Town will enter two teams as host of 2011 U23 men’s fast-pitch championships
By Paul Svoboda
The 2011 U23 Canadian men’s fast-pitch championships are still three months away but Napanee has already swatted a double.
Napanee is the site of the Canadian championships Aug. 8-14 at the Fairgrounds sports complex and it was announced this week that as tournament host and winner of last year’s title, the centre can enter two clubs.
The North Key Construction Napanee Express won the Canadian championship in 2010 and have automatically qualified for this year’s competition as defending champs. They’ll be joined by the Shoeless Joe’s Napanee Express as the host team. Click here for the complete story at the Intelligencer.
From the official website:
“Greater Napanee is the proud host of the U23 Men’s Canadian Fast Pitch Championship, taking place at the Napanee Fairgrounds Sports Complex from August 8-14, 2011. The finest fast pitch players in the country will converge on the town for a great week of fastball.”
Two Napanee teams in U23 tournament
By Stephen Petrick/Napanee GuideChris McKeown says he has played in some pretty big fast pitch games before.
But he says nothing will compare to the feeling he expects to get from Aug. 8 to 14, when he suits up for the Shoeless Joe’s Napanee Under 23 Express team to play in the tournament its hosting: the U23 Men’s Canadian Fast Pitch Championships.
“It’s definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said McKeown, who was part of Midget Express teams that competed at the Canadian championships in Prince Albert, Sask. in 2007 and Saskatoon in 2008.
“It will be different to sleep in your own bed. There will be added pressure that comes with that, but we’re looking forward to it.”
McKeown and Shoeless Joe’s teammate Scott Mills attended a press conference at the Strathcona Paper Centre Tuesday, where a surprise announcement was made. Click here for the rest of the story.