A former minor baseball standout is the first Chilliwack man charged with participating in last year's Stanley Cup riot.

The Vancouver Police Department announced that eight more suspected rioters, including Joshua Pharand, a 19-year-old Chilliwack resident, were facing charges stemming from last June's mayhem.

Pharand has been charged with participating in a riot and two counts of mischief.

In 2009 and 2010, Pharand was a star for the Chilliwack Cougars midget AAA. In June 2010, a year before the riot, the Chilliwack senior secondary grad was one of three local players invited to a camp from which the best ball players in B.C. would be selected to play in a national tournament.

tolsen@chilliwacktimes.com