N.L. continues to be a big hit in Canadian softball
This province has less than two per cent of Canada’s population, but more than 20 percent of athletes on national men’s long list are Newfoundlanders
There are 37 athletes attending Softball Canada’s men’s national team development camp in Innerkip, Ont., and as usual, that long list of players from the national team pool includes a bevy of Newfoundlanders.
In all, there are eight players from the province at the camp which begins today and continues to Sunday. The number could have been even higher had ace pitcher Sean Cleary and outfielder Brad Ezekiel, both from Harbour Main and both long-time members of the men’s national team, been in attendance. However, the two couldn’t attend because for work/personal commitments.
That doesn’t mean Cleary and Ezekiel won’t be playing with the national team. Since Canada has no international competitions scheduled for 2018, this summer has been set aside for identification and development, beginning with this week’s event in southern Ontario.
After that scouting process is finished, the national team coaching staff, headed up by John Stuart of Langley, B.C., and including assistants John Hill of St. John’s and Les Howey of Conception Bay South, will select a roster for the Canadian team that will compete at the 2019 world championship in the Czech Republic.
While Brad Ezekiel isn’t in Innerkip, his family is still represented at the national camp, with his brothers Brad and Kyle (who lives in Holyrood) in attendance. Others from Newfoundland taking part are Jason Hill of St. John’s, brothers Ryan and Shane Boland of Goulds, Colin Walsh of Petty Harbour, Jeremy O’reilly of Placentia and Freshwater native Steven Mullaley.
While about a quarter of the players taking part in this camp are new to the national team program, all of the Newfoundlanders have been part of the Canadian senior men’s pool previously.
The 37 athletes will be divided into three teams that will compete in intersquad games today and Saturday.
The identification process will continue as these players and other Canadians will be followed at the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA) championship in South Bend, Ind., and the International Softball Congress (ISC) championship in Kitchener, Ont., both in August, and the Canadian senior men’s championship Aug. 29-Sept. 2 in St. Croix, N.S.
There will also be scouting at the Canadian Under-19 championships in Prince Albert, Sask., in July, and at various weekend travel tournaments in the United States and Canada. John Hill, coach of the topranked Hill United Chiefs, who will be participating in most of those tourneys, will be looking after much of the scouting at those events.