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SteepleCats Set to Host Team Canada on Saturday
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The North Adams SteepleCats will host the Baseball Canada Junior National Team for a special exhibition game Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. at Joe Wolfe Field.
The game will be the third of five games Team Canada will play against New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) opponents. Team Canada will use these games to prepare for the Saints International Baseball Showcase in Minnesota later this month and for the World Junior Baseball Championship in Thunder Bay, Ontario at the end of the month.
Team Canada features players between 16 and 18 years old. Their roster includes 11 players that have been drafted by Major League Baseball teams including catcher Kellin Deglan. Deglan was selected by the Texas Rangers in the first round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft with the 22nd overall pick. Deglan has signed with the Rangers but will still compete with Team Canada in the World Junior Baseball Championship. Team Canada will be looking to win gold in the World Junior Baseball Championship for the first time since 1991.
SteepleCats starting pitcher Robert Nixon, a Welland, Ontario native, never played for the team but knows firsthand how good the players on the team are.
"The guys playing on the team now are four years younger than me so I haven't played with or against them," said Nixon. "I remember playing against kids on that team when I was in high school, though, and they were terrific. They've produced a lot of Major League draft picks."
Canadians currently playing in the Major Leagues include Jason Bay of the New York Mets, Justin Morneau and Jesse Crain of the Minnesota Twins, Rich Harden of the Texas Rangers and Russell Martin of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Players currently on Team Canada who have already been drafted will look to use the exhibition tour against American teams to prove that they have what it takes to play at the professional level. Players who haven't been drafted will look to use the tour to impress Major League scouts.
After the game on Saturday, Team Canada will be headed for Citi Field in New York. They'll be watching the New York Mets take on the Atlanta Braves Sunday afternoon as guests of Jason Bay.
After the game on Saturday, Team Canada will be headed for Citi Field in New York. They'll be watching the New York Mets take on the Atlanta Braves Sunday afternoon as guests of Jason Bay.
| Tags: Team Canada, Major League scouts |
