Baseball Canada reveals invitees for Junior National Team Selection Camp
Toronto Blue Jays’ third-round pick and Ontario Blue Jays alum Dasan Brown (Oakville, Ont.) is one of the players that has been invited to the Junior National Team’s selection camp. Photo: Baseball Canada
August 13, 2019
By Adam Morissette
Baseball Canada
OTTAWA- Baseball Canada is pleased to announce the names of 22 athletes invited to the Junior National Team’s (U18) Selection Camp set to take place in Lismore, Australia from August 21 - 26.
Selection Camp will help determine the 20-player roster that will represent Canada at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U18 Baseball World Cup in Gijang, South Korea from August 30 – September 8.
In Lismore, Canada will face the Australian U18 side in a six-game exhibition series as both countries prepare for the world championships.
“Selection Camp will allow the coaching staff an opportunity to evaluate players in a competitive environment before making final roster decisions,” said Head Coach, Greg Hamilton. “We’re fortunate to partner with Team Australia who always field a competitive team and for use of their baseball facilities in Lismore.”
All 22 players named to the roster have participated in previous events with the Junior National Team program.
-Eight players named to the roster including OF Dasan Brown (Oakville, Ont.), C/1B Owen Diodati (Niagara Falls, Ont.), LHP Antoine Jean (Montréal, Que.), RHP Theo Millas (Burnaby, BC), LHP Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.), C Raphaël Pelletier (Mascouche, Que.), INF TJ Schofield-Sam (Brampton, Ont.) and OF Cesar Valero (Calgary, Alta.) helped Canada win a bronze medal at the 2018 COPABE U-18 Pan Am Championships in Panama.
-Seven players named to the roster were selected in the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. They include Dasan Brown (3rd round/Blue Jays), TJ Schofield-Sam (12th round/Athletics), Antoine Jean (17th round/Twins), Raphaël Pelletier (25th round/Rangers), Eli Saul (29th round/Rangers), Owen Diodati (29th round/Blue Jays) and Ryan Leitch (29th round/Reds).
-Of the seven MLB Draft selections, Brown and Schofield-Sam have since signed professional contracts and have begun their pro careers with their respective organizations.
-Head Coach Greg Hamilton (Ottawa, Ont) leads the coaching staff that includes Chris Begg (Uxbridge, Ont.), Hyung Cho (Scarborough, Ont.) and Robert Fatal (Boucherville, Que).