Team Canada takes the field at Softball World Cup in Prince Albert
The international tournament, hosted by the World Baseball Softball Confederation, is held every three years. The last event was in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2022.
The Canadian team will play Venezuela on Wednesday night, and face off against Argentina, the world's No. 1-ranked team, on Thursday.
The playoff round will begin on July 11 and the gold medal match will be played on July 13 in Prince Albert.
"I think it's just a one game at a time kind of thing," said Team Canada pitcher Devon McCullough on Canada's opening loss. "We just gotta win every game now. So it's just one game at a time, and lean on each other, and hopefully win this one tonight and move on Thursday."
McCullough, who lives in Saskatoon, has played on the Canadian team since 2014. He was on the squad that won gold in the 2015 World Championships in Saskatoon. Canada finished second in New Zealand in 2022 after falling in the gold medal game 5-2 to Australia.
"We have, I think, one of the best hitting lineups in the world right now. We've just got to show it now. And the pitchers, we've got to keep runs off the board," he said.
Max Major, one of Team Canada's youngest players, made his debut in the game against New Zealand. He said he was still confident his team could make it to the finals.
"It's a very cool experience for sure. I see lots of people around the ballpark that I've seen before. So it was nerve-racking but comforting at the same time," he said of his first game.
For local organizers, the tournament is the culmination of years of work and anticipation.
"We actually underwent a $1.8-million renovation to put two world class facilities here in Prince Albert," said tournament co-chair Ian Litzenberger. "We have men's teams, ladies teams, rec teams. It's a very historical sport for our community and region as a whole.
"We have a 300-person army of volunteers that are all excited to host and showcase our community and the great sport of softball."
Canada is one of eight teams competing this year. It shares Group A with Argentina, Venezuela and New Zealand. Group B is comprised of Australia, the Dominican Republic, Japan and the United States.
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