Ottawa, Ont. – Softball Canada and the Men’s National Team coaching staff are pleased to announce twelve (12) athletes who have been selected as core players of Team Canada for the 2021 WBSC Americas Men’s Pan American Qualifier. Eleven of those players are returning members from the Canadian team that won the bronze medal at the 2019 WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup held in the Czech Republic.
“Our coaching staff is very excited to announce the twelve core players that will represent Canada at the WBSC Americas Pan American Qualifier this coming November in Parana, Argentina” stated John Stuart, Head Coach of the Men’s National Team program. “We feel these athletes have proven that they deserve to be named to the core group through their leadership, experience, dedication, and talent. These twelve men will provide great pitching, solid defense and elite-level hitting to this team. We anticipate and look forward to having some very difficult decisions to make in selecting the final four athletes for our roster.”
The announcement of the core players follows the timelines identified in the Men’s National Team athlete selection process. The coaching staff will select the remaining four athletes to the team by September 15th, 2021.
The 2021 WBSC Americas Men’s Softball Pan American Championship is scheduled to take place from November 18-29 in Parana, Argentina and will serve as a qualifier for the 2022 WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup, slated for February 19-27, 2022 in Auckland, New Zealand.
Canada – ranked 4th in the WBSC Men’s Softball World Rankings – has won back-to-back bronze medals at the 2017 and 2019 WBSC Men’s Softball World Cups after winning gold at the event in 2015.
The twelve (12) core players identified by the Men’s National Team coaching staff are:
| FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | HOMETOWN |
| Bryan | Abrey | Richmond, B.C. |
| Ryan | Boland | St. John’s, N.L. |
| Shane | Boland | St. John’s, N.L. |
| Patrick | Burns | Saskatoon, Sask. |
| Sean | Cleary | Harbour Main, N.L. |
| Bradley | Ezekiel | Harbour Main, N.L. |
| Jason | Hill | St. John’s, N.L. |
| Blake | Hunter | Nanaimo, B.C. |
| Derek | Mayson | North Vancouver, B.C. |
| Tyler | Pauli | Mitchell, Ont. |
| Mathieu | Roy | Saint-Gervais, Que. |
| Colin | Walsh | Petty Harbour, N.L. |
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For more information, please contact:
Mike Branchaud
Manager – National Teams and Canadian Championships
Softball Canada
p: (613) 523-3386 ext. 3103
w: www.softball.ca | e: mbranchaud@softball.ca