Junior Sunbelt Classic tryouts set

Grade 10 and 11 players are invited to an open tryout for Ontario’s entry into the 2016 Junior Sunbelt Classic in McAlester, Oak.

The tryout will be held at Playball Academy in Kitchener on Sunday, April 3 from 4-7 pm. Cost is $25. The camp is open to any player currently in a Baseball Ontario recognized programs

The Ontario team will play in a 10-game tournament -- nine games in a round-robin format and a final playoff game based on standings. RHP John Axford (Port Dover, Ont.) of the Oakland A’s pitched for Ontario in this tourney. 

Eventual big leaguers RHP Chris Leroux (Mississauga, Ont.) and LHP David Davidson (Thorold, Ont.) pitched in the tourney in 2001 facing a Georgia roster that year included Brian McCann, Jeff Francoeur and Macay McBride.

All-star high school teams from Oklahoma (two), Texas, Colorado, Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia, Arizona and Mississippi are entered. The tournament begins with a banquet on June 9 and finishes June 15.

It has been called the top tournament for high school juniors and sophomores in the US with over 200 players who have played in the MLB that have participated in this event since 1998. The event is heavily scouted and last year there were more than 50 college recruiters from the SEC to JUCO teams watching games at Mike Deake Field at McAlester High School and Eastern Oklahoma State College.

The team will be coached staff by former major leaguer Nigel Wilson (Ajax, Ont.), Rick Johnston (Peterborough, Ont.), Dean Dicenzo (Ancaster, Ont.), and Frank Fascia (Brampton, Ont.) along with a member of the Ontario Youth Team.

Questions can be sent to: ontariooklahomasunbelt@gmail.com and further information will be found on the Baseball Ontario site.