While most people were hunting for Easter eggs, devouring chocolate bunnies and feasting on turkey over the long weekend, Baseball Canada’s National Junior Team prospects were hungry to show they were good enough to make the squad that will represent Canada at the 2006 World Junior Baseball Championship.
Of the 28 players that kicked off the camp at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, 18 will eventually be selected for the World Championships.
The prospects played three games against professional instructional teams over the weekend, and have improved dramatically each time out.
In their first match-up against the Atlanta Braves, Saturday, the Canadians struck out 15 times in a 9-0 loss. However, with the experience of having played against professional players under their belts, Canada bounced back with a strong offensive effort against the Cleveland Indians.
Mark Ellis (Maple Ridge, B.C.) was a catalyst, leading the Canadians by going 3-for-4 at the plate including hitting a lead-off double in the bottom of the fifth. Ellis was then scored by a single from Matt McCarney (Kanata, Ont.), who was perfect 2-for-2 at the plate.
Jonathan Waltenbury (Bowmanville, Ont.) was 2-for-4 while, Leslie Williams (Scarborough, Ont.), Brett Lawrie (Langley, B.C.), Chris Dennis (Windsor, Ont.), Shayne Willson (Surrey, B.C.) and David Narodowski (Vancouver, B.C.) all collected one hit each.
Despite losing the game 17-1, Canadian head coach Greg Hamilton was pleased with his team’s effort with the bats.
“Any time you get 11 hits against pro pitching, you have to be happy about that,” said Hamilton.
Canada’s bats stayed hot in Monday’s 15-8 loss against the Houston Astros.
Waltenbury and Lawrie were once again right in the thick of things to lead the Canadian offence. Waltenbury was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and 1 run scored while Lawrie was 2-for-5 with 2 runs scored and 1 RBI.
“For a kid that’s only 16 year of age and that has two years of eligibility left before being drafted he’s swinging the bat at a very advanced level thus far,” said Hamilton of Lawrie’s accomplishments early in camp. “He’s got some things to learn, obviously, because he’s so young, but he’s showing that he’s going to be a very good player."
Canada jumped out to an impressive 6-0 lead on the Astros thanks to a six-run third inning. With the bases loaded, Tyson Gillies (Langley, B.C.) knocked a single to left field that scored Kyle Gilligan (Toronto, Ont.) and Williams. Lawrie then singled in Narodowski and Waltenbury doubled to score Gillies to set up a two-run single from Kyle Orr (Victoria, B.C.) to make it 6-0.
Houston scored 3, 4 and 2 runs respectively in the next three innings and added a six-run inning of their own in the 8th, putting the game out of reach for Canada despite an RBI single by Waltenbury in the seventh and a homerun from Dennis in the eighth – The first for Canada in spring training.
Canada’s next spring training game comes Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. EST against the Cleveland Indians in a game, which will mark the halfway point in this year’s spring training.
Battling Injuries and Ailments
Baseball Canada’s National Junior Team prospects have had to battle more than professional players this long weekend as a series of injuries and ailments has come to cut into the team’s depth at camp.
Steve Anderson (Markham, Ont.) had to return home with the Chicken Pox while Dan Welch (Sidney, B.C.) has a mild ankle sprain. Gillies also suffered a minor ankle strain.
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