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Barkman thrilled to wear maple leaf

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Abbotsford native Tyson Barkman helped Canada's senior men's development team to a silver medal at a tournament in Florida.

Tyson Barkman is hoping a strong performance for Softball Canada's development team at a high-profile tournament in Florida will be a stepping stone to an eventual spot on the senior national squad.

Barkman, a 23-year-old pitcher from Abbotsford, helped Canada to a second-place finish at the AAU International Men's Fastpitch Tournament in Orlando. He made four pitching appearances, including two-plus innings in the final, which Canada lost 9-5 to a team out of Chicago.

"I did quite a bit of throwing before the tournament to get ready, and I only gave up a couple runs," said Barkman, a former member of Canada's junior national squad. "Having a chance to play with Canada on my chest was quite an honour."

Canada went 7-1 at the AAU tournament, which featured teams from Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, the Virgin Islands, Canada, and the U.S.

Barkman, a member of the national team's 40-man player pool, has spent the last few years playing top-level senior ball in Wisconsin, California and New Zealand.