Some of the planet's top major men's fast-pitch teams — including the world's top three squads — are turning southwestern Ontario into the destination for fastball this summer.

After making cameo appearances at a tourney in St. Clements a couple weeks ago, the top-ranked and three-time defending world champion Hill United Chiefs from Six Nations, Ont. along with the No. 2 Toronto Gators and the No. 3 New York Gremlins visit Tavistock this weekend.

The Cephas Roth Memorial Tournament runs Thursday through Sunday at Tavistock and nearby Shakespeare.

"It seems like the elite fastball tournaments are back here in Ontario," said the Tavistock tourney's co-chair and former Kitchener Twin Dave Bailey.

"We have the best of both worlds," he said of the Tavistock tourney. "We've got very good local clubs like the (Kitchener) Hallman Cubs and the Elmira Expos and the cream of the crop in the world.

"And there are bound to be some upsets."

Along with those squads, Tavistock's 15-team field will feature national junior clubs from Canada, Australia and the Czech Republic as they gear up for the world under-19 championship later this month in Midland, Mich.

The Canadian junior roster features New Hamburg's Tyler Randerson along with Tavistock's own Derek Hyde and Jake Wiffen.

Action gets underway Thursday at 7 p.m. at Queen's Park in Tavistock when the Canadian juniors tussle with the Kitchener Cubs and at Optimist Park when the Elmira Expos square off against the host team, the Tavistock juniors.

Hill United, who recently played a local series in Milverton against the Gators and the Aussies, enters as Tavistock tourney favourites. The Chiefs, 11-3 (won-lost) this season, swing into action Friday at 7 p.m. when they play the Canadian juniors.

The Gators — featuring Waterloo native and second baseman Brandon Horn — roll into the event with a 12-6 record so far this summer. They open Friday at 5 p.m. against the homefield Shakespeare Falcons.

The free-swinging No. 6 Scarborough Force, who captured the Peter Hallman Memorial a couple weeks ago in St. Clements, will unleash their bats in Tavistock starting Friday at 9 p.m. when they meet Australia.

Action continues until Sunday's championship final at 2 p.m. at Queen's Park in Tavistock.

For the tournament's complete schedule, see www.alsfastball.com.

After Tavistock, fastball's barnstorming caravan wheels into Mitchell, Ont. on July 29-31 for the North American Challenge.

That event serves as a final tune-up for the International Softball Congress world tournament in Moline, Ill. set for Aug. 12-20.

 

crivet@therecord.com ;

Twitter: @RivetRecord