Avery, considered one of Cana­da’s brightest young talents on the diamond, will be part of a deep and talented Team Nova Scotia for the upcoming Cana­dian junior fast-pitch softball tournament set for St. Croix, Hants County.

Ten teams will begin round­robin play in the under-23 event on Monday, Aug.. 2, with the winner to be decided Sunday, Aug. 8, in the 1 p.m. gold-medal final. It marks the return of top­flight fast-pitch to St. Croix after the area hosted Canadian senior tournaments in 1998 and 2004.

The Nova Scotia Murphy’s Fish and Chip Eagles will be the 10th seed as the host entry, but will be a pre-tournament favou­rite along with the defending national champs from St. John’s, N.L. St. John’s got the better of Nova Scotia 4-2 in last year’s final in Owen Sound, Ont.

“It definitely leaves a bad taste in your mouth when you get a silver medal," Avery, a strong­armed pitcher from Larrys River, Guysborough County, said at a media event Wednesday in Hali­fax. “It gives you extra drive in the off-season to work harder just to get the gold medal around your neck."

Avery, whose younger brother Patrick is a rookie on the club and father Wayne an assistant coach, said this year’s team has a bit more of everything to take the last step to gold. It will be Cory’s last chance at the junior level.

“I think no one really expected us to be in the final last year," Cory said. “I think this year we kind of expect to be in the final and play like we’re supposed to be there."

Avery, Donnelly Archibald (Aspen, Guysborough County) and import Tyson Barkman of Abbotsford, B.C., will handle the pitching along with Justin Scho­field of White Rock, Kings Coun­ty. Barkman and the Cory Avery are both part of Canada’s senior national team talent pool.

“Pitching and hitting, for sure," Cory said. “We’ve got a really good lineup one through nine. We’ve got a lot of former Team Canada (under-19) play­ers.’’

Trevor Boutilier (Sheet Har­bour), Tyler Whynot (Coldbrook) and Adam Day (Elmsdale) will handle the catching. Archibald, Whynot and Barkman will play first base.

Blake Hunter (Elmsdale) will play second, Trent MacDonald (Arisaig, Antigonish County) shortstop and Aaron Long (Guys­borough) third with Jay Duffy (Stewiacke) alternating between second and short.

Patrick Avery, Trent MacKeil (Elmsdale), Myles Coldwell (Brookfield), Jeremy Locke (Brookfield), Curtis Broussard (Mount Uniacke) and Cory Dear­man (Elmsdale) will patrol the outfield.

The young players entering the program have their own frustra­tions from the past and have just as much hunger to win.

“I have those feelings, too," said Patrick Avery, 20. “I’ve had a string of years of losses. Two summers ago we were at the ISF world (under-19) championships and lost the final 2-1 to Australia in extra innings."

He thinks the team will thrive at home.

“Any time you can play at home and have your fans there is great," said Patrick Players are aware they are playing for a national title, but also trying to create a bit of a spark for the sport they love. The profile of fast-pitch in Nova Sco­tia has been low in recent years.

“It’s definitely going downhill right now," said Cory. “Actually all around the world teams are getting scarce. We just want to bring it back.’’

Quebec, B.C., Owen Sound, Ont., Napanee, Ont., Linwood, Ont., Selkirk, Ont. Saskatoon and Ochapowace First Nation (Broad­view, Sask) round out the field.

(mmosher@herald.ca)