OTTAWA – Baseball Canada reported that over 120,000 Canadians engaged in baseball competitions in the country this summer — representing an increase of 14% from 2015.

Popularity and registration numbers increased in all 10 Canadian provinces, continuing on the 8% rise in 2015, the national governing body reported.

Baseball Canada launched its “Summer’s Perfect Game” project this year to promote baseball as the summer sport of choice for Canadians, and in April, the city of Montreal launched a blockbuster 10-year, $26 million baseball development “action plan” to promote the sport.

Canada’s National Baseball Teams have recently hit historical highs, at No. 2 in the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Rankings and No. 6 in the WBSC (Men’s/Youth) Baseball World Rankings.

The WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2017 will be brought to Canada next September, when the city of Thunder Bay hosts the pinnacle youth international baseball competition.