Canada opens defence of Pan Am gold
Pan Am Games Men’s Baseball Competition begins Saturday
By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
AJAX, Ont. - The Canadian Men’s Baseball Team will begin defence of its Pan American Games gold medal Saturday when they open the 2015 edition of the event against the Dominican Republic (7pm ET) at President’s Choice Pan Am Ball Park in Ajax, Ontario.
The competition will run from July 11-19 with seven nations competing for the gold medal.
The team returns eight players from the 2011 squad that defeated the United States 2-1 in the gold medal contest marking the first time Canada won gold in an international competition at the senior level.
Manager Ernie Whitt, who was at the helm in 2011, also has nine players on his roster with Major League Baseball experience including Andrew Albers, Phillippe Aumont and Jeff Francis who have all appeared in the big leagues in 2015.
In addition to Canada, six other countries are in the competition including Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and the United States. The teams will play a full round robin before semi-final (1 vs 4 / 2 vs 3) and medal games are played.
The last time the Pan American Games were held on home soil, in Winnipeg in 1999, Whitt led the club to a bronze medal, while Stubby Clapp, a coach on this year’s squad, was a player on the team. The 1999 event was the first time that pro players were allowed to compete at an international senior event.
To follow results of the Pan American Games Men’s Baseball Competition, please click here.
Note: There is no live broadcast or live streaming available.
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