lawrie (Langley, BC) , going 3-for-3 with three jacks and driving in six of the Canadians eight runs in the first game. He went 2-for-5 with two long balls, three RBI and three runs scored in game two. Jonathan Gilbert (St-Georges, QC) added to the power surge and had a solid gamein the second outing, going 1-for-4 with four RBI. His one hit was a three-run homer. On the mound, Evan Grills (Whitby, ON) started game one for the Juniors and threw three shutout innings, allowing only two hits while striking out six batters. Nick Bucci (Sarnia, ON) started game two and had a solid outing, giving up only one hit and one walk in four shutout innings. He also recorded six strikeouts. Brandon Petite (Glace Bay, NS) closed things out on the mound in game two and allowed two runs on three hits and two walks and struck out five. The Juniors once again scored early in the first game, scoring a pair of runs in the first inning. The Canadians would add two more in each of the fourth, fifth and eighth innings to complete the scoring. In game two, with the score even at 3-3, Canada’s offence exploded for five runs in the sixth inning, and again for four runs in the seventh to put the game out of reach. The Junior National Team continues its Dominican tour with a game against the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday, May 24 in San Pedro de Macoris. Game time is 11 am.
SAN PEDRO DE MACORIS, DR – The Junior National Team had a fourth win in a row within their grasp, but the Los Angeles Angels crossed the plate twice with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and surprise the Canadians with an 8-7 win. The juniors were one out away from a fourth consecutive victory when the Angels notched a pair of singles followed by a double to score both runners and steal the win. However, Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) knocked his seventh home run of the camp, going 1-for-3 in the game with a two-run shot and three RBI, 18 in total so far. The Canadians opened the scoring in the first inning for the third time in four games on Lawrie’s two-run bomb. The Angels would strike back in the second inning with three runs against Canadian starter Brad Furdal (Ancaster, ON). Four singles brought in the runs for Los Angeles An error, a single and a pair of doubles allowed the Angels to add to their lead in the fifth inning against Nathan Linseman (Ariss, ON), scoring three times and increasing their lead to 6-2. The Canadians would claw back and reduce the lead to one in the sixth inning when a pair of bases loaded walks to James Kottaras (Markham, ON) and Lawrie scored a pair. Marcus Knecht (Toronto, ON) hit into a double play, but Ivan Hartle came in to score and make the score 6-5. The Juniors took the lead in the eighth inning on a Kottaras two-run double, bringing to the plate Jeff Hunt (Cambridge, ON) and Hartle to put Canada ahead 7-6. But that lead would be short lived as the Angels scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth for the win. The Junior National Team will next take on the Texas Rangers on Sunday, May 25 in San Pedro de Macoris at 11 am.
BOCA CHICA, D.R. – The Junior National Team scored early and often in their Dominican Summer League camp opener and got solid pitching to shut down the New York Yankees in a 11-3 victory in the Dominican Republic. Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) led the way offensively going 3-for-4 with a home run and six RBI. Lionel Morrill (Edmonton, AB) also got three hits in this one, going 3-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI. The Canadians opened the scoring out of the chute, putting three runs across in the first inning on Lawrie’s three-run homer. The Juniors would add two more runs in the second inning on a sacrifice fly from Ivan Hartle (North Vancouver, BC), scoring Maxx Tissenbaum (Toronto, ON) and on a RBI single from Lawrie scoring Morrill from third. Three more runs would come to score in the fourth inning, beginning with an RBI single from Morrill to score Tissenbaum from second, who reached on a walk. The second sacrifice fly of the game from Hartle would score Greg Densem (Toronto, ON) and Lawrie would once again drive in Morrill with an RBI single. The Canadian offense would add two more in the sixth inning and one more in the eighth to complete their scoring. That was more than what the pitching staff needed in this game. Danny Britton-Foster (Ladysmith, BC) started on the mound for Canada and threw two shutout innings, allowing only one hit and one walk with a pair of strikeouts. Philippe Charpentier (l’Épiphanie, QC) followed suit and pitched a pair o shutout innings as well, giving up only two hits with two going down on strikes. Stosh Wawrzasek (Langley, BC) and Mike Monster (Kelowna, BC) combined to close things out for the Juniors. Wawrzasek threw three innings, allowing two runs on three hits and a pair of walks with five strikeouts. Monster would allow one run on three hits and two walks with one punch out in two innings pitched. Next up for the Junior National Team is a double-header with the Seattle Mariners on Friday, May 23 in Villa Mella with one game scheduled for nine innings and the second scheduled for seven. First pitch for the first game is set for 11 am.
OTTAWA, ON – Stubby is back on board! After reports that Clapp was denied permission to play for Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the Houston Astros have given the face of Canadian baseball the go-ahead to join the Canadian Senior National Team for the Olympic tournament. “I’m very excited and very grateful,” says Clapp. “I’m grateful to the Astros that they gave me this opportunity to write the final chapter of my playing career. I’ll forever be in debt to them.” "We are very pleased and appreciative of the Astros decision to allow us to have Stubby for the Games," says Greg Hamilton, Coach & Director of National Teams with Baseball Canada. "His leadership and presence will be instumental in our quest for Olympic gold." Clapp, who suited up for Canada at the Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Taiwan last March will now get a chance to join a team looking to win its first ever Olympic medal. Furthermore, this will be a chance at redemption for the Windsor, Ontario native who was part of the Canadian Olympic Team that narrowly missed winning a medal in Athens in 2004, when Canada finished fourth. “Being able to get this second chance is huge for me considering that this could be the last time baseball will be an Olympic sport,” mentions Clapp. “I’m glad I get to represent my country one last time.” The 35-year-old has been part of Baseball Canada’s National Teams Program since 1991 when he was a member of the Canadian Junior National Team. Clapp has gone on to represent his country in numerous international tournaments since, including the 1999 Pan-Am Games, the 2006 World Baseball Classic and the aforementioned 2004 Olympic Games. Clapp has also pieced together a remarkable professional career, including a 23 game stint in the Major Leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001. He’s played nine affiliated seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays organizations and currently holds the position of Hitting Coach with the Class-A Lexington Legends in the Houston Astros organization. Stubby Clapp - History with Baseball Canada Year Event Location 1991 World Junior Baseball Championship Brandon, MB1994 Baseball World Cup Nicaragua1999 Pan-American Games Winnipeg, MB2003 America’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament Panama2004 Olympic Games Athens, Greece2005 Baseball World Cup Qualifier Bradenton, FL2005 Pan-American Pre-Olympic Qualifier Phoenix, AZ2006 World Baseball Classic United States2006 America’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament Cuba2008 Final Olympic Qualifying Tournament Taiwan
OTTAWA, ON - Baseball Canada has announced the Junior National Team’s roster and schedule for the annual Dominican Summer League Camp, which will take place from May 21-30 in the Dominican Republic. The roster will feature 29 Canadian prospects, including Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC) and Carter Bell (Courtenay, BC). The camp will serve as an evaluation of the team as it prepares for the World Junior Baseball Championship in Edmonton from July 25th-August 3rd, 2008. The Junior National Team will take on Major League affiliated teams of the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies and Seattle Mariners. For the complete roster and schedule of the Junior National Team, click here.
