Ellsworth pinch hitting as head coach of national junior men’s team

July 23, 2016

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Jeff Ellsworth

ORIGINAL STORY by Jason Malloy, Journal Pioneer

Jeff Ellsworth has a wealth of international softball experience as a player. He’s about to get his first taste as a head coach.

The St. Lawrence native will lead the national junior men’s team at the World Baseball Softball Confederation world championship beginning Sunday in Midland, Mich.

Tom Doucette was the team’s head coach, but he had to return home to Middle Musquodoboit, N.S., on Monday for personal reasons.

“It’s really big shoes to fill because Tommy is definitely one of the best of all time as far as Canada coaches,” Ellsworth said Wednesday.

Ellsworth was an assistant coach responsible for the hitters while Cardigan native Mark Quinn is taking care of the pitchers. Saskatchewan’s Todd McCulloch is the third base coach and Quebec’s Jean-Yves Doucet is at first. Summerside’s Duke Cormier is the team leader.

Ellsworth was a co-captain of the senior men’s program until retiring after winning the Pan American Games and International Softball Federation (ISF) world championship in 2015.

Ellsworth said he was honoured to be considered for the head coaching position.

“Softball Canada called me and asked if I would be interested in leading the ship and I said, ‘no problem,’” he said. “I honestly didn't expect it to happen this quick after my playing days, but everything happens for a reason.”

The world championship will feature 13 teams in two pools. Canada is matched up with Israel, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and South Africa. The top four in each pool advance to the playoffs.

Canada finished seventh at the last tournament in Whitehorse, Yukon, in 2014, with Argentina capturing gold.

Ellsworth said the coaching staff has been preaching it is just another tournament.

“Putting on the Team Canada jersey sometimes can be overwhelming,” he said. “All week we’ve been just promoting it’s just another nine guys we’re going to war against.”

The team, which includes Seacow Pond’s Avery Arsenault, went 2-2 during exhibition play in Ontario this week.

They lost 7-2 to Australia and 4-3 to Alvinston Indians Juniors before beating the Alvinston Indians Seniors 4-1 and Innerkip Expos 7-6.

The squad went 0-4 during the weekend against the Kitchener Hallman Cubs, Hill United Chiefs, Wiarton Nationals and the Waterdown Hammer at the tournament in Tavistock, Ont.

Ellsworth said the team has been put in pressure situations against some top-level teams who have elite players from Canada’s 40-man player pool.

On Wednesday, the junior team was up 7-3 before the Expos responded to make it 7-6 with one out in the seventh inning. They had runners on the corners and the meat of the order coming up.

“The boys held their composure, made a hell of a play to get the second out, and then the third out came right after that,” Ellsworth said. “It was a great step in the right direction.”

Arsenault has played six of the eight games in Ontario. He is hitting .235 (4-for-17) with on-base percentage of .421 and five RBI, including a grand slam off Jeff Wise of the Waterdown Hammer.

He has played three games in centre field, two in left field and one at third base. His only error came at the hot corner.

“Avery is one of those versatile five-star players,” Ellsworth said. “He made a nice diving catch last night, went flat out.”

Ellsworth and Arsenault’s father, Troy Ellsworth, are first cousins. Jeff Ellsworth has watched Arsenault growing up and said if he sticks with it he has the potential to make the 40-man player pool. And he’s not the only one.

“Our program is in great shape,” he said. “We have 17 phenomenal athletes that I can’t wait to see where they are going to be in five or six or seven years.”

 

Schedule

The Canadian junior men’s softball team is preparing for the World Baseball Softball Confederation world championship. Here is a look at its schedule. All times are Atlantic.

Exhibition games

Today

3 p.m. – Canada vs. United States.

8:30 p.m. – Canada vs. Midland Junior Explorers.

Friday

5 p.m. – Canada vs. Japan.

6:30 p.m. – Canada vs. Japan.

World championship

Sunday

5 p.m. – Canada vs. New Zealand.

Monday

7 p.m. – Canada vs. Mexico.

Tuesday

5 p.m. – Canada vs. Japan.

Wednesday

3 p.m. – Canada vs. Israel.

9 p.m. – Canada vs. South Africa.

July 28 to 30

Placement and championship round.