Langley’s Wes Darvill and Jordan Lennerton have been nominated to play for Canada at the Pan Am Games.
Both are on the roster of players for Canada’s men’s baseball team released Tuesday by Baseball Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee.
READ MORE: UFV baseball coach Wes Darvill signs with Winnipeg Goldeyes
Darvill, a 27-year-old Langley native, spent the 2016 and 2017 seasons in Winnipeg playing for the independent American Association Goldeneyes, helping the team win championships both years.
The infielder hit .390 with 30 stolen bases and 53 runs scored.
He played in the American Association/Can-Am League all-star game and was voted onto the American Association’s post-season all-star team at third base.
This year, Darvill announced he would be heading back to the Goldeyes.
READ MORE: Langley’s Lennerton having all-star season
Lennerton, a former Langley Blaze player who was drafted by by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2001, got his start as a member of the legendary Preston Langley All Stars little league team.
A group of U14 boys, the team went on a record-setting three-month run in 1998, starting with wins at the districts, provincials, and Canadians in Cape Breton to become the first Langley team to ever qualify for the Little League World Series (LLWS).
They aren’t the only players with a Langley connection to make the list.
Nominees also include Langley-raised Kellin Deglan, who used to play for the Langley Blaze Premiere Baseball program and graduated from R.E. Mountain Secondary.
While playing for the Blaze, Deglan was drafted by the Texas Rangers, and signed to play professionally with the Rangers organization after graduating high school in 2010.
READ MORE: Deglan ready for Aussie adventure
Other Blaze alum named to Team Canada include outfielders Tyson Gillies and catcher Dustin Houle.
The Canadian men’s baseball team is coming off back-to-back Pan Am Games gold medal performances, winning the 2015 event in Toronto and the 2011 tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico, with victories over the United States in the final both times.
The list of nominated athletes features nine players from the 2015 Pan Am Games team in Phillippe Aumont, Kellin Deglan, Tyson Gillies, Jordan Lennerton, Chris Leroux, Jasvir Rakkar, Scott Richmond, Evan Rutckyj and Rene Tosoni while Michael Crouse , Jonathan Malo , Dustin Molleken and Richmond were part of the Guadalajara 2011 Pan Am Games team. Six players named to the roster (Aumont, Leroux, Adam Loewen, Molleken, Richmond and Tosoni) have Major League Baseball playing experience.
“We are excited about our team for the 2019 Pan Am Games and look forward to representing Canada in Lima,” said manager Ernie Whitt. “Anytime you represent your country it is truly an honour and we know that our team will compete knowing how truly special it is to play in such a prestigious event like the Pan Am Games.”
“Competing and winning back-to-back Pan Am Games gold medals are among the highlights of my baseball career so I’m thrilled with the opportunity to represent Canada once again,” said pitcher Scott Richmond. “International baseball makes for an incredible, competitive environment and I know our team will be ready when the games begin.”
In addition to Canada, countries competing in the eight-team 2019 Pan American Games baseball competition include Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico and host Peru.
The coaching staff features a wealth of Major League Baseball and international baseball experience in longtime men’s baseball team manager Ernie Whitt, who has led Canada to two gold (2011 & 2015) and one bronze medal (1999) at previous Pan Am Games, former Toronto Blue Jays first base coach Tim Leiper, former Toronto Blue Jay and Montréal Expo Denis Boucher and 14-year Major League Baseball veteran and former All-Star Paul Quantrill. Baseball Canada’s Director of National Teams, Greg Hamilton, rounds out the coaching staff.
The Pan Am Games baseball competition does not have a direct impact on qualification for Tokyo 2020 but will serve as an important step in preparing for November’s WBSC Premier 12, the first in a series of qualifiers for the Olympic Games.
List of players includes:
Ben Abram (Georgetown, Ont.) – Pitcher
Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.) – Pitcher
Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) – Pitcher
Eric Cerantola (Oakville, Ont.) – Pitcher
Michael Crouse (Port Moody, B.C.) – Outfield
Wes Darvill (Langley, B.C.) – Infield
Kellin Deglan (Milton, B.C.) – Catcher
RJ Freure (Burlington, ON) – Pitcher
Tyson Gillies (North Vancouver, B.C.) – Outfield
Dustin Houle (Penticton, B.C.) – Catcher
Edouard Julien (Québec, Que.) – Infield
Ryan Kellogg (Whitby, Ont.) – Pitcher
Jordan Lennerton (Langley, B.C.) – Infield
Chris Leroux (Mississauga, Ont.) – Pitcher
Adam Loewen (Surrey, B.C.) – Pitcher
Jonathan Malo (Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan, Que.) – Infield
Dustin Molleken (Regina, Sask.) – Pitcher
Connor Panas (Etobicoke, Ont.) – Outfield
Tristan Pompey (Mississauga, Ont.) – Outfield
Jasvir Rakkar (Brampton, Ont.) – Pitcher
Scott Richmond (North Vancouver, B.C.) – Pitcher
Evan Rutckyj (Windsor, Ont.) – Pitcher
Rene Tosoni (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) – Outfield
Eric Wood (Oshawa, Ont.) – Infield
Ernie Whitt (Clinton, Michigan) – Manager
Denis Boucher (Lachine, Que.) – Coach
Paul Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) – Coach
Tim Leiper (Whittier, California) – Coach
Greg Hamilton (Peterborough, Ont.) – Coach and Director National Teams
Lima 2019, which will run from July 26 to August 11, will bring together approximately 6,700 athletes from 41 nations of the Americas and feature 62 disciplines in 39 sports. It will be the largest sporting event ever held in Peru.
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