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Fort McMurray to host premiere baseball event in 2020

The backstop of the baseball field

Fort McMurray is one of five cities that will host the 2020 Baseball Canada National Championships,the premiere event of the championships

The announcement was made on Nov. 11 that we would host the Baseball Canada Cup, after the Regional Recreation Corporation of Wood Buffalo (RRCWB) and the Fort McMurray Minor Baseball Association (FMMBA) submitted a bid in September to be a host city.

“It is an honour to have our bid selected to host the 2020 Baseball Canada Cup,” says Jodie Cooper, RRCWB director of sport and recreation. “Having Baseball Canada return to the region for a third tournament in only a five-year span speaks volumes as we strive to provide world class athletic experiences in our own backyard.”

Fort McMurray hosted the 2016 Baseball Canada Cup and the 2018 Baseball Canada 18U National Championship.

Since then, Kevin Breen, President of the FMMBA, said their registration has gone up by about 30 per cent and looks forward to showcasing the community again.

“I’m a longtime resident of Fort McMurray and it’s nice when people come, we highlight the community and there is all kinds of positive feedback,” said Breen. “We’re hoping to have some Fort McMurray players there, we have some good players at that age group but we won’t know until the year of the event.” 

Many of the best players in the under 17 level coming together to compete and to be seen by both amateur and professional scouts.

Ten provinical teams, each with twenty players, will compete not only for the title, but to represent Canada at the World Youth AAA Championship.

When asked if the municipality would provide funding for the event, RMWB Spokesperson Adam Hardiman said since it’s too early to tell.

“We supported the 2016 and 2018 events and look forward to continued collaboration and dialogue with the Host Committee, RRCWB and FMMBA as the 2020 event gets closer to reality. We certainly support the RRCWB and FMMBA on a regular basis and look ahead to continued partnership. The Baseball Canada Cup will again be a great event for our region.”

Championship events will run through August and September 2020 in Windsor, Ont., Okotoks, Alta., Summerside, P.E.I., and Sydney, N.S.

We will be hosting the cup from Aug. 5 to 9 at Ross Hennigar Park and Shell Place.