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ISC club championship starting this weekend in Surrey features best in the world, including American Marco Diaz of Ontario’s Hill United
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Published Aug 08, 2024 • Last updated 1 day ago • 4 minute read
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The New York Gremlins are here for the International Softball Congress world club championships. The championship finale is Aug. 17. ISC photo Photo by ISC
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You can draw a straight line between Paul Skenes and Jack Besgrove.
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Skenes has the more prominent profile, obviously. The 22-year-old from California burst onto the Major League Baseball scene with the Pittsburgh Pirates this summer, including becoming the first rookie pitcher since Hideo Nomo in 1995 and just the fifth one to start the All-Star Game.
For his part, Besgrove is commonly considered the best hurler in men’s fastpitch. Starting this weekend, the 20-year-old Australian is at Softball City in Surrey along with his New York Gremlins teammates for the International Softball Congress (ISC) world club championships. The championship finale is Aug. 17 (5:30 p.m.).
It’s a 36-team event, with a history that dates to 1947, and it features top talents from all over the globe. The Gremlins’ roster includes players from U.S., Australia, Czech Republic, New Zealand and Canada, including Richmond outfielder Bryan Abrey and Nanaimo catcher Blake Hunter.
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The Gremlins are looking to repeat as champions after winning it all last year year in Denmark, Wisc., when left-hander Besgrove took most outstanding pitcher honours.
The Aussies are the reigning world champions as well. They edged Canada 5-2 in the gold medal game of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) World Cup in December 2022 in New Zealand. Besgrove recorded the win in the pitcher’s circle in the finale, and in a 2-0 triumph over Argentina in the semifinals.
A few months later, he was named most valuable player of the WBSC Under-23 World Cup after helping the Aussies to that crown.
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Comparing fastpitch and baseball is natural, considering the similarities between the sports. We’ll offer up another.
Marco Diaz is an American right-hander with the Hill United Chiefs, a team based in Six Nations, Ont.
He’s had pitches registered at 86 m.p.h. When you factor in the differences in pitching distance — fastpitch is 46 feet, baseball is 60 feet, six inches — it’s akin to facing a 108.8 m.p.h. fastball when it comes to batter reaction time.
Los Angeles Angels reliever Ben Joyce hit 104.7 m.p.h. on the radar gun earlier this week, and that’s the fastest pitch of the season in the bigs so far. The fastest ever recorded remains the 105.8 m.p.h. offer from Aroldis Chapman in 2010.
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In the final of the 2024 WINTER Classic in Fort Myers 🇺🇸
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“You’re seeing the absolute best players in the world. The top teams are all all-star teams of players from all the different countries,” Canadian national team head coach and Hill United assistant John Stuart said.
“It’s going to be as exciting as a world championships, if not more exciting. With the world championships, you get teams that qualify, whether it’s as the host or whatever, who just don’t belong.
“I think fans will like the speed of the game. There are no boring or slow parts. When there’s a pitcher’s battle, that’s exciting. When there are two teams hitting the crap out of the ball, that’s exciting.”
Longtime Canadian national team infielder-pitcher Derek Mayson, who’s playing for Alberta’s Grande Prairie Pirates, added: “This is the best event on the fastpitch calendar every year. It brings together the most talented players from around the world so you really get to measure up against the best.”
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Canadian national team head coach and Hill United assistant John Stuart. ISC photo Photo by ISC
Mayson, 40, who’s from North Vancouver, retired from national team action following the 2022 World Cup after 16 years with the program. He’s got a chance to see familiar faces in opposing dugouts throughout this tournament. There’s Stuart with the Hill United, Abrey with the Gremlins and Sean Cleary, the national team righty pitcher from Harbour Main, Nfld., who’s with the Bear Creek Express.
The Express are from the Chippewa of the Thames First Nation, Ont., and they finished second to the Gremlins last year.
“It’s always fun to see fellow national team teammates compete — one week guys are battling together with their flag on their chest and the next thing you know they’re jawing at each other, trying to gain an edge,” Mayson said.
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Stuart, who’s from Merritt, added: “You’re coaching against them. Once the umpire says ‘play ball,’ at a tournament like this one the nationality stuff goes out the window.”
The tournament is hosted by the same organizing group that runs the Canada Cup women’s tourney every summer at Softball City. This marks the first time the event has been in B.C. since 1997, when Victoria hosted.
The Gremlins have been in the finals the past five championship games, winning three times. Hill United has won five times since 2013, with the last title coming in 2021.
@SteveEwen
SEwen@postmedia.com
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Courtesy : https://theprovince.com/sports/amateur-sports/softball-city-tourney-surrey