OTTAWA, Canada — Baseball Canada announced its roster of 25 players who will represent the world’s seventh-ranked nation at the upcoming WBSC Premier12™ in November, where the Top 12 nations in the world will compete head-to-head.
Canada won the Toronto 2015 Pan-American Games gold medal in men’s baseball, and their roster for Premier12 features 17 players from that gold medal winning squad.
Three players who competed for Canada in the World Baseball Classic were named to the Premier12 team: Scott Diamond (2009), Taylor Green (2013) and Dustin Molleken (2013).
Five players who have graduated through Baseball Canada’s U-18 National Team programme will be making their debuts on Canada’s top National Team: Justin Atkinson, Ethan Elias, Dustin Houle, Gareth Morgan and Ethan Stewart.
After leading Canada to gold in Toronto, manager Ernie Whitt will continue his role as National Team manager.
Canada will compete in Group A and step on the world stage to face world No. 3 Cuba at Taichung’s Intercontinental Stadium in Taiwan on Tuesday, 10 November.
Canada will train in Phoenix, Arizona at the Spring Training home of the Milwaukee Brewers from 31 October to 3 November and meet world no. 2 USA in a three-game exhibition series.
After arriving in Taiwan on November 5, Canada will play tune-up games against world No. 12 Mexico on 6 November and world No. 10 Venezuela on the 7th.
