PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – July 4, 2017

VICTORIA, B.C. – With less than two months until the 2017 Baseball Canada Men’s National Championship presented by Yates Street Taphouse, with national sponsor B.C. Lotteries Corp., the host Victoria team has finalized its coaching staff.

Head Coach: Dave Diachuk

Assistant Coach: Troy Birtwistle

Assistant Coach: Scott Thompson

Dave Diachuk is a veteran senior baseball manager who has earned a total of two Nationals gold medals and one silver, captured as head coach of the Langley Blaze (2014, in St. John’s, NFLD) and Prince George Axemen (2012, in Prince George). The native of Vancouver, BC, enjoyed a successful collegiate playing career with the National Baseball Institute and Concordia College (NAIA) in Oregon.  Diachuk was also a member of Canada’s National Junior Team and Canada’s National Team.

Troy Birtwistle is a member of the 2017 Victoria HarbourCats coaching staff and a long-time Mavericks League player with extensive experience at Nationals.  Birtwistle, a Shawnigan, Lake, BC native, also played for the National Baseball Institute.

Scott Thompson is a veteran senior baseball coach and player who will bring tremendous experience. Thompson, a native of Campbell River, BC, was the head coach of the Victoria Mavericks in 2008, guiding the team to a gold medal at Nationals in Brandon, MB.

The team is receiving guidance through the selection process by Victoria HarbourCats managing partner Jim Swanson and general manager Brad Norris-Jones, who are working in conjunction with the coaching staff as well as Victoria Mavericks president Lanny Burrows.

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ABOUT MEN’S NATIONALS

The 2017 Baseball Canada Men’s National Championship presented by Yates Street Taphouse is a 26-game tournament featuring nine provincial teams and the host team from Victoria. The tournament will take place in Victoria on August 24-27 with Royal Athletic Park, home of the Victoria HarbourCats, serving as the primary field, hosting 18 games including the entire playoff Sunday.  The remaining games will be played at Lambrick Park.

The full tournament schedule is available at: http://harbourcats.com/packages/mensnationals/

TICKETS

Tournament passes are on sale now for the Diamond Club (field-level) seats, Campbell Real Estate Club Seats, and Main Grandstand (Section 10) areas only. Full tournament pass cost is $150. Without a tournament pass, spectators will not be able to sit in those prime locations.

Day-pass ticket sales will be available in the near future.

Tickets are available at the Victoria HarbourCats office (101-1814 Vancouver Street) and by calling the office at: 778-265-0327.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Follow the Baseball Canada Men’s National Championship:

Facebook– https://www.facebook.com/BaseballNationalsVictoria/

Twitter– https://twitter.com/NationalsInVic