There will be local content on the field this year in the World Baseball Challenge.
Infielder Jared Young, a 19-year-old product of the Prince Youth Baseball, confirmed Thursday he's been asked to play for the Langley Blaze senior team which will represent Canada at the six-team tournament at Citizen Field, Aug. 14-23.
Young has had a stellar season as a freshman playing for NCAA Division 2 Minot State Beavers and was invited by Blaze head coach Dave Diachuk to join the team in Prince George for the 10-day tournament.
"He said they were looking to tweak their roster a bit and add maybe a couple guys and said there was a good chance I'd be one of them and then he replied and said he'd love to have me on the team," said Young.
For Young, who watched the likes of Sonny Gray, Gerrit Cole, Kolten Wong and Brad Miller and Jos Abreu play for in the WBC before they went on to the major leagues, the chance to play in the tournament in his hometown is a dream come true.
"It's something I wanted to do and I figured I'd have a good chance, I just had to have a good year and see where it took me," said Young. "I'm looking to play well, I'm not just going into it just to say I was on the team."
Cuba, United States, Japan and the Bahamas have confirmed they will send teams to Prince George. Chinese Taipei is also expected to return for the WBC.
The August tournament happens the week before Young is due to return to North Dakota for the Beavers' training camp.
"The timing is good, nothing like the WBC to get me ready to return here," Young said Thursday. "I'm just really excited for it. The chance to play at home will be awesome. I' m really thankful. My grandpa (Lyle Young) is probably ecstatic. He's probably my biggest fan."
