The last time Canada captured the WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup Finals in 2015, Warman, Sask.’s Justin Laskowski was witness for that moment at Bob Van Impe Stadium in Saskatoon.
Fast forward nine years later and Laskowski is now on that same Canadian men’s national team.
“Being from small town Saskatchewan and now playing on the big stage is pretty cool,” said Laskowski. “It was so cool to watch and I only dreamed of being a part of it one day. Now that we’re here, it’s pretty surreal.”
Laskowski has landed back in his home province along with Team Canada, competing in Group ‘B’ play at the 2024 edition of the WBSC Men’s Softball World Cup tournament in Prince Albert.
It’s a chance for the infielder to see friends and family come out to support him on the national team, expecting between 10 and 30 supporters per game.
“Being this close to home now is pretty cool to have all my family and friends just over an hour away. Lots of them are planning to come up to watch, so it will be pretty cool.”
Laskowski was named one of Canada’s final roster selections for the first stage of the tournament back in late 2022 after helping the national team capture a silver medal at the 2022 Pan-American Championship.
Since that national team debut, head coach John Stuart said he’s seen nothing but incremental growth from the Saskatchewan utility tool.
“Justin came on the scene five or six years ago and really took everything by storm,” said Stuart. “He’s a great hitter, a good defensive player at second base. He can also play other positions which is very valuable for the men’s national team. For not just Justin, but anybody, you got to hit the ball, be consistent and have good at-bats to stay in the lineup.
“He’s going to have every opportunity to do that.”
Canada is joined by five other nations on the diamond in Prince Albert with Argentina, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Israel all battling for two spots at the 2025 World Cup Finals.
According to tournament organizers, the group-stage tournament at Prime Ministers Park is expected to net the community more than $3 million in economic spinoff.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Smith. “Ten years in the making, Project Triple Play started it off in the building of this facility. Hosting the 2018 World Juniors, that was our first WBSC event and now six years later bid for the men’s.”
Not only is Prince Albert getting the chance to host the group qualifier, they’ll be the host community for the 2025 World Cup Finals as well.
Smith said it’s a testament to the softball and baseball facility that’s been built, as well as the local fan engagement which has been growing over the years.
“We get to preview it this year and make it even better for the next year,” said Smith. “Pretty much most of our local sponsors are on a two-year commitment, so we’re just going to continue to work with them to make things better for next year.”
Team Canada knows they’ll be returning to Prince Albert in a year’s time, as they’ll qualify either through one of the two berths on the line or be accepted as one of the 2025 tournament’s two wild cards if they finish third or lower.
Despite that, Stuart is making it clear that the team’s focus is firmly set on capturing the group outright.
“It’s a long way away, a year away, and a lot can change,” said Stuart. “A lot of guys can improve or decline. As much as it’s in the back of our mind, our focus is totally on the dates here this year.”
Canada has kicked off their tournament on the right foot with wins over Hong Kong and Singapore, vaulting the hosts to the top of the leaderboard through Thursday afternoon.
Enjoying the hometown support, Laskowski is hungry to build off the momentum of the Prince Albert crowd and return in 2025 with even more excitement around the team.
“Playing in front of that crowd this week is going to be a big motivation to obviously get those one or two spots to get back here next year,” said Laskowski.
The tournament’s round-robin runs through Saturday, with playoffs deciding the Group ‘B’ qualifiers on Sunday at Prime Ministers Park.