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Two Baseball Players Are Carrying On a Games Legacy
Written by
Team Manitoba
Published on
August 11, 2025

In 2017, the Canada Summer Games came to Winnipeg — and while the gold medal game that year was played by some of the country’s top young baseball talent, two of its most attentive fans were barely old enough to imagine themselves in those same uniforms.

Fast-forward eight years, and now Jamie Williamson (Reston, MB) and Chase Derksen (Oak Bluff, MB) are playing for Team Manitoba at the 2025 Canada Games as athletes who are still inspired by that game all those years ago.

For Jamie, the 2017 Games were a defining moment.

“We went to that gold medal game and it was really fun as a little kid,” he says, recalling the energy of that gold medal game in Winnipeg.“Just seeing all the atmosphere and all the people around. It was kind of sick. That really put me on baseball pretty hard.” 

He started playing competitively at just four years old and now he’s stepping onto the same stage that once inspired him.

Chase didn’t make it to that final game in person, but he still remembers the cheers and the impact is still with him today.

“I watched the stream back — the crowd was packed at the final game, so that was pretty sweet,” he says. “And one of our coaches was on that team, so hearing their experiences got me pretty excited for this.”

Team Manitoba’s coach John Patmore was a member of the silver-medal-winning baseball team at the 2017 CSG. 

Learning from the Game — and Each Other

Both athletes agree: baseball has given them more than just skills on the field. It's shaped how they handle challenges, how they lead, and how they connect with others.

“I think baseball’s helped me grow as a person,” Jamie says. “I’ve made so many friendships through baseball that I’ll carry for life. Leadership is a big thing, too.”

Chase agrees and says it’s also taught him about what it takes to mentally bounce back.

“You're gonna fail sometimes,”* he says. “So you’ve got to be mentally tough and just put it in the past.”

Playing for More Than Themselves

At the Canada Games, the stakes are high. But for both Chase and Jamie, the crowd isn’t pressure — it’s fuel.

“As soon as we got here, seeing the crowd and people piling in — that got me pumped up,” says Jamie. “I love playing in front of lots of people. I love the attention — it kept me going through the game.”

“It’s pretty sweet when people are almost rooting against you,” Chase adds, laughing. “You want to prove them wrong. There were people chirping from down the left field line, and you just want to go out there and do whatever you can to prove them wrong, so it’s fun.”

But it’s not just about the crowd or the competition. For both of them, wearing “Manitoba” on their jerseys brought immediate smiles to their faces.

“We've all been playing together for so long,” says Chase. “This one tournament where we get to wear ‘Manitoba’ means a lot. We want to go out there and do our best for each other and for our families, and for Manitoba.”

“I truly do believe we are the best province,” adds Jamie. “It’s just so fun knowing you’re representing the whole province and trying to do the best you can for them, and hopefully, win a gold medal or to do as best as we possibly can.”

The Fans in the Stands

These athletes aren’t just the ones who were inspired — they’re the ones inspiring others. Both reflect on the full-circle moment of having younger players look up to them, just as they once looked up to the 2017 athletes.

“I hope they feel the same thing I did,” Jamie says. “And just watching us, being the big kids now is kind of cool. I hope they eventually look up to us at some point. Like, I know I did.”

“When we go to these big tournaments, we have a bat boy,” says Chase. “It’s kind of cool talking to him and learning about him. Hopefully we’re inspiring some guys — that’s pretty fun.”

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