Three former world softball champions among the teams battling in Prince Albert

Team Canada comes in ranked No. 3. The last time they won the World Championship was in 2015 in Saskatoon. Since then, they’ve medaled four times in a row, including a silver medal in 2022. Having already qualified for the Finals in 2025 as the host team, head coach Mark Stuart said he’s got a real mix of veterans and first-time national players.

“We just announced our final roster Sunday afternoon and one of the things I stressed with the team is I’m not looking ahead to next year. We’re concentrating on this event. We don’t want our players to think this is a tryout next year,” Stuart said during a press conference Tuesday morning at the Art Hauser Centre. “Next year is a new beginning, so we want everyone’s focus on 2024. We’re excited about some of the younger guys that have been named to the roster and I know that everyone thinks it’s a tryout for next year, but its not. Our focus is to be champions in 2024 and then we’ll start over again after this event.”

Coaches addressed the media at a press conference Tuesday morning in the Art Hauser Centre in advance of the tournament. At the podium is Derek Smith, co-chair of the 2025 World Cup bid committee.(Teena Monteleone/paNOW Staff)

This will be Hong Kong’s sixth participation in the competition, having never finished higher than 10^th place.

Israel received a wild card to participate, after finishing in fifth pace in the European qualifier 2023.

New Zealand is the most decorated men’s national softball team in history, with seven world titles in 17 tournaments but they failed to medal in the last two WBSC Men’s Softball World Cups.

At the press conference Tuesday morning, the head coach for Singapore said the strength of his team lies in its youth. Ruoh Jie Koh said the bulk of the team is under 30 years old.

“The core is from the players who participated in 2014 in Whitehorse at the U19 tournament and now they’re back here in Canada and hoping to show what they have gained over the years. Being in Group B with three previous world champions…we just hope to make it to playoffs and from there take it game by game and hopefully get out tickets to the World Cup,” Koh said.

(wbsc.org)

The biggest men’s softball competition in the world continues with the Group B tournament in Prince Albert starting at 11 a.m. Wednesday when Argentina takes on Israel. Singapore plays New Zealand at 2 p.m. Opening ceremonies are at 4:30 p.m. and then Team Canada hosts Hong Kong at 6 p.m on Rotary Field.

There will be a live band, food trucks and fireworks to end the night. Tickets are available online or in person. Organizers encourage spectators to arrive early as there is no assigned seating.

You can read more about the XVIII WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup here.

—

panews@pattisonmedia.com

by paNOW Staff

Three former world softball champions among the teams battling in Prince Albert

What's Trending