Some of Canada’s best junior baseball players will be in St. Thomas this August as the St. Thomas Minor Baseball Association plays host to the 2018 TD 21U National Baseball Championships. The prestigious event will see 19, 20, and 21-year-old players competing for provincial teams in an effort to be crowned national champions.
Ten teams will take part in the tournament, with games being played at Cardinal Field and Emslie Field (both in St Thomas). The host team will be the St. Thomas Tomcats. Rounding out the teams will be two representatives from Ontario and single teams from Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland/Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.
Tournament Chair Derek Brooks says he’s excited to host the event.
“To be awarded this event by Baseball Canada is amazing,” he said. “The London area has hosted many national events in the past, but this will be the first for the city of St. Thomas.”
Brooks adds that “the facilities are top-notch in the city with brand new Cardinal Field and historic Emslie Field.”
Cardinal Field was constructed in 2017 with full lights, scoreboard, bullpen area, and completely fenced in with exact dimensions as the Rogers Centre. Emslie Field, meanwhile, is the crown jewel of the baseball facilities in the city and boasts being 16th on Canada’s list of favourite ball parks. The park has recently undergone a major upgrade with brand new fencing being installed for the 2018 season.
“The partnership between St. Thomas Minor Baseball and the City of St. Thomas is very strong,” says Brooks, “and we work exceptionally well together, which allows events such as this to come to the city.”
The host St. Thomas Tomcats are the elite junior team of the London and District Baseball Association. Players come from around the area to play on the team, and the 2018 team has a great local flavour. Former St. Thomas Cardinal players Matthew Brooks, Michael Mommersteeg, Justin McDonald, Matthew Thomson, Josh Hare, and Zack Banks make up a third of the players on the team. The Tomcats have been successful two of the last three years at the Nationals, winning bronze in 2015 and 2017. They have also been provincial silver medalists in 2015, 2016, and 2017.
Volunteer spots are available for the event, which include scorekeeper, electronic scorekeeper, scoreboard and music operations, pitch counts, clothing/souvenir sales, and gate admissions. If you are interested in volunteering for the event, please email Jim Ewart at cardinalscoach2@gmail.com.
“This event would not be possible without the generous support of our many corporate sponsors of the event,” Brooks added. “There are over 50 local businesses and organizations that have gotten behind this local event, which is truly amazing.”
The event kicks off on Wednesday Aug. 15 at 6 p.m. with a home run derby at Emslie Field. Games start Thursday Aug. 16 with the opening ceremony at Emslie Field at 6 p.m. Games continue Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with the bronze medal game Sunday at 4 p.m. and the gold medal game being played at Emslie Field at 8 p.m. For a full schedule of games, please visit www.stthomasminorbaseball.com and select the link to the 21U Nationals.
Submitted by LDBA Baseball
