Good Baseball Coming to Regina This August

Regina’s Optimist Baseball Park will be the center of junior baseball in Canada during the week of August 10 through 17, 2015.

The week begins with the Toronto Blue Jays Honda Super Camp on August 10 and 11, followed by the 2015 Baseball Canada Junior (U21) National Baseball Championship, August 13 to 17. This is the first of two consecutive years in which the championship will be held in Regina.

 “It’s wonderful when Regina hosts national events. The Junior National Baseball Championship will bring almost $1 million dollars in economic impact between 2015 and 2016,” said Mayor Michael Fougere. “In addition this is an opportunity to make a great impression to the over 200 athletes that will visit our city, many of the first time.”

“Regina Optimist Baseball has been very successful in hosting many regional and provincial baseball tournaments of all descriptions, thanks to the hard work of dedicated volunteers and valued sponsors that have made each event a tremendous success,” said Rodney Palaniuk, President of Regina Optimist Baseball Association. “We’re honored to host this tournament in Regina and to promote baseball as one of the greatest sports to play and watch.”

Director General of Baseball Canada, Jim Baba said “Regina has done a great job in the past hosting Canada Games Baseball and other National Championships and we look forward to having them host the 2015 and 2016 Junior National Championships. Bidding to host these events has become extremely competitive and winning this bid is a testament to what Regina offers in baseball facilities, accommodations, local travel and as a hosting group.”

The exciting week begins with a tremendous opportunity for young ball players to learn from the best, with two days of training by Major League Baseball stars. The camp features former Blue Jays: Jesse Barfield, Denis Boucher, Lloyd Moseby, and Duane Ward. The camp is open to girls and boys ages 9 to 16. Visit the Regina Optimist Baseball website to register.

 The Junior Boys Baseball Championship will feature ten teams from across Canada, including two from Saskatchewan. All games will be played at Optimist Park and Currie Field.

Tournament passes will be available exclusively at Western Cycle Source for Sports, starting June 15, 2015.

Baseball Saskatchewan and Regina Optimist Baseball wish to recognize important sponsors of this event, without whom it not be possible: City of Regina, Tourism Saskatchewan, Regina Optimist Club, Citi Financial, SaskTel, SaskPower, Sask Energy, Saskatchewan Lotteries, Western Cycle Source for Sports, Regina Hotel Association and Tourism Regina.

 John Lee, President and CEO of Tourism Regina said, “We were very happy to work with Regina Optimist Baseball and the Regina Hotel Association to bring this prestigious event to our  city. Regina Optimist Baseball has celebrated over 50 years of dedication to the support of minor baseball in Regina and they will be ready to showcase Canada’s finest baseball talent.” Tourism Regina in partnership with Regina Hotel Association, work to position Regina as a premier destination for events of all kinds. The partnership has been instrumental in bidding on and securing major events for the city including the Juno Awards, BMO Skate Canada Challenge, Canadian Gymnastics Championships, Canoe/Kayak Sprint National Championships, Ford World Men’s Curling Championships, and a long list of many more prominent events

 For more information about the tournament and game schedule visit optimistbaseball.ca or tourismregina.com.