The World Baseball Challenge committee would like to congratulate the many participants from the 2009 World Baseball Challenge who were key contributors to the Burnaby Bulldogs winning the 2010 Baseball Canada Senior Championship in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.

The Bulldogs were coached by David Laing (Team Canada), Scott MacKenzie (Team BC), Tim Fehr (Team BC), Stewart MacKenzie (Team BC) and Keith Fong (Team BC), and RHP Steve McCrea, who pitched for the Prince George Westcana Electric Axemen in 2009, threw a three-hitter in the final game in Dartmouth, defeating the host Darmouth Moosehead Dry 1-0 in a seven-inning game that took just 1:33 to complete. First baseman Kevin Atkinson, who played first base for Team Canada in the 2009 WBC in Prince George, blasted a solo home run to left field in the fourth inning for the game's only run.

McCrea was named MVP of the tournament. The summer before, he started and won a WBC game against the Bahamas.

"Dave Laing and his leadership have put together the best senior baseball program in Canada, and this gold medal was a just reward after some frustrations in past trips to nationals," said WBC chairman Jim Swanson.

"It's a surprise the Bulldogs haven't won multiple gold medals at nationals -- this is a team that takes a professional approach to the game of baseball, with skill and dedication. Many of the Bulldogs were key members of the 2008 Victoria Mavericks team, as pickups, that won the nationals in Brandon, when Trevor Strandlund and Charlie Strandlund also had great tournaments. No one has anything but respect, admiration and praise for the class the Bulldogs show on and off the field."

Burnaby will get a chance to defend its title in 2011 in New Brunswick. The Bulldogs cruised to the B.C. title in Trail, rolling easily through the pool portion and surviving a challenge from Nanaimo in the final, to earn the right to represent the province at nationals.

Mike Styrna (Team BC), Mike Sinclair (Team BC), Devon Franklin (Team BC), Andrew Brock (Prince George Axemen), Shawn Schaefer (Prince George Axemen), Jordan Padrinao (Team Canada), Jon Thomas (Team BC) and Scott Rhynold (Prince George Axemen) are other members of the Bulldogs national championship team who put their talents on display at Citizen Field during the World Baseball Challenge, and many of those players will find their way back to Citizen Field in 2011.

The Dartmouth team was led by slugging DH Darren Doucette and LHP Jason Bailey, who threw a one-hitter in the semifinal to lead the Dry into the final. Bailey started and won two games at nationals, leading a pitching staff that allowed just four runs in six games. Doucette and Bailey were members of the Prince George Axemen in 2009.

The national tournament, which will be staged in BC in 2012 (Prince George, Kelowna, Trail and Victoria are bidding), is yet another example of the high level of baseball that is played in Canada.