Team Canada’s baseball stars sparked a social media frenzy by practicing in hockey jerseys ahead of their World Baseball Classic quarterfinal against the United States.

The team entered Daikin Park looking to channel their national identity for the showdown following a month of sporting agony on the ice.

Players donned the red long-sleeved jerseys during batting as they prepared to face their fiercest rivals.

The move is a direct nod to the recent double heartbreak in Milan, where both the Canadian men’s and women’s hockey teams lost their Olympic gold medal games to the Americans.

‘There’s always a rivalry between the U.S. and Canada. It’s just the way it is,’ Canada manager Ernie Whitt said before the game.

The squad received some pre-game motivation from hockey legends Sidney Crosby and Jarome Iginla, who sent personal video messages to the team.

Team Canada’s baseball stars sparked a social media frenzy by practicing in hockey jerseys

The team entered Daikin Park looking to channel their national identity for the showdown

Team USA take on Canada in their World Baseball Classic quarterfinal on Friday night

‘It’s nice to have other athletes that have represented the country at a high level and are playing in a major sport, so they’ve been through it,’ said infielder Edouard Julien.

‘They know what it is, the competition between the U.S., and just playing big games. So, it’s always great to have some videos to motivate you.’

The squad is still reeling from the events of last month, where the US secured a historic ‘double-gold’ sweep over Canada in two nail-biting overtime thrillers.

In the women’s final, Hilary Knight and Megan Keller combined to sink the Canadians with a 2-1 OT win, ending a dominant run for the defending champions.

Days later, Jack Hughes mirrored the heroics by scoring the ‘Golden Goal’ to secure the men’s gold with an identical 2-1 scoreline.

That defeat was particularly painful for Canada as it marked the first time the US had beaten them for men’s gold in the NHL era, ending a 46-year American drought.

More to follow…