THUNDER BAY – Baseball fans who are counting down the days until the start of the 2010 IBAF World Junior Baseball Championship can have an early taste of the excitement starting tonight at the Baseball Central.
The Thunder Bay International Baseball Association (TBIBA), in partnership with the Thunder Bay Baseball Association (TBBA), has announced that an exhibition series will take place starting tonight, Monday, July 19th, 2010. Team France and Team Netherlands are in Thunder Bay, and are awaiting the start of the tournament on Friday. They have agreed to take on both the Senior and Junior Select Teams made up of players from Thunder Bay. The Junior Selects are comprised of Mountain Hawks and Slam players and the Senior Selects are made up of players from the four local senior teams.
The exhibition schedule is:
– Monday July 19th – 5:00 pm – France versus Thunder Bay Jr. Selects
– Monday July 19th – 8:00 pm – Netherlands versus Thunder Bay Sr. Selects
– Tuesday July 20th – 8:00 pm – France versus Thunder Bay Jr. Selects
A $2 donation to TBBA is all it takes to get into a game.
Reg Galbraith, President of the TBBA and Director of Facilities for TBIBA, said; “This is a great opportunity for people to come out and see all the work that has been done to turn Baseball Central into a world-class facility as we get ready to host the 2010 World Junior Baseball Championship. As well, fans get the chance to support a great cause and watch some excellent baseball.”
Jeff Halvorsen, Marketing Director for the TBIBA added; “Team Canada starts its round robin schedule on Friday night (July 23) against the Netherlands, so this is a chance for people to get a sneak peak at the competition. It’s also a great opportunity to see how our local ball players stack up against some of the very best junior players in the world.” Halvorson added that anyone purchasing a ticket for Friday night’s Canada versus Netherlands will be able to watch the Opening Ceremony which starts at 6:15 pm at Port Arthur Stadium.