by Matt Betts
Many of the top players and programs from across the province will head to Kings Christian Collegiate this weekend to try and qualify for the Baseball Canada national championship tournament later this summer.
The Terriers home field will be one of the regional locations for the Road to Okotoks slated for Thursday, May 28 to Sunday, May 31. Meadowvale Park in Mississauga and Tip O’Neill Park in Woodstock will be the other sites of Ontario qualifying games.
The Prairie qualification tournament featuring 13 teams will be hosted in Lethbridge, with the BC qualifier of six teams set for White Rock and Langley.
“The Road to Okotoks is a bold new chapter for amateur baseball in Canada,” Jason Dickson, Baseball Canada’s chief executive officer, said in a release when the tournament was announced last September.
“We’re creating a platform that not only celebrates elite competition but also supports player development and exposure. Just as importantly, this event helps unify our baseball community from coast-to-coast by bringing the best together on a national stage. We’re thrilled to launch this with support from the Okotoks Dawgs, Justin Morneau and some of the most respected amateur programs in the country.”
The Terriers will play in Pool B and open their tournament on Thursday, May 28 at 6:30 p.m. versus North Toronto 17U Elite before taking on the Ontario Giants at 8:30 p.m.
The team will then travel to Meadowvale Park for a 7 p.m. game on Friday, May 28 versus the Mississauga Tigers. The round robin wraps up with a game against the Ontario Blue Jays on Saturday, May 30 at 10 a.m. at Kings Christian Collegiate.
Pool A includes the Ontario Nationals, Diamond Baseball Academy, Etobicoke Rangers, Atlantic Frontier and Ontario Kobras.
Seven teams will advance following the quarterfinal, semifinals and finals, along with four from BC, three from the Prairies, one wild card and the host Okotoks Dawgs.
The winner of the 16-team tournament will hoist the Morneau Cup.
“This event represents a major step forward in providing elite Canadian amateur players with meaningful, high-level competition,” Greg Hamilton, Baseball Canada’s director of national teams and head coach of the junior national team, said in the release.
“The Road to Okotoks will deliver a true best-on-best environment with national bragging rights on the line — a setting that challenges our top athletes and prepares them for the next level. It’s an exciting initiative that will elevate amateur baseball in Canada.”
The Baseball Canada national championship is scheduled for July 14 to 19.