Top young players showcased in Ontario

Saskatchewan’s top young baseball players are preparing to head to Ontario Thursday in preparation for next week’s 2012 Baseball Canada Cup.

Team Sask will feature 20 players aged 17-and-under, five of which are from Saskatoon.

“This is the showcase tournament for Canada. This is the tournament where guys like Justin Morneau, Justin Martin and Brett Lawrie are identified as future elite payers,” said Greg Brons, one of the coaches for Team Sask.

“It’s scouted by the national team, several NCAA schools. Major League Baseball is well represented there,” he said.

Last year, Saskatchewan took the silver medal at the Canada Cup, a great showing at a tournament usually dominated by Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia.

“We’re looking to repeat or even do better. I think with the team we’ve got we can do it,” said Brayden Resch, a 16-year-old from Saskatoon.

Although the team hasn’t practised or played together yet, they are hardly strangers, having all come up through the province’s baseball ranks.

“I know every single one,

“IT’S A PRETTY BIG TOURNAMENT FOR KIDS FROM SASKATCHEWAN, INCLUDING MYSELF.”

BRAYDEN RESCH

actually, just from past Team Sask events. It’ll be good. We’ve got pitching, we’ve got hitting,” said Resch.

For players from the smaller provinces, the Canada Cup is the main chance to show scouts from Team Canada what they have to offer.

“It’s a pretty big tournament for kids from Saskatchewan, including myself,” he said.

According to Resch, the key to performing in pressure situations is treating it the same as any other day.

“Just be you. Just be your best. Same as anything you do, just play like you normally do and be yourself,” he said.

Other Saskatoon players on the team include Jacob Hersikorn, Kobe Kindrachuk, BJ Moen and Nicholas Stobbe.

After flying to Ontario Thursday, Team Sask will play a few exhibition games in Windsor against some of Ontario’s premier midget teams to warm up and give the players a chance to gel as a team.

Saskatchewan’s first tournament game will take place Wednesday, Aug. 8 against Manitoba, with the finals scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 12.