Steed to lead Ontario Blue Jays on cross country tour

Photo: Ontario Blue Jays

August 8, 2020

Official Ontario Blue Jays News Release

As OBJ continues to adapt and handle each new challenge that the coronavirus pandemic puts forth, the mission has remained the same, provide the absolute best for each and every one of the Ontario Blue Jays players and their families.

With that in mind, for the first time, OBJ will be travelling across Canada on the Ontario Blue Jays Cross Canadian Tour. Taking on some of the best teams and programs at the high school and college level across our great country as we continue to await safe travel into the United States.

The coaching staff will be lead by Head Coach Mike Steed who will be assisted by Corey Eckstein, Tim Smith, Conner Morro and Richard Clemons. Another new addition, will be the live streaming of games through the Ontario Blue Jays various social media feeds to ensure players receive the same exposure they would on the typical Collegiate Tour.

With government approval, the team will head West from Mississauga on Thursday, September 10th to Calgary, Alberta before reaching the ultimate destination of Vancouver, British Columbia. From Vancouver, the Jays will hub in different parts of British Columbia and Alberta before returning on Friday, September 25th. Over the course of the 15-day trip, OBJ will take on teams from all over the two provinces as they travel in what will be an unforgettable experience for both the players and coaching staff.

OBJ GM Joe Ellison, on the cross Canadian tour: "We're really excited about being able to put this together for our players. I truly believe it's going to be something these players and our staff for that matter remember for the rest of their lives. Being able to utilize our relationships through past years and of course Eck's relationships out West we've been able to put together a really competitive schedule that will be treated just like our typical Collegiate Tour. With that comes the return of Mike Steed as the Collegiate Head Coach, Mike's a true professional and there's no one I'd rather have at the helm of our program as they head across the country."

In addition to the Cross Canadian Tour, OBJ is still holding onto the third leg of the US Collegiate Fall Trip which runs in early October with opponents, Georgia Gwinnett College, Florida State University, Florida A&M University, the University of Central Florida and the 2020 18U World Championships in Jupiter, Florida.

The final leg for the OBJ Collegiate Team will be to head back to Kamloops, BC next April to compete in the Best of the West in what will be the first true showdown of Canada's top baseball programs.