Three Terriers back with Junior National Team for Spring Training

Ontario Terriers players Keegan O’Hearn (Oshawa, Ont.), Cameron Chee-Aloy (Toronto, Ont.) and catcher Hugh Pinkney (Toronto, Ont.) are on the Junior National Team’s spring training roster. Photo: Ontario Terriers

April 8, 2022

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

Outfielders Cameron Chee-Aloy and Keegan O’Hearn, along with catcher Hugh Pinkney were among the 36 players named to Baseball Canada’s Junior National Team spring training camp roster this week.

The camp will take place from April 13 to April 23 at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches and surrounding complex in Palm Beach, Fla. The site is home to the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals spring training and player development facilities.

Chee-Aloy is the most veteran Junior National Team invitee from the Terriers, first donning the red and white at last summer's training camp in Ajax, Ont. From there he traveled to Florida to play in the seven-game Friendship Series against the United States. Finally, to close out 2021 he was in Dunedin, Fla., in October for the JNT Fall Instructional Camp.

Joining Chee-Aloy in Dunedin were O'Hearn and Pinkney. The Fall Instructional Camp was the pairs’ first time wearing the maple leaf.

“I’m not surprised at all that Cameron, Keegan, and Hugh were invited to Spring Training with Team Canada,” 18U manager Dean Dicenzo said. “These are three of the top players in the country. Chee-Aloy (Illinois) and Pinkney (Rutgers) are committed to Power 5 schools, and O’Hearn (Northeastern Junior College) is headed to a NJCAA Division I program.”

Over the 11 days the team will take part in daily workouts and games. They will play six games against prospect teams from the Astros and Nationals organizations. The rest of the contests will be a combination of games against the Fort Lauderdale Stars program and intrasquads.

The camp is the first opportunity in 2022 for players to showcase themselves in an attempt to make the final roster for the upcoming WBSC U-18 World Cup. The international tournament is scheduled for September 9 to September 18 in Sarasota and Bradenton Florida.

Following spring training the next trip for Team Canada will be the Dominican MLB Academy Camp from May 11 to May 21.