TRURO, N.S. – Darren Gerrior’s next softball umpiring assignment will be his biggest yet.
Gerrior will call games at the WBSC Men’s Softball World Championship, beginning next week in the Czech Republic.
The 49-year-old from Truro will leave for Toronto on Friday. He will umpire a pair of Team Canada doubleheaders this weekend as a tune-up for next week’s world championship before leaving for Prague on Sunday.
“I’m pretty excited,” said Gerrior, a Level 5 umpire. “It’s the top for the men’s in the world, so I can’t go any higher than that. It’s a great opportunity and hopefully I bring my A-game with me.”
Gerrior is no stranger to working high-profile fastpitch championships. Last year he umpired at the USA Softball men’s major championship in South Bend, Indiana. In 2017, he went to China for that country’s national games, while in 2016 he called balls and strikes at the world junior men’s tournament in Midland, Mich.
Gerrior, a regular umpire in the provincial Shooters fastpitch league, stayed sharp during the spring by umpiring an indoor league in East Hants, and last month he travelled to B.C. for a tournament. He was one of two Canadian umpires selected to work the world championship; Andrew Gallant of Moncton will also attend.
“It’s been a goal of mine for a while and I got the opportunity thanks to Softball Canada,” said Gerrior, who expects to work two games per day when the tournament opens on June 13.
Gerrior and Gallant will umpire pre-tournament games between Canada and Mexico on June 11 and Canada and Argentina on June 12. The championship will run until June 23.
