As the “baby” of the Canadian men’s softball team, Mitchell’s Tyler Pauli has designs to keep learning and, in whatever way possible, help the national team bring home a medal at the XVI World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Men’s Softball World Championships in the Czech Republic starting this week.

He’s aiming for gold, of course. And by June 23 – one week before his 24^th birthday – we’ll know for certain.

The 16-others on the roster are all in their early to mid-30’s, with his roommate Shane Boland, who turns 28 this year, the next youngest.

The age difference is nothing new, as Pauli has played his entire life with players older, but in the short time he’s been with the national team, he can’t help but notice and feel that the game preparation ratchets up another level.

“It’s hard to explain but it’s a brand new level that I’ve never had to experience before so I’m glad I’m able to do it at a younger age,” he said.

As an example, rather than just showing up to play and recalling previous at-bats or situations, all the players have extensive notes on all the pitchers they will potentially face and tendencies of where to position themselves defensively.

“I’ve done that to a certain extent mentally, but a lot of these guys have it written down as well, so they take that seriously,” he said. “So I guess that’s what it takes to get to their level. I’m always learning so that’s definitely something that I’m going to try in the future.

“We’re always learning in this game. There’s always new players that come up that you have to know about and you always have to be on the ball with that sort of thing,” he added.

Having met all the guys in a week-long camp in Kelowna, B.C. in mid-May, Pauli said everyone made him feel welcome and part of the team.

“They all made me feel very comfortable, which is great being the young guy,” he said. “There’s not a lot to be nervous about being around them per se. They are making it easy for me, that’s for sure.”

Wearing the Canadian flag on his jersey is nothing new, as Pauli represented the country at the junior national championships in the Yukon in 2014, but this time (aside from university studies), Pauli has been working out in the gym a lot longer than previous years and admits he’s in the best shape of his life.

Canada, ranked second out of the 16 teams heading into the championships, is in Group B with Australia (ranked fourth), USA (6), Venezuela (8), Denmark (11), South Africa (12), Netherlands (19) and Singapore (22). New Zealand is ranked #1. They will play each team in their group once, a game a day starting this Friday, June 14, with the top four teams in each group qualifying for the playoffs that begin June 21. The semi-finals will be played June 22 with the bronze and gold medal games slated for June 23.

All games will be live streamed on www.youtube.com/wbsc, and please note the six-hour time difference. For example, Canada’s opening game is at 1:30 p.m. Czech time, which is 7:30 p.m. EST. The official website is www.mswc.wbsc.org/en/2019

Pauli’s parents, Jeff and Tracy, as well as his brother Cody and uncle Dennis are heading to Prague for the tournament, along with his girlfriend Erin Matheson and her parents. They will be able to see the East European sights during their stay – this is the first time the tournament is being held in Europe – and while Pauli may get in a little sightseeing, he knows he’s there to play ball.

“I’m sure we’ll get some time to see some things, but it’s not a vacation,” he said. “Enjoy yourselves but we’ve got a job to do at the same time.”