(Whitehorse, Y.T.) The Canadian Men’s National Softball Team is set to defend its World Title at the WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship that will take place July 7-16 in Whitehorse, Y.T. Fresh off winning the Bob Law Memorial Challenge in Vancouver, B.C. last week, Canada will play its opening game against South Africa on Friday, July 7th at 7:30pm PDT.
The event will feature sixteen teams divided into two pools of eight, with the top four teams from each pool advancing to the playoff round. The top two teams from each pool will earn double life, while the third and fourth place finishers from each pool will have single life.
Team Canada had its most successful season ever in 2015 when they won a pair of Gold medals in major international competitions, capturing their first WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship title since 1992 in Saskatoon and followed up on that success by earning its seventh consecutive Pan American Games title in Toronto. The team did not compete in any events in 2016, and is currently ranked fourth in the WBSC Men’s Softball World Rankings.
The athletes who will represent Team Canada at the WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship are:
Athletes
| First Name | Last Name | Hometown |
| Bryan | Abrey | Richmond, B.C. |
| Ryan | Boland | St. John's, N.L. |
| Shane | Boland | St. John's, N.L. |
| Sean | Cleary | Harbour Main, N.L. |
| Brad | Ezekiel | Harbour Main, N.L. |
| Brandon | Horn | Waterloo, Ont. |
| Blake | Hunter | Nanaimo, B.C. |
| Mark | Johnson | Glencoe, Ont. |
| Derek | Mayson | North Vancouver, B.C. |
| Devon | McCullough | Saskatoon, Sask. |
| Steve | Mullaley | Freshwater, N.L. |
| Mathieu | Roy | Saint-Gervais, Que. |
| Kevin | Schellenberg | Squamish, B.C. |
| Justin | Schofield | Grand Pré, N.S. |
| Andy | Skelton | Scarborough, Ont. |
| Colin | Walsh | Petty Harbour, N.L. |
| Kris | Walushka | Victoria, B.C. |
*Athletes returning from the 2015 Men's National Team
Coaching Staff
| Position | Name | Hometown |
| Head Coach | John Stuart | Langley, B.C. |
| Assistant Coach | John Hill | St. John's, N.L. |
| Assistant Coach | Dean Holoien | Melfort, Sask. |
| Assistant Coach | Les Howey | Conception Bay, N.L. |
| Scout | Doug Allin | Peachland, B.C. |
| Video Coach | Glenn Boles | St. Satharines, Ont. |
| Athletic Therapist | Adam Davies | Ottawa, Ont. |
| Manager - MNT | Mike Branchaud | Ottawa, Ont. |
Umpires
| First Name | Last Name | Hometown |
| Daryl | Helmer | Airdrie, Alta. |
| Peter | Kluszczynski | Barrie, Ont. |
| Mike | Morrissey | Peterborough, Ont. |
| Gary | Skjerven | Wynyard, Sask. |
Team Canada Schedule
| Date | Game | Time | Media |
| July 7 | Canada vs. South Africa | 7:30pm PDT | Stream | Stats |
| July 8 | Canada vs. Argentina | 7:00pm PDT | Stream | Stats |
| July 9 | Canada vs. USA | 7:00pm PDT | Stream | Stats |
| July 10 | Canada vs. Hong Kong | 4:30pm PDT | Stream | Stats |
| July 11 | Canada vs. Australia | 7:00pm PDT | Stream | Stats |
| July 12 | Canada vs. Dominican Republic | 7:00pm PDT | Stream | Stats |
| July 13 | Canada vs. India | 3:00pm PDT | Stream | Stats |
| July 14 | Playoff Round | TBD | Stream | Stats |
| July 15 | Playoff Round | TBD | Stream | Stats |
| July 16 | Medal Round | TBD | Stream | Stats |
For more information about the 2017 WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship and to purchase tickets, please visit www.2017mensworldsoftball.com/. Live webstreaming is available at www.sportscanada.tv/worldsoftball.
-SC-
For more information, please contact:
Gilles LeBlanc
Manager - Marketing & Communications
Softball Canada
p: (613) 523-3386 ext. 3105 | m: (613) 795-1996
w: www.softball.ca | e: gleblanc@softball.ca
