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BY BEN LYPKA
BLYPKA@SQUAMISHCHIEF.COM

It wasn’t the ending that Squamish’s Kevin Schellenberg and the rest of Team Canada wanted.

Schellenberg and his Team Canada mates came up short at the International Softball Federation’s Men’s World Championships in New Zealand earlier this month and he said the fifth place finish has made him want to don the red and white one more time.

“We definitely had a disappointing result,” he said. “We went there wanting to win gold and were fully capable to do so with the team we had. I thought this was the best team that Canada had assembled in the last 10 years.”

It didn’t start off that poorly for Team Canada, as the squad posted six wins and one loss in round robin play. Canada pitched four shutouts and was the top ranked team in the A pool.

“We started off really well,” Schellenberg said. “Our pitchers and defense played good and we were right where we wanted to be heading into the playoff round.”

Canada moved on to play Venezuela, who was the second ranked team in the B pool, but Schellenberg said a lack of offense hurt the team.

“It really came down to a few bad bounces,” he said. “We lost 3-1 and we just didn’t score enough runs. I can’t really pinpoint a reason why we lost, but we just waited too long to get the offense going.”

The offensive struggles continued in Canada’s final game of the tournament against Argentina. Canada lost 2-1 and Schellenberg admitted that the team was emotionally spent after the devastating loss to Venezuela the day before.

“Losing to Venezuela was a pretty heartbreaking defeat and it was tough to get back into the game emotionally against Argentina,” he said. “We ran into a top pitcher against Argentina and just couldn’t score.”

One of the few positives from the tournament for Canada was they were the only team to defeat the eventual champion New Zealand in round robin play. Schellenberg said he was happy with his play, but the team’s poor result left a bad feeling in him.

“Beating New Zealand is a positive, but it reminds us that we underachieved,” he said. “We know we can beat the best but we need to figure out why we lost to lower ranked teams. I was happy with my play but the team slogan was ‘one team, one goal’ and as a team we came up short.”

Schellenberg was tied for the team lead with five runs batted in (RBI) and made zero errors in the field during tournament play. He said he hopes to represent Canada once more – at either the Pan Am Games or the next ISF world championships. Both events take place in 2015.

“This result has left me with a sour taste in my mouth,” he said. “We had to work so hard to get there and I just don’t want to shut it down on that note.”

He said the Pan Am Games or ISF tournament in 2015 will likely be his last go with Canada but noted it’s been a good 13 year run. An added bonus for the shortstop is that both events take place in Canada, as the Pan Am Games are in Toronto and the ISF will be in Saskatoon.

Schellenberg also pointed out that the Howe Sound Men’s Fastball League (HSMFL) is also looking for local players to join up. The league currently has three teams signed up and is always looking for more players. Contact him by email at skates_2010 [@] hotmail.com for more details.

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In the end, says St. John’s native Ryan Boland, Team Canada wasn’t as mentally sharp as they needed to be at the 2013 ISF XIII Men’s World Championship in Auckland, New Zealand earlier this month.

Boland, along with Newfoundlanders Jason Hill of St. John’s, Sean Cleary and Brad Ezekiel of Harbour Main along with Stephen Mullaley of Freshwater, now living in?Toronto, and Sean Whitten, originally from Petty Harbour now living in Calgary, helped Canada to a 6-1 round-robin record before dropping two straight playoff round games in Kiwi Country.

Boland said the players were “super jet-lagged” when they got into Auckland after a 16-hour plane ride from Vancouver.
“We practised the day we landed and then for the next 10 days prior to the start of the tournament,” explained Boland.
“It took us about a week to work out the bugs, but we felt better after that.”

Canada’s round-robin performance included a 9-7, eight-inning victory over New Zealand Black Sox who would go on to win the championship.

Ezekiel was three-for-five and Boland collected two hits with each player smacking a home run in the win over the host team.
The New Zealand players impressed Boland with their intensity and all out style of play.

“New Zealand is known for their talent, but also the way they try to intimidate their opponents,” notes Boland.
The Black Sox began all games with the team doing the Haka, the traditional ancestral war cry/dance which most sports fans will recognize from watching the country’s All Blacks rugby team.

“Their fans were loud and hostile and the players slide high into the bases, cleats up. They don’t play to make friends. They play to win,” said Boland.

“They were friendly off the field, but they were all business when the games started.”

While Canada enjoyed succes in the round-robin, the playoffs were a different matter, as Canada was knocked out after a 3-1 loss to Venezuela and 2-1 defeat at the hands of Argentina.
“I think we just got beat by better teams to be honest,” he said.

“On paper, our team was definitely as good as any of the other teams. But, while our pitchers did well, we didn’t hit as well as we should have.”

And Boland believes the time of year had something to do with that.

“Our bats weren’t sharp. Everyone was game ready, but not situationally ready.

“We had our reps, but not in big moments… in crucial situations. It takes a long time to build your confidence to produce in the bottom of the seventh with men on base. That only comes after playing a full season, not when you are cold.”

Hill, who was attending his first ISF tournament, said everyone was willing to play whatever role needed. He came off the bench to pinch hit four or five times, something he’s not used to in the local senior circuit.

“It’s going to be a little while yet before we get over not coming home with at least a bronze medal, but it’s been a learning experience, for sure,” said Hill.

“We’re not making any excuses. I mean, we can analyze it to death. But we just didn’t hit the ball when we needed to.” He said the improvement of other countries at the elite level of the game was a real eye opener for him.

He said he won’t soon forget his time in New Zealand, adding, ”It was unbelievable to be in that part of the world.”
Boland and Hill said the Newfoundlanders on the team played well and had a good time.

“It also showed that our (Molson St. John’s Senior Softball) league is as good as any in the world,” noted Boland.
Boland has a busy summer ahead playing on three teams; Imagewear Custom Apparel in the St. John’s league, with 3-Cheers Pub at nationals and with defending ISC world champion Jarvis Travellers of Ontario.

Meanwhile, the next ISF world championship is scheduled for 2015 in Saskatoon, Sask., and Boland would like to be there.
“I’m looking to be a part of that. It’s a goal of mine,” Boland said.