Brookfield’s Sears named to national junior team
Brookfield’s Rowan Sears will don Team Canada colours at the 2018 world junior men’s fastpitch championship.
Sears, a 17-year-old shortstop, was one of 17 players named to the squad on Friday, along with Milford pitcher David Watson.
Sears and Watson were teammates with the Colchester Royals under-18 team, which finished fourth at nationals last month in O’Leary, P.E.I.
Following the national tournament, Sears and Watson attended the Team Canada selection camp, which was also held in O’Leary.
“With the team now selected, we are looking forward to working with our athletes as we prepare them for the world championship in 2018,” said Jeff Ellsworth, head coach of the national junior squad.
“We asked the athletes to make our team selection decisions difficult and they did not disappoint. We are very pleased with the high level of competitiveness they displayed throughout the identification and selection process.”
Sears also played this summer for Nova Scotia at the Canada Summer Games in Winnipeg, where he helped his province earn a fourth-place finish.
Ontario has the most players named to national junior team with 10.
Brendan Walker of Ellershouse, Hants County, was one of three alternates named to Team Canada.
Earlier this year, the coaching staff held a series of provincial and regional identification camps throughout the country that attracted almost 200 athletes.
The 2018 world championship will be held July 7 to 15 in Prince Albert, Sask.
Team Canada earned bronze at the previous world junior men’s tournament in Midland, Michigan in 2016. Japan won gold and New Zealand claimed silver.