Fitzpatrick: Etobicoke Rangers aiming to qualify for Road to Okotoks
The Etobicoke Rangers won the Ontario Eliminations in 2024 and advanced to the Canadian Championships. Photo: Etobicoke Rangers
March 9, 2026
By Trevor Fitzpatrick
Canadian Baseball Network
Before the Road to Okotoks tournament was announced in September of last year, Baseball Canada’s director of national teams Greg Hamilton (Peterborough, Ont.) reached out to teams across BC, Alberta and Ontario to determine interest for the tournament.
Among those teams was the Etobicoke Rangers, who jumped on the opportunity to play in the qualifiers taking place from May 28-31.
“I don’t think there was any hesitation from us,” recalled 18U head coach and former Canadian national team player Geoff McCallum (London, Ont.). “We’re looking for good games … from day one, we’ve been committed to make it work as best we can.”
“The way Greg explained it to me was sort of like the Memorial Cup of baseball. Take the top clubs in Canada, see who can come out on top.”
The Rangers will battle to be one of seven Ontario-based teams to advance from the regional qualifiers and earn a chance to play for the Morneau Cup.
While the team doesn’t know exactly who they’ll be playing yet, they do know that the games will be close to home.
The Ontario regional qualifiers will be hosted by the Ontario Blue Jays (Scarborough), Mississauga HPP, the Ontario Terriers (Oakville), and the Ontario Nationals (Woodstock).
“It’s fun to have a really good tournament in Canada,” said McCallum. “We play a lot in the States and sometimes it can be hit and miss. (Here) we’ll get to play some of the clubs that we don’t get to play often.”
Those clubs are from the CPBL, such as the Ontario Blue Jays. The Rangers meanwhile, reside in the PBLO. There, they recently won the Ontario Eliminations in 2024, advancing to the Canadian Championships.
Some of the top young talent that the Rangers will be fielding at the tournament include recent scout day top performers Kai Howard (Etobicoke, Ont.) and Joseph Pereira (Toronto, Ont.).
Howard, a middle infielder who’s committed to Gardner-Webb University, topped the exit velocity charts at the Prep Baseball event, averaging over 100 mph and topping at a staggering 114.2 mph.
Meanwhile, Pereira, a two-way third baseman/right-handed hurler, impressed on the mound with a fastball, slider, changeup, and sinker mix. His fastball averaged an impressive 92-94 mph.
Of course, there’s more to the game than scout days can show, and how the players fare on the diamond will determine their playtime during the tournament.
“Those scout days are good to see where guys are at with raw skills… but when it comes time to play the games, it’s whoever plays better,” explained McCallum.
Should the Rangers advance past their regional qualifier, the championship dates are scheduled for July 14-19.
“Envisioning the finals with 7,000 fans watching two really good teams play, I think it’s good for everybody involved.”