Goldeyes tweak roster ahead of opening day

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This article was published 20/05/2015 (4084 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

THE Winnipeg Goldeyes did a little roster tweaking in advance of the American Association’s opening-day roster deadline.

The Fish traded infielder C.J. Ziegler to the Lincoln Saltdogs for cash considerations Tuesday and also announced the release of three players: pitchers Jon Fitzsimmons and Taylor Bratton and infielder Ben Bostick.

The Goldeyes now have 23 players on their opening-day roster, including 12 pitchers and 11 position players. American Association rules allow teams to carry 23 players for the first 10 days of the regular season, but then they must trim down to 22.

Winnipeg wrapped up its 2015 exhibition schedule Tuesday night in Wichita against the Wingnuts and begins the regular season Thursday against the Grand Prairie AirHogs. The Fish are on the road for their first 10 games — four in Grand Prairie, Texas, three in Wichita and then a three-game set against the expansion Joplin Blasters.

The Goldeyes’ home opener at Shaw Park is slated for Tuesday, June 2 against the Sioux Falls Canaries.

Blue open camp May 27

WINNIPEG football fans will get their first look at the made-over Blue Bombers next week.

The club announced its training camp begins May 27 for rookies, quarterbacks and CFL newcomers on the field next to the Winnipeg Indoor Soccer Complex. Veterans report May 30 with the main camp opening Sunday, May 31. All practices will be held beside the soccer complex as FIFA has taken over Investors Group Field for the Women’s World Cup.

The Bombers will play two pre-season games: June 9 in Toronto, and June 19 at Investors Group Field against Hamilton. They will open the 2015 regular season June 27, in Saskatchewan.

NCAA squad to visit city

ONE of the best NCAA Division III football programs is coming to Winnipeg.

The St. Thomas Tommies, a Division III powerhouse from Minnesota, will be in town this weekend to participate in a pair of exhibition games. The Tommies have been here in the past, in 2009 and 2012.

“The single best thing about our program has done has been the addition of spring drills in the last eight years and our international trips to Winnipeg,” said Tommies head coach Glenn Caruso. “The partnership has allowed for the development of our young men in a way difficult to quantify. The past two trips to Winnipeg, in 2009 and 2012, have set the tone for our to most improved seasons. Going deep into the playoffs in 2009 and propelling us to compete in a national championships in 2012.”

The Tommies freshmen will face a combined Greendell Falcons-Manitoba JV (U-20) team Sunday at noon, while the Falcons-Manitoba Selects senior team will line up against the Tommies varsity squad at 6:30 p.m.

Both games will be held at Markus Howell Field at 581 McPhillips St., across from the McPhillips Station Casino.

In addition to the two games, the Tommies will make available their entire coaching staff to all coaches and athletes willing to take part. The schedule of weekend events includes a coaches chalk-talk session at Canad Inns Garden City, Saturday at 8:30 p.m., a community barbecue hosted by the North Winnipeg Nomads on Sunday from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., and a free football clinic for players aged 7-14 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Markus Howell Field.

Ringette team named

THE roster for Canada’s women’s junior national ringette team has been announced, with five Manitobans making the cut.

Ryann Bannerman and Talia Gallant of Winnipeg, along with Samantha Renooy and Keyona Tomiuk of Oakbank, and Kinley Graves of Stonewall, will represent Canada when they compete at the 2016 World Ringette Championship in Helsinki, Finland from Dec. 28 to Jan. 4.

“The Manitoba Ringette Association is proud and excited that five of the seven athletes who attended the camp this past weekend were chosen to be a part of this team,” Melanie Reimer, program co-ordinator for the Manitoba Ringette Association, said in a release.

The selections were made following a camp in Toronto this past weekend.

“We were extremely impressed with the skill level of the athletes on the ice this past weekend,” said Lorrie Horne, junior national team head coach, in a release from Ringette Canada. “Not only are they the finest group of U21 athletes in the country, they are exceptional young women. We are very proud and confident about our performance at the world ringette championship.”

Bison golfers defend title

THE University of Manitoba Bisons men’s golf team is off to Guelph, Ont., this weekend to defend their national title.

The 13th Canadian University/College Championship goes May 25 to 29 at Cutten Fields in Guelph, a Stanley Thompson-designed course. The event also doubles as a qualifier for the 2015 World University Golf Championships this summer in Gwangju, South Korea.

The University of Guelph Gryphons will play host to the event, a 72-hole stroke play competition that will feature 20 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams from universities and colleges across the country.

The Bisons men’s team won the national title last year at Southwood Golf and Country Club and have three players back from that squad: Charlie Boyechko, Brodie Gobin and Scott Mazur.

Scott Secord of the University of British Columbia, who went wire-to-wire last year to win the individual title, is back to defend his title. The UBC women’s team is the defending champion.

Swimming to South Korea

CANADA’S open-water swim team for the 2015 Summer Universiade in South Korea will feature Winnipeg’s Lauren Teghtsoonian.

Canadian Interuniversity Sport, in conjunction with Swimming Canada, announced the open-water swimming roster Tuesday for the event, to be held in Gwangju, South Korea July 3 to 14. Teghtsoonian is the youngest member of the team. She is set to join the University of Calgary program next fall.

The group will compete in the 10-kilometre events, which debuted at the biennial FISU Games in 2011.