FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 18th, 2014

Men’s Slo-Pitch Border Battle Selection Camp Roster

(Ottawa, ON) Softball Canada is pleased to announce the list of thirty-two (32) athletes who have been invited to attend a selection camp and a series of exhibition games in Kitchener, ON and Dorchester, ON in May to determine the final rosters for Team Canada and the Team Canada Selects Men’s Slo-Pitch teams. Both teams will compete in a series of exhibition games July 24-26 against Team USA and the USA Futures leading up to the Men’s Slo-Pitch Border Battle between Team Canada and Team USA on July 26 in Kitchener, ON.

“Softball Canada and the coaching staff are very pleased with the thirty-two athletes named to the selection camp roster” said Mike Branchaud, Manager of National Teams for Softball Canada. “With two Canadian teams this year, the athlete pool has obviously doubled from previous years, but the selection process was just as challenging.”

The list of athletes was selected by a panel of Slo-Pitch experts from across the country, and performance at provincial, national and international events was used as one of the major contributors to the selections. While some objective criteria were used to invite the team, it was also recognized that there was a significant subjective element. These elements included such factors as performance, experience, positional requirements, leadership and team cohesion. To be eligible to be invited, the athletes had to be members in good standing of Softball Canada as well as being Canadian citizens, or have a Permanent Resident card.

“We know there are many great players throughout Canada that were not invited” added Branchaud. “We do feel that with the thirty-two selected, we have a wide range of experience, power, speed, defense and the leadership to build our two teams on. We are also excited that the game will be played on Canadian soil this year. It is going to be a very competitive camp and exhibition series in May leading up to the Border Battle.”

The Team Canada coaching staff will consist of head coach Grant Garrett (Georgetown, ON) and assistant coach Josh Zanolli (Drayton Valley, AB), while the Team Canada Selects will be led by head coach Stephane Chapdelaine (Longueuil, QC) and assistant coach Jeff Long (Amherstburg, ON).

The coaching staff has identified six core players who will represent Team Canada at the Men’s Slo-Pitch Border Battle:

Alain Blais (Maple, ON)
Todd Cadenhead (Vaughan, ON)
Jeff Falardeau (Welland, ON)
Shawn Germain (St. Paul, AB)
François Henry (St-Hyacinthe, QC)
Jeff Zanolli (Taber, AB)

The remaining twenty-six (26) athletes will compete for the nine (9) remaining spots on Team Canada and fifteen (15) spots on the Team Canada Selects.

Ted Baker (Southport, NL)
Matt Barrett (Hamilton, ON
Lee Bellafontaine (Halifax, NS)
David Boldt (St. Thomas, ON)
Claude Chiasson (Ste-Julie, QC)
Jefferey Crouse (Napanee, ON)
Olivier Forrest (St-Léonard-d’Aston, QC)
Scott Foster (Barrie, ON)
Mark Frampton (Bowmanville, ON)
Jason Gallichen (Langley, BC)
Jeff Gare (London, ON)
Rob Gauden (Ancaster, ON)
Mike Hook (Milton, ON)
James Kelly (Amherstburg, ON)
Kyle Knechtel (Ayr, ON)
Rob Lewicki (Windsor, ON)
Steele Lewis (Windsor, ON)
Jay Maynard (Edson, AB)
Mike McLeod (Dorchester, ON)
Curtis Neable (Woodstock, ON)
Wayne Parent (Belle River, ON)
Chris Parr (Chilliwack, BC)
Justin Pennell (Toronto, ON)
Luc Perron (Sorel, QC)
Jeremy Sutton (Wallacetown, ON)
Ryan Wood (Winnipeg, MB)

The coaching staff reserves the right to add or remove athletes from this list at any time, and may add players as injury replacements.

-SC-

For more information, please contact:

Mike Branchaud
Manager – National Teams and Canadian Championships
Softball Canada
(613) 523-3386 ext. 3103
mbranchaud@softball.ca