| Last updated at 12:48 AM on 02/04/09 |
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Softball Canada president Kevin Quinn, left, and Mayor Clifford Lee hold up a ticket for the 2009 U-19 International Men’s Softball Championshipduring a press conference Wednesday in Charlottetown. (Guardian photo) |
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Softball event on P.E.I. goes international 
Under-19 men’s event in Charlottetown will also include 11 Canadian squads
LESLIE KEEPING
The Guardian
A softball tournament this summer in Charlottetown will have an international flavour.
Single entries from the United States, Mexico and New Zealand will join 11 Canadian provincial and territorial teams, including one from P.E.I., for the 2009 U19 International Men’s Softball Championship, July 7-12, at Central Field.
Softball Canada president Kevin Quinn of Charlottetown said the international teams were invited to bring a little more flavour to the tournament.
“(To) excite the fans and the Canadian players as well,” he said during a Wednesday press conference in Charlottetown.
Quinn said the tournament was created when men’s softball was not included in the 2009 Canada Summer Games on P.E.I.
“It’s usually one of the biggest spectator sports for the (Canada) Summer Games,” he said. “We need this type of competition to . . . attract the under-19 athletes to continue to participate in the sport.”
Quinn said fans can expect some “very exciting softball” at the international tournament.
The Canadian entries for the tournament will also include British Columbia, Alberta, Saskat-
chewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories.
Central Field was upgraded to a two-diamond facility last summer to accommodate the championship and work will be completed at the facility this spring.
The 14 teams will be divided into two pools of round-robin play, giving each team six games in the preliminary round.
The top four teams in each division will advance to the playoff round, with the top two teams of each division having ‘double life’.
The championship game will take place at 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 12.
Teams that do not advance to the playoff round will play in a relegation tournament called the City of Charlottetown Championship.
The championship game for the relegation round will be played at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 11.
The organizing committee has launched a website for the tournament and it can be found at www.charlottetownsoftball2009.com.
The website includes information on volunteer opportunities and many tournament details, including the full schedule, ticket information and sponsorship packages.
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Ticket information:
n Championship ticket value packs are now available for purchase online at www.charlottetownsoftball2009.com, which includes tickets to each of the 57 games including playoff and championship games.
n From April 1 to the 30 softball fans can purchase the value pack for the early bird price of $40, which will rise May 1 to the regular price of $49.
n Adult day, evening, student and senior passes will also be available for purchase, but only onsite at the event for $5 each.
n These will allow access to all games all day or evening of the ticket purchase.
n Tickets will also be on sale locally, beginning April 15 at the Sport P.E.I. office at 40 Enman Cres., Charlottetown.
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