YORKTON: The Canadian Men’s National Softball Team was recently awarded the bronze medal after the last day of competition at The World Games after it was cancelled due to inclement weather.
Japan and the United States were both awarded the gold medal, while Canada and Venezuela were both awarded bronze.
While the way the bronze medals were awarded was unusual, Saskatoon’s Justin Laskowski said the event was still fantastic.
“It was a pretty cool experience,” he told Yorkton This Week in a recent interview.
Laskowski was joined on The World Games team by fellow Saskatchewan players Max Major and Jordan Hudson. The trio are teammates on the Saskatoon Jacks who will soon head to Kitchener, Ont. in pursuit of a national championship.
Team Canada had been headed to the bronze game with Venezuela after a 6-1 loss to Japan. Japan broke the game open by scoring four runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, while the Canadian offence was kept mostly quiet despite having runners on base throughout the game.
For Laskowski it was also an opportunity to play for his country after not being named to the Canadian roster at the recent World Cup held in Prince Albert.
“One hundred per cent it would have been nice to have been on that team, but a medal in China was pretty cool,” he said, adding the big part of playing on national teams “is going to see the world.”
In Prince Alberta the Canadian team did not medal, so Laskowski said The World Games effort was sort of vindication for the Canadian team. He said the World Cup team “definitely left PA not too happy.”
Max Major played on both squads which meant a most-memorable softball season for the Deslisle product.
“It was a very cool summer . . . an unbelievable summer,” he told Yorkton This Week, adding it really started when he attended a Team Canada camp in Florida in the spring.
“I met some of the guys I’ve watched for years,” he said, and the experience culminated with his national team selection.
Laskowski said looking at the World Cup squad it did seem to underachieve, but added the format employed in Prince Albert did the host team no favours either.
“I’ve already heard they’ll probably change for the next World Cup,” he said.
“The World Cup didn’t go the way we wanted,” echoed Major, adding “we actually played some descent ball.”
But, a first game loss to New Zealand really hurt.
“We couldn’t claw our way back into the ‘Super Round’,” said Major.
So The World Games was a bit of redemption.
“We were going into China with a bit of a chip on our shoulders,” said Laskowski.
“It was nice to get back on the horse kind of thing,” said Major, adding it was a chance to show “we are still one of the best ball clubs out there.”
The World Games were also a place to showcase men’s softball – the sport returned to The World Games for the first time since 1981 with an eye to a bigger audience.
“There’s always been that hope among athletes men’s softball will one day get a chance at the Olympics,” offered Laskowski, adding being back in The World Games gives the men’s game “a little more recognition.”
The team heads east with high expectations.
“Everyone says we’re the best team Saskatchewan has sent to nationals in 10-15 years,” said Laskowski. “So we’ve got really high hopes.”
“We’ve added a few guys to our team from last year,” said Major, who noted expectations may be high “but obviously we’ve still got to go out and play all the games. . . You’ve got to bring your ‘A’ game every game.”
The Canadian squad in China was led by the coaching staff of John Stuart (Merritt, B.C.), Les Howey (Conception Bay South) and Doug Allin (Peachland, B.C.).
On the other side of things the Canadian Women’s National Team lost their semi-final game 6-4 to Chinese Taipei and the bronze medal game 11-1 to Japan to finish fourth at the World Games.
Also upcoming for Softball Canada are the 2025 WBSC Americas U23 Men’s Softball Pan American Championship. The tournament will be held September 13-20, 2025, in Santa Rosa (La Pampa), Argentina.
Saskatchewan has three players on the roster; Max Major, his brother Will Major and Prince Albert’s Ryan Bicknell.
It will be the icing on the cake for Max Major’s near mystical summer.
“Every trip is just so special in its own right. You make memories from each one,” he said.
