You could see it in their smiles.
From great individual performances to winning games with brand new teammates, players understood the assignment at the Blue Jays Academy Canadian Futures Showcase: not everyone gets this opportunity, so go out and have fun.
Over the course of four days, 150 of the best high school players from across Canada came together for the 12th annual edition of the event, which was held at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium in Vancouver, B.C.
It was the first time the location had been moved outside of Ontario and an opportunity for many players, including those who had taken part the last couple of years at Rogers Centre in Toronto, to suit up somewhere new.
Just as they had in previous years, they were split into six teams then put through the paces during Scout Day on Thursday, Sept. 17, with hitting, speed and fielding drills to break down all the analytics.
At the plate and armed with wood bats, 25 players cracked exit velocities over 100 mph while seven sent baseballs over 400 feet.
Topping both was Jalen Jacob (Maple, Ont.), who crushed one during batting practice 110 mph that went 425 feet.
“Just remember that this isn’t something where it’s super-serious or it’s important to win,” said Jacob. “It’s something where you’re here just to enjoy the time with the guys. Just having a good time and showing out – that’s what keeps me going.”
Sam Ellis (La Peche, Que.) had the fastest 60-yard dash with a time of 6.25 seconds, while the top throwing velocities for position players went to catcher Tanner Morris (Sudbury, Ont.) at 90 mph, infielder Cohen Miller (Calgary, Alta.) at 91 mph, and outfielders Ethan Borovilos (Etobicoke, Ont.) and Trace Pettit (Dorchester, Ont.) shared the top speed at 92 mph.
Great days for baseball
After showing their skills to the dozens of scouts in attendance, many who wouldn’t have normally made the trek to Toronto, the players shifted their focus to games.
Under the tutelage of a cast of star coaches including former Canadian MLB players like Andrew Albers, Denis Boucher, Pete Orr, Chris Reitsma, Michael Saunders and Matt Stairs, each team played four contests over the next two-and-a-half days, aiming for a berth in Sunday’s championship finale.
Dozens of professional, college and national team scouts remained in attendance throughout the round-robin games to see how each player handled game situations, while the players enjoyed the great baseball weather provided during the duration of the event.
“My biggest goal for this tournament was just to play hard and with energy,” said Toronto-born Ira Rootman, who now resides in California and also has family in Vancouver. “Stepping into this one, it’s a new environment and I’m just going to have fun with my friends and prove what I have.”
Tournament play was about more than wins and losses through, with offensive points being awarded for wins as well as bases earned and stolen bases while defensive points were awarded for catching would-be base-stealers.
By the end of Saturday’s games, Team New Blue was the only unbeaten team and had picked up numerous bonus points, while Team Royal snuck by Team Red to earn a berth in the final.
Launching baseballs into orbit
Championship Sunday began with Daril Rodriguez (Red Deer, Alta.) looking to defend his Home Run Derby crown.
He was matched up against five others, including Theo Lima (Whitby, Ont.), Gino De Santis (Chatham, Ont.), Gabriel Lehouillier (Levis, Que.), Mikey Batiste (Mississauga, Ont.), and Jacob.
Unfortunately for Rodriguez, he wasn’t able to make it out of the first round as Lima, Batiste and Jacob all advanced.
Lima pounded six out in the final round while Batiste hit four. Then Jacob stole the show, hitting seven, complete with a towering bat flip as he watched the seventh clear the tall fence in right field.
“This means everything,” said the 6-foot-2, 248-pound lefty. “It's my third year here. I fell short two times in a row, so I'm going to hang this [championship chain] up in my room, 100 percent.”
The New Blue Crew
Then it was onto the championship game, where Team New Blue asserted itself as the most complete team once again.
De Santis hit an RBI single in the bottom of the first to start the scoring and they never looked back, scoring another in the second and two runs in each of the third and fourth innings, en route to a 6-1 win over Team Royal.
Hudson Nikkel (Vauxhall, Ab.) led the team offensively, going 1-for-2 with a two-run single in the third, while Galen Hudel (Waterloo, Ont.) scored twice and added an RBI.
“Everyone wanted to do it for the guy beside them,” Hudel said about the strong team chemistry shown. “That was kind of our motto throughout the whole week was do it for the guy beside you.”
It was an unforgettable weekend for the high school players, who now return home with new knowledge and confidence knowing they are amongst the best in the country.
Team Royal infielder Dayne Liske (Drayton Valley, Alta.) – who was named Showcase MVP after hitting .455 with a 1.637 OPS, a triple, two homers and four RBIs – says no one could have asked for more.
“Not a lot of kids get to do this,” he said. “Looking back on it one day, we’ll think it was special, so being here means a lot.”