Tag: World Cup

Eight CPBL players help Team Canada to bronze at world qualifier

With a bronze-medal victory in Chitré, Panama at the COPABE U18 Pan Am championships on Sunday, the Canadian Junior National team secured a spot in next year’s World Baseball Softball Confederation U18 Baseball World Cup, and it did so with the help of eight current or former members of the Canadian Premier Baseball League.

The circuit was represented by CPBL graduates Noah Naylor, who is currently a member of the Cleveland Indians organization after being selected 29th overall in this year’s draft; Denzel Clarke, playing at Cal State Northridge; and Daniel Carinci, a member of the University of Alabama squad. Current representatives of the league at the championships included Dasan Brown, Blake Buckle, Owen Diodati, Keegan Pulford-Thorpe, and TJ Schofield-Sam.

Ontario Blue Jays infielder Buckle was also named a tournament all-star after the final victory.

Team Canada beat Nicaragua 5-3 to take the medal and advance to next year’s tournament, and the Junior National Team program and preparations for the U18 World Cup will begin in March with the annual spring training trip in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Eleven CPBL players to represent Canada against Dominican Summer League prospects

The Canadian Junior National Team is just about set to depart for its third trip of the season, and final tour before Major League Baseball’s draft begins on June 4, and among the 30 young players invited to match up against Dominican Summer League prospects are 14 who hail from Ontario, and 11 members of Canadian Premier Baseball League teams.

Among those 11 CPBL players, four represented Team Canada at the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s U18 Baseball World Cup last September right at home in Thunder Bay, with Noah Naylor representing the Ontario Blue Jays, Eric Cerantola and Griffin Hassall hailing from the Great Lake Canadians program, and Denzel Clarke from the Toronto Mets organization. Fellow league members Dasan Brown, Jaden Brown, Blake Buckle, Daniel Carinci, Owen Diodati, Keegan Pulford-Thorpe and TJ Schofield-Sam will join the quartet in the Dominican, and all 11 players are following up a spring trip with the Canadian squad to Florida in April.

On the upcoming trip, Team Canada will play 13 games in nine days against clubs in the Dominican Summer League clubs from organizations that include the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Toronto Blue Jays, Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Baseball Canada’s director of national teams and manager of the junior squad Greg Hamilton leads a coaching staff that includes former national team member Chris Begg, and Robert Fatal, attending as a guest coach.

The Junior National Team program has travelled to the Caribbean baseball hotbed every year since 2011, with the trip providing young Canadian players with a truly unique baseball opportunity.

“The Dominican Summer League camp is a very important component to our Junior National Team program that will provide an invaluable experience to our players,” Hamilton said. “Players will be challenged with an intense schedule, while also dealing with elements in the Dominican Republic that they don’t face at home. The strides taken at this camp will better prepare our team for success going forward.”

In addition to providing an excellent development opportunity for players, the Dominican Summer League camp will aid in the selection process of Canada’s roster for the COPABE U18 Pan Am championships that will take place from November 23 to December 2 in Panama City, Panama. The event also serves as a qualifier for the 2019 WBSC U18 Baseball World Cup.

Naylor comes home for Tournament 12

Noah Naylor is coming home.

Following a whirlwind summer of showcase baseball, travelling from coast to coast south of the border, matching up against some of the top competition for next year’s draft, and taking the spotlight on a number of major league stages, the 17-year-old catcher is finishing his season in front of friends and family right in his own backyard.

Highlighting the list of young players in attendance, the Mississauga native will take centre stage at the fifth-annual Tournament 12, an event Naylor will be participating in for the third time. The showcase will follow his first appearance at a U18 Baseball World Cup, where Team Canada plays host in Thunder Bay, Ont., to squads from around the world.

“I look forward to T12 every year,” Naylor said. “Playing at a big-league ballpark, Rogers Centre, I love the park. I’ve been around it for a while, but playing in that event, around some great talent, and being around some great coaches, it’s definitely something to look forward to each year, getting different opinions and advice, and meeting new people. I’m going to try to make the most of this one.”

The Blue Jays-hosted event will bring the backstop’s summer season to an end, after appearances at other big league stadiums like Wrigley Field for the Under Armour All-America Game, Petco Park for the Perfect Game All-American Classic, and Marlins Park for Major League Baseball’s High School Home Run Derby during the All-Star Game festivities, among an array of other events, games with the Ontario Blue Jays, and trips with the Canadian Junior National Team.

“This summer has been crazy,” Naylor said. “You’re on a plane every other day. I mean, I look forward to every event, and all of them were very fun and I was thankful to be a part of them. It was a great summer, and especially being able to just spend it with my dad [Chris], travelling with him, it’s something I’ll always remember.”

Away from the rest of his family for much of the summer, Naylor was grateful for the time with his father, as well as a visit from his older brother Josh – also a former Tournament 12 participant, and the Marlins’ 12th-overall pick in the 2015 draft – who ventured to Petco Park to see his little brother while he was close by playing in the California League. His mom Jenice, as well as his aunt, grandmother and cousin were all able to make it to Marlins Park for the derby, also there to see  Josh represent Canada and the Padres in the Futures Game at the same time.

“The only thing that they were able to go to was the home run derby in Miami,” Naylor said of his whole family, though his little brother Myles missed out on Marlins Park, playing in Cooperstown at the time. “That was about it. But that was great, having not just my whole family there, but my Canadian family as well, like [2015 first-rounder Mike] Soroka and [2016’s eighth-overall pick Cal] Quantrill [both Futures Game participants] behind me while I was hitting, hearing them yell and cheering me on. It was a great feeling.”

Among the events the left-handed hitting catcher experienced this year, Naylor most enjoyed taking centre stage at the home of the Marlins, where he led the first round of derby competition with 15 home runs, got to watch his brother and fellow Canadians compete in the Futures Game, and spent some time talking to big leaguers and all-stars Aaron Judge, Miguel Sano, Salvador Perez and Max Scherzer during MLB’s Home Run Derby.

“The home run derby was definitely a highlight of the summer, overall, that was just an amazing experience,” Naylor said. “And to be able to watch Josh play as well, in the Futures Game, that was fun. Also, I can’t really pick one over the other, but playing in both the Under Armour All-America Game, and at the Perfect Game [event in San Diego], I was very honoured to have been selected for that. Being part of that is something that I’ll take with me forever…

“I had never been to Wrigley or Petco before, and that was amazing. They gave us first-class treatment, and being part of that is indescribable. And going back to Marlins Park [after having been there when Josh originally signed with Miami], definitely reliving another moment, but this time it was for me. I loved everything about it. That was amazing. Being around the big league guys, it was unreal.”

Looking forward to finishing the summer on home soil in Thunder Bay and at Rogers Centre, Team Canada is equally excited to have the 5-foot-11, 190-pound hitter on the squad. And while comparisons have been and will continue to be drawn to his older brother, Greg Hamilton, Baseball Canada’s director of national team, appreciates both the similarity and differences the younger Naylor brings to the table.

“Noah brings a lot to the team,” Hamilton said. “He slows the game down, he plays under control, he plays with confidence, he’s a good, complete hitter, he gives you a good at-bat. I look at him as a good hitter with some power, as opposed to his brother, whose power kind of defined him but he was also so good hitter. I see the inverse with Noah, being a good hitter with some power. Your eyes don’t pop out with the power, where with Josh it was the power.

“They’re different personalities too. One’s going to run overtop of you and step on you to beat you, and the other competes very well. With Josh it was a vicious competitive streak, and a good kid outside of it but he was going to be a real tough, hard-nosed kid on the field. Noah plays pretty level, and plays with ease, and he has a more laid-back type personality, but he has a really good chance to be a really good hitter.”

While the younger Naylor enjoys having a sibling he can glean advice from, and who knows exactly the kinds of situations he is facing, he wants to forge a path of his own as he moves forward, though the Texas A&M commit isn’t quite sure what direction that might take him.

“I’m still in the midst of creating my own identity,” Naylor said. “Having Josh going through this whole thing before me has been helpful. He’s told me about all of his experiences, and I’m just trying to make it all my own and build my career around me, and give thanks to everybody who’s helped along the way.”

Growing up as a player with the Ontario Blue Jays, and entering his third year with Team Canada, Naylor is grateful to each program for its contributions to his evolution as a player, both on and off the field.

“I owe a lot to both teams, the Ontario Blue Jays and Team Canada,” he said. “The coaching staffs, they’ve definitely played a big part in my game and helping me become the player I am today. I’m very thankful for everybody who’s been a part of my journey, and I’ll always be thankful for that.”

Sean Travers, director of player development for the OBJ program, has seen firsthand the growth and progress in Naylor over the past decade, and couldn’t be more proud of the player and young man he’s become.

“Noah always shows people, if they say he can’t do something, he goes and does it,” Travers said. “He’s one of the most humble kids I’ve ever been around with this kind of fanfare, but his confidence is on another level. He’s thankful for every opportunity he gets, he takes advantage, and he doesn’t take things for granted. He really appreciates everything that happens for him…He’s just a special kid with special ability, who doesn’t take anything for granted, and he’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever been around.”

Heading into next year as Canada’s top draft prospect, Naylor has been on the radar north of the border for some time, and has shown exactly what got him there and why that’s where he should stay.

“From the beginning, he received and caught the baseball well, relatively speaking for his age and this level,” Hamilton said. “He caught the ball with ease and soft hands and balance, and young catchers tend not to catch the ball. That’s the No. 1 prerequisite as a catcher, and right from the start he was able to catch the ball with balance and ease and comfort.

“It’s one thing to me that more than anything, shows that he could stay back there. And he’s got arm strength, he’s just working on the release and getting consistency as the arm strength is there. He works on release and consistency of throws, and doesn’t try to do too much, and the arm is going to play. It’s a position where you’d like to see him stay.”

Beyond his final Tournament 12, his last several months with the OBJ program, and as a member of Canada’s junior team, Naylor will look to continue impressing all those around him, and have a blast doing it.

“I’m just going to live day by day on the field and see what happens,” he said. “Every time I’m on the field I look forward to showing everybody what I have, and I’m just having so much fun playing the game.”

Cerantola one of country’s top young arms at Tournament 12

The Eric Cerantola on display at Rogers Centre during the fifth-annual Tournament 12 this year is an incredibly different one than the right-hander who put himself on the map at last September’s event.

From not knowing what the Blue-Jays hosted showcase was or what the prestigious tournament entailed, to taking the spotlight in the event just a year later, Cerantola knows that he has come a long way in a short time.

“Tournament 12 was a great experience and I really loved playing at Rogers Centre,” he said. “Honestly, I wasn’t quite familiar with what it was at the beginning of the year, but it was a really good experience, and good exposure at the same time. From last T12 to this one, I’ve matured a lot physically. My stuff has gotten better, I have cleaner mechanics, and it’s a lot better than it was last year.”

After joining the Great Lake Canadians program before last season began, the Oakville native’s appearance at Tournament 12 gave him a shot at the Canadian Junior National Team, with which he has become a mainstay. Between Team Canada and Great Lake, he has emerged as one of Canada’s top young arms, with more on the horizon.

“He’s grown a lot,” said Greg Hamilton, Baseball Canada’s director of national teams. “He’s got some gifts, obviously. You can’t take credit for teaching some of the things he brings to the table…He’s got size, he’s got an easy arm, he’s got great plane, and he spins the breaking ball.

“It’s just a matter of growing into that understanding and realization of the talent he has, and not getting too caught up in being in a hurry for all that to come together, and making changes rapidly…He’s got the makings of everything you’re looking for in a real, legitimate arm.”

Cerantola’s arrival on the Canadian baseball scene was fast and furious, making strong impressions everywhere he’s been. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound hurler is grateful for the coaching and experiences he’s had with the GLC program, after his previous team folded and left him without a diamond to call home.

“Joining the Great Lake Canadians was a really good decision for me,” Cerantola said. “Before, I was with the Ontario Diamondbacks, and they don’t exist anymore, so I was looking for a place to play. The GLC saw me at a tournament in Oakville…when I started looking for a team, I gave them a call, and they were interested, so I went there to join them.

“I’ve evolved a lot as a pitcher since I joined their program. My mechanics, velocity-wise, everything has gone up and the mechanics are much cleaner, and overall everything has improved quite a bit.”

Beyond crediting his parents Lucy and Franco Cerantola for allowing him every opportunity he’s been afforded, the young pitcher is thankful for the experience and wisdom that has been passed onto him from GLC pitching coordinator Adam Arnold, who’s enjoyed watching the teenager’s progress.

“We continue to work on keeping athleticism in the delivery, and having a plan and a purpose, starting right when he picks up the baseball,” Arnold said. “We had Eric start throwing from a hands-over-head delivery to create some rhythm and fluidity throwing the baseball. That gave him a chance to start separating over the rubber, be on time, and ultimately sync his body.

“He started to show some consistency with it, working more freely with a better tempo and the athleticism, natural strength, and ability followed along…As he has matured as a baseball player, his daily process, mentality, and plan when he picks up a ball have given him a chance to iron out some of the smaller day-to-day adjustments it will take to be successful in this game.”

As he continues to get better and grow, Cerantola believes that he has truly begun to learn how to pitch.

“My biggest asset is my pitchability,” the righty said. “With my stuff, my breaking balls and my off-speed stuff to go with my fastball, that’s what my best offering is. And I try to go out there and compete every single outing.”

Facing pros, and heading into the U18 Baseball World Cup in Thunder Bay with Team Canada just before Tournament 12, Cerantola has been helped over the last year by facing a higher calibre of competition than ever before, elevating his game.

“The junior team has been a great opportunity to get to face professional batters, and to get to learn really how to pitch against those kind of batters,” the Mississippi State commit said. “It’s completely different than being at home, playing against other high school players. You really have to bring out that third pitch and learn how to locate. If you don’t locate, the mistakes are bigger. But it’s been fun.”

When his team’s run in Thunder Bay comes to an end, Cerantola will return to the event that has been the highlight of his young career, looking to put everything he’s gained over the last year on display on his hometown stage.

“T12 last year was a really fun experience and the best thing I’ve done over the last couple of years so far,” Cerantola said. “I don’t think I’ve had anything quite like that, and our team made it that way. The team was a really fun group, and then add the fact that you’re playing in a major league stadium, there’s no better feeling than that.”

From zero to 96, my life as it led to the draft and this World Cup

By Landon Leach

Here I am.

At the end of the world championships, playing right at home in Thunder Bay, with my friends and teammates on the Canadian Junior National Team, and my time as a junior player about to come to an end.

This last trip means everything to me, especially with this group of guys. We’ve been together for quite a while now, and I’ve seriously made friendships for life with the rest of the guys on this team. They’re my family now. I’m never going to forget them, the fun we’ve had, the games we’ve played here, and it just feels so great to be Canadian right now, honestly.

The World Cup got started with the opening ceremonies at Port Arthur Stadium, and that was fun. We were playing right afterward and there was a big crowd there, and obviously everyone was cheering for us because we’re the home team.

Our start to the tournament wasn’t quite as fun. After we lost in extras to Chinese Taipei on that opening night, I got the ball for our team against Korea, the top team in our pool. I was ready, but it didn’t exactly go as planned. Those guys are a whole lot different than anybody I’ve ever faced, with the style of hitting they use and the pitches they were looking for. I didn’t pitch to my potential, but I know the next time I’m going to come back and do a lot better.

There were definitely some moments where I had a good time out there, with the crowd behind us cheering and everyone there supporting us. It’s just such a great feeling, pitching in front of more fans than we’ve ever had at our games. All we want to do is give them something to cheer about.

Going down 0-2 in the tournament put us in a tough spot, and meant that we had to win every single game in the first round to move on. I got anxious there a few times, like with Italy leading our third game all the way to the ninth inning, but like Greg Hamilton, our manager, always says, we’re a resilient team. We always come back strong, and that’s what we’ve been doing.

Three wins in a row put us in the super round, and right where we belong, and wins against Japan and Cuba have us competing for bronze today. There’s really no feeling like wearing Canada across your chest and competing for your country. It’s hard to describe, but it’s an unbelievable experience. And it all starts with Greg, who has been the best leader we could ask for to guide us.

Opening the super round with a loss to USA definitely wasn’t what we wanted to do, but our team has been in every game and we know we could do more going forward. It’s been really hard for me when I have to sit on the bench and watch the games, because I have a pitch count and I need so many days’ rest, and I understand that, but sometimes I wish I could just go out there and do my job and help the team get the win.

But our team has been doing a great job. The guys out of the bullpen have been great so far and I have tons of confidence in them. But of course I wish I had the ball in my hand to do the job. I can’t wait to come I out of that bullpen against Japan and do absolutely everything I can for this squad and for this medal.

I’m really glad the Twins let me come here, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it. But this is the team, this Canadian Junior National Team, that helped me get to play with them. I’ve had two years with Team Canada, and it gave me the exposure and experience I needed to lead me to the draft. And before this World Cup, the draft was one of the best experiences I ever had.

Leading up to the start of the draft, it was a day like any other day.

I went to school, and then I actually had a dentist appointment after school. The only difference was that I went back home and called my agent, Mark Pieper. We’d had a few conversations leading up to the draft, and I knew there were a few teams that were really interested in me, and most of them were thinking the third round, because that’s where I was projected to go.

I wasn’t really thinking anything might happen the first day, with just the first and second rounds going on. I was excited about the third round though. Just getting drafted in general, knowing that it was going to happen to me, was truly an honour. There are so many great players who get drafted each year, and having that experience was going to be amazing. I knew it would be unbelievable.

I turned on the draft just before it started and watched maybe the first 10 picks before I had to stop and do my homework. Each pick was taking an eternity to be announced, and I still had to go to school the next day, so I figured I could watch more when I was done. But when I came downstairs to do that, my mom actually told me I should go to bed because I needed to get up early.

I usually have a late-night snack before I go to bed, so I started eating and getting ready to shut it down for the day. My mom was in the kitchen and my dad was already in bed, and maybe 10 minutes before I was about to go to bed, I got a call from Mark with the Twins offer, asking me if we were going to do this deal.

It was literally 30 seconds before the second round was starting, and the Twins had the first pick. It all happened really fast, and I had to make a quick decision. I needed to answer Mark right away and I knew what I wanted to do, because it was too good to pass up. Of course, I said yes.

Part of me didn’t believe what was happening. I knew there was a possibility, because teams were interested, but they didn’t know what kind of money they had or what I would take, because I didn’t give out a hard number before the draft. There was a certain point where I would fulfill my commitment to Texas instead of playing pro ball, but I really wanted to play and I wanted to start my career right away. But we wanted to see where the value landed. So we weren’t really expecting it, but we were hopeful.

My dad wasn’t quite fully asleep when Mark called, but my mom had to run up the stairs to get him so that we could all watch the Twins announce their second-round pick together. Hearing my name, 37th overall, it was an honest shock.

I didn’t expect to go that high, and there hadn’t been much interest from the Twins that I had heard about. They weren’t one of the teams on my radar before the draft. I was really surprised they picked me, even though Walt Burrows had started covering Canada for them, but I was also really glad it was them, because of him. And when they called, offering me a place in the second round, $1.4 million, and a chance to be a part of their organization, I couldn’t say no.

Walt was the first scout who had ever shown any interest in me. When I first met him, he was working for MLB’s scouting bureau, running the camps across Canada. It was my 16U year and I had just started to pitch after spending all my time catching, convinced by my coaches Hyung Cho and John Marriotti to try out the mound, and it wasn’t long after that Walt invited me to a showcase. He was the only scout who talked to me at that first one.

So when Walt called me 10 minutes after the Twins picked me, it was a real emotional call for both of us. I’m not sure I was processing any of the information coming in at the time, but I couldn’t have been happier to talk to him and he seemed the same. It had been a good ride, and it was about to keep going.

The draft hadn’t even really entered my mind until this spring. There were some people telling me I was going to get drafted, and I never, ever thought it would be this high, but it wasn’t until spring that my draft stock rose and I started to make my way onto the scouts’ radar. It was also the first time that I really started to feel like I was fitting in, that I could compete with the other guys I played with for Team Canada, and that I belonged with some of the competition we were facing.

My first spring trip this year wasn’t so great. I didn’t really pitch to my potential after putting in so much work over the winter and trying to step up my game so that this year could be the biggest year for me yet. But on my second trip with the junior team, I was hitting 96 on the radar guns, and we had a game against the Blue Jays that was big for me. I came back from an iffy second inning against them and dominated, and really showing my composure on the mound, and I think coming back from a struggling inning helped my stock go up.

From there, everything happened really fast. My life changed in a matter of a few months, and it’s been hard to process it all.

About a week-and-a-half after the draft and all of the craziness that went along with it, the Twins brought me to Minnesota to sign my contract and show me around a little bit. Both of my parents came with me, and we got there on a Thursday night. It was my first time there, and I really loved Target Field. It’s a nice park, and the outside looks great with all the stone, and the clubhouse and training facilities and everything were amazing. It’s a cool atmosphere, being outside. I could easily picture myself coming out onto that mound, and I hope it happens one day soon.

My parents were pretty speechless at everything. We all were. They were really excited for me, and they love seeing their only son happy, so it was great to be able to have that experience with them, as a family.

The next day in Minnesota was a huge medical day for me. I had to go through all their medical tests and a bunch of stuff, and I finally signed my contract that night at Target Field, after getting all the clearance they needed. It was a little bit just like you think signing papers would be, but it was exciting at the same time. I was a little nervous, but mostly excited. It took me a little bit to sign my name at the bottom, and there were a lot of papers to sign, but it was awesome and I’m happy I was able to have the opportunity to do that.

And they made me a millionaire. I know I have to mention it because everyone talks about it, but my life isn’t going to change because of that. I’m still going to be the same person and I don’t even know what I want to do with it. Right now, I don’t have any plans for it, I’m just going to put it away.

It’s been an amazing summer, and I’m so grateful for my first experience of pro ball with the Twins and I’ll be excited to go back and play with them again, but for now, it’s all about Team C. This is my team, now and forever, and I just want to go to war with these guys and put a stamp on the end of my junior career.

We’re ready.

By Landon Leach

Photo credit: WBSC/Christian Stewart

Dondrae Bremner soaks in final junior trip before Cincinnati

Down to his last day with the Canadian Junior National Team, Dondrae Bremner is hoping to move onto his next step and head to the University of Cincinnati with a bronze medal in his back pocket.

Before joining the Bearcats, the 18-year-old infielder and the rest of his Team Canada teammates will take on Japan at the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s U18 World Cup, Bremner’s final matchup with the group. The bittersweet moment will signify the end of an era in which he’s made the most of every moment, and is extremely grateful for.

“It’s been a really good time,” the 31st-round draft pick of the Cincinnati Reds said. “I love all the guys. I’m really going to miss it, especially playing for my country. I feel like this opportunity has prepared me for both university, and if I do get drafted in my junior or senior year. I feel like it’s done a really good job of that…

“It’s weird thinking that I’m pretty much not going to play with any of these guys ever again. It’s been a blast. I’ve loved it. But it’s been a little sad these last couple of days, realizing that it’s almost over and I might not see them.”

Bremner’s final trip began with two immediate World Cup losses to Chinese Taipei and Korea at Port Arthur Stadium in Thunder Bay, leaving Team Canada in a hole it had to win its way out of. An epic ninth-inning comeback against Italy got the team started, and after rolling through Australia and Nicaragua, it was onto the super round, where it beat Japan and Cuba to secure a rematch against the Japanese squad for bronze on Sunday.

“We had a really good start, but we just couldn’t pull out the wins,” Bremner said. “But the intensity has gotten way better, and as a team we’re getting the job done. These last games have been really exciting…International baseball is exactly what Greg [Hamilton, Baseball Canada’s director of national teams] said it was going to be – high intensity, and we’ve pretty much got to be all in if we’re going to win.”

Hoping the crowd is on his team’s side on Sunday, the Toronto native believes the fans in Thunder Bay played a prominent role for the host nation early in the tournament, and in its most intense matchup, and will take all the help it can get as it fights for a medal.

“The crowd is amazing and that’s helped us,” Bremner said. “Some games, they haven’t been as intense as they were in the Italy game, but the crowd really helped us out in that game because they got us going…

“Against Italy, we played a good game. I felt like at the beginning we were putting too much pressure on ourselves and we weren’t doing what we needed to do. But towards the end, it got really intense, because we started playing the way we usually do, and we came back and pulled out a big win. This whole tournament has been a blast. I love it, especially playing for your country in front of your fans.”

Helping prepare Bremner for both his adventures with the Junior National Team as well as moving onto the American Athletic Conference has been the Toronto Mets program, where he has impressed with his development both on and off the field.

“Playing for the Mets really developed me, especially playing in the [Canadian Premier Baseball League],” the shortstop said. “We don’t usually see any arms that aren’t good; there are good arms coming at us every single game.

“Pretty much the talent here with the junior team, and in our league with the Mets, has been really good, and the coaches in the league have done a really good job of prepping me for what’s next.”

One of Bremner’s coaches over the years has been Chris Kemlo, who has seen firsthand the amount of progress the young player has made, and is excited for his next step, knowing that his ceiling is yet to be determined.

“At Cincinnati, he’s going to be someone who comes right in as a very athletic player with a lot of tools,” Kemlo said. “He’s nowhere near where he’s going to be when he leaves Cincinnati. There’s a lot of upside, and the biggest thing is the athleticism he brings. He’s got all the tools, but he has yet to reach his potential. There’s a lot more there.

“He’s come from being a skinny kid with little strength and lacking confidence…to somebody who wants the moment. He wants that at-bat with the game on the line, wants that ground ball with the game on the line, wants to be the guy. That’s the biggest thing. Obviously his body’s changed but his baseball IQ – forget all the tools – the way he approaches the game and the kind of person he is, those are the biggest changes.”

Beyond looking to get into game action with the bronze medal on the line on Sunday, Bremner is also excited to get the next step going once the World Cup comes to an end.

“I’m excited to go to school and get ready for the college life,” Bremner said. “Especially being down here, we go on two-week trips or three-week trips, it really preps you for being on your own and not with your parents. I feel like it’s done a really good job of that, so I won’t be scared or anything of university. I’m pretty much used to not being with my parents.”

Bremner is one of eight current or former Canadian Premier Baseball League players at the World Cup in Thunder Bay. He is joined by Mets teammates Landon Leach and Denzel Clarke, Ontario Blue Jays Noah Naylor and Harley Gollert, and Great Lake Canadians Eric Cerantola, Lucas Parente and Griffin Hassall.

Photo credit: WBSC/Christian Stewart

Denzel Clarke using his toolbox to find success at World Cup

THUNDER BAY, Ontario – Denzel Clarke has been nothing short of impressive at the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s U18 World Cup in Thunder Bay.

In just a short time, since joining the Toronto Mets program and heading to Everest Academy – where he has the on-field tutelage of Team Canada coach Chris Begg – and being added to the Canadian Junior National Team, the 17-year-old outfielder has made huge strides, with plenty of room left to grow.

“When I first saw Denzel, it was about a year-and-a-half ago when he came to Everest,” Begg said. “He was just raw. You saw the athleticism there, but he hadn’t put any of it together yet. Over the course of a year-and-a-half, to see him in everyday things like Phys. Ed class, or playing pickup basketball,  his athleticism was starting to show.

“Even on the baseball field, when we practiced he was very raw on the outfield, he wasn’t taking great routes to the ball, and his arm has come a long way since we started.”

Together for the World Cup, Begg has had a chance to see his young pupil in action firsthand at Port Arthur Stadium, and has been impressed by what Clarke has done. In eight games, with the bronze-medal matchup left to play, the 6-foot-3, 187-pound right fielder has shown defensive instincts and athleticism, as well as going 7-for-22 with two doubles, six runs scored and five driven in.

“It’s funny,” the national team coach said. “He’s much better in games than he is in practice. He’s still raw, but he’s able to put those pieces together and it comes through in games.”

Added Clarke: “I feel like I have a little bit left to grow. I feel like the main thing I have to do is put on strength, and that will help with my baseball, because I’m working on polishing everything. What I have now, I’m able to work with it, but I want to work as hard as I can and see what I can become.”

Team Canada began its run to the bronze-medal game with two early losses against Chinese Taipei and Korea to land in a hole that meant it needed to win each subsequent game to move onto the super round. Facing Italy with elimination on the line, Clarke and his Canadian teammates didn’t hold a lead until the ninth inning, completing an epic comeback in the most exciting matchup of the event.

“That game was crazy,” the uncommitted outfielder said. “It was a do-or-die game, and it was a tight one. So for us to never get our heads down, keeping our heads up and then just to keep battling and find a way to win was amazing. I never had any doubts and I don’t think the team did. We just need to be really confident in ourselves. We know we can hit, and it’s just about getting going.”

After taking down the Italians, the Canadian squad notched wins against Australia and Nicaragua to secure its spot in the super round. There, Canada defeated Cuba and Japan to land a spot in Sunday’s bronze-medal contest, where it will meet Japan once more.

“Everything has been awesome so far,” Clarke said. “Everything has been exactly how Greg [Hamilton, Baseball Canada’s director of national teams] said it would be, and the past alumni who have been on Team Canada said it would be. The crowd has been loud, and when you come here you don’t even need to be energized – the crowd will do it for you. It’s just been a great experience so far…

“Our mindset has always been to win, of course, but we need to always play hard and play our hearts out, and hope for the best.”

After growing up doing gymnastics, figure skating, tennis, track and more alongside baseball, the young native of Pickering, Ontario chose to stay primarily on the diamond at 10 years old – though he still trains with his mother Donna, a former Olympic heptathlete and current track coach. After starting with Pickering-Ajax clubs, he joined the Oshawa Legionaires, Ajax Spartans, and Ontario Blue Jays development program before the Mets.

“When I was younger, I did everything,” Clarke said. “I did a lot of stuff when I was growing up, until I hit the age of 10. It was just about trying different things until I found something I really hooked onto, and luckily baseball was it. It seems to be working so far, so hopefully I can stay with it…

“I still try to do any sports I can, whether it’s at school or when I go to a friend’s house, hanging out with them and playing sports. I love sports and I’ll play anything.”

Helped during some of his prime development years by the Mets and the Canadian Junior National Team, Clarke is excited to continue pushing his limits and make progress as he learns how to use his tools on the field.

“The Mets have been a really good program for me,” he said. “They took me in when I was 16 years old, and the way they help develop players has been really helpful, and playing in one of the better leagues in Canada and in Ontario has helped me a lot…

“The Junior National Team has been amazing. Facing the high level of competition on the March and April trips [against professionals at spring training], and going down to the Dominican in May was an eye-opening experience. All of it together has been really helpful for me.”

Clarke isn’t the only one looking forward to seeing what more he can do.

“His ceiling is as high as he wants it to be,” Begg said. “Look at the frame, look at the athleticism, look at the growth, look at the bloodlines – he’s got potential to be an all-star.”

Clarke is one of eight current or former Canadian Premier Baseball League players at the World Cup in Thunder Bay fighting for bronze. He is joined by Mets teammates Landon Leach and Dondrae Bremner, Great Lake Canadians Griffin Hassall, Lucas Parente and Eric Cerantola, and Ontario Blue Jays Harley Gollert and Noah Naylor.

Photo credit: WBSC/Christian Stewart

Lucas Parente enjoying final experience with Junior National Team

THUNDER BAY, Ontario – Lucas Parente is having the time of his life at the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s U18 World Cup on home soil in Thunder Bay.

When the 18-year-old outfielder was first added to the Canadian Junior National Team almost a year ago, his sights were set on just making the next trip with the squad, with no eye on the world championships more than 10 months later. Now, he can’t imagine dreaming of anything else.

“Everything has been amazing,” Parente said. “This is probably the best group of guys I could ask for. I love them all. And the crowd – it’s just something that I might never experience again, so I definitely want to soak it all in and enjoy it. This is my last trip as a junior. It’s different, because when I made the team last October I wasn’t really thinking about this trip – I just wanted to stay on the team after each trip. So once the Dominican trip happened [in May], I really focused on making this team.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Like Greg [Hamilton, Baseball Canada’s director of national teams] always says, this is going to be one of the most special athletic things you do in your career and your life. Once, he told us how [Toronto Blue Jays outfielder] Dalton Pompey would say this is one of the coolest things he’s done, and that made me want to make it even more and I’m just glad that I did. I’m really glad I’m here.”

Parente and his Canadian teammates began their journey to the medal round at the world championships with an extra-inning heartbreaker against Chinese Taipei, before losing their second game against Korea and landing in a hole that forced them to win three straight matchups at Port Arthur Stadium in order to advance to the super round of the event.

Staving off relegation to the consolation round, in a must-win contest against Italy, Team Canada didn’t hold a lead until the ninth inning, completing an epic comeback before adding dominant wins against Australia and Nicaragua to move on.

“We didn’t expect to be in that 0-2 hole early, but Korea and Chinese Taipei are good teams, so I knew those were going to be tough games,” Parente, a native of Burlington, Ontario said. “Our intensity definitely changed after those first two games, because we knew if we lose another one, we’re out. So it was do-or-die every other game…The game against Italy was probably the most intense game I’ve ever played, and it was probably the most fun, when we won.

“The crowd here is nothing that I’ve ever experienced before. I’ve never played in front of a crowd like this before, and just having them on your side is something that definitely helps us and gets our intensity up a lot.”

When the tournament is all said and done – after Parente and the rest of the national team compete for bronze on Sunday, after beating Japan on Friday to move into the medal round – the 5-foot-9, 170-pound outfielder will move to London, Ontario, to work further with the Great Lake Canadians program that he believes got him right to where he is currently.

“I don’t think I would be playing for Team Canada if I didn’t go to GLC,” he said. “Working with Adam Stern, Chris Robinson, Adam Arnold, and all the coaches there, it’s a different level of coaching. If I didn’t go there, I wouldn’t be here, and this has been a pretty cool experience.”

Taking some additional time after high school to find a desirable opportunity for his post-secondary education, Parente wants to explore his options and make a better-informed decision before heading off to school next summer.

“I want to get better and hopefully find a school I like, a program that I want, and a nice place to live for four years,” he said. “I’m looking for a good program and good coaches, and somewhere I can develop. I also want to go somewhere that I’ll actually get a chance to play right off the bat.”

Experiencing a lot of growth over his last couple of seasons with the Canadians, Parente is hoping to keep that progression going even further as he makes baseball his primary focus for a little while, and continues to work hard and get better.

“I’ve evolved a lot since I started with them,” the young player said. “Before I was there, I had a little bit of talent, but going to GLC made me aware of how to play my game and use that ability, because I’m a smaller player and I need to play a different game. I’m not supposed to hit home runs. They taught me really how to play my game to the best of my ability.

“My game is pretty much built around speed. I use bunting, try to hit line drives, and beat out ground balls, stuff like that. That’s what I try to do. I work on my speed a lot, and my hand-eye coordination.”

Parente is one of eight current or former Canadian Premier Baseball League players at the World Cup in Thunder Bay. He is joined by GLC teammates Griffin Hassall and Eric Cerantola, Toronto Mets Denzel Clarke, Dondrae Bremner and Landon Leach, and Ontario Blue Jays Harley Gollert and Noah Naylor.

Harley Gollert impressing out of the bullpen at U18 World Cup

THUNDER BAY, Ontario – There’s nothing like being on the world stage.

Though Ontario Blue Jays southpaw Harley Gollert has been in the midst of excitement on the field before, playing for the Canadian Junior National Team on home soil at the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s U18 World Cup in Thunder Bay is something he’s never experienced the likes of.

“The excitement and energy levels are definitely on a whole other status,” Gollert said. “It’s not even comparable to anything else. And then obviously there’s all the little mix and different parts of the game, like the extra-inning rule, we got to see that Game 1 and that was pretty cool. It just adds to the pressure and intensity. Even the crowd is another factor. We’ve never played in front of this many people, so it’s made it a unique experience.”

Team Canada began its quest for gold at the World Cup with an extra-inning heartbreaker against Chinese Taipei, before losing its second matchup to Korea and landing in a hole that meant it needed to win three straight contests at Port Arthur Stadium to advance to the super round.

In a do-or-die matchup against Italy, the Canadians didn’t hold a lead until the ninth inning, completing an epic comeback before adding two dominant wins against Australia and Nicaragua to advance.

“The Italy game was actually a bit of a wake-up call for us,” Gollert said. “That’s the best way to put it. Those first two games, as good as they were, it was almost like it wasn’t an embarrassment to lose those. They’re definitely good clubs, and Italy, skill-wise, we should have been able to handle them a lot better. That’s when we realized we can’t just go out there and throw our best on the field and expect to win.

“That’s not really going to work, especially down here when everybody’s playing for their country with all this pride and they really want to succeed and do well and represent their country well. That was the biggest thing, and then with the momentum swing of getting that wake-up call and rolling with it, I don’t think we’re intimidated by anybody at this point, even the [undefeated] Americans. We’ve all played competition at just as good or better levels, so we can all play with [teams] like that and be successful.”

With Team Canada, Gollert has been called upon in some tough situations out of the bullpen, taking on Chinese Taipei in extra innings, where runners begin on first and second base; squaring off against Italy and trying to keep it close; and facing a bases-loaded, none out jam against Nicaragua. Typically a starter, those situations are relatively new to the 18-year-old lefty from Toronto, but he knows that each outing makes him stronger.

“It’s been different for me,” Gollert said. “I’m more just coming in with the idea that I want to win and however they want to use me, I’m just going to do whatever I can in that situation. It’s definitely a bit of a challenge, even the whole warmup idea, where I can’t control the length of my warmup and stuff like that. It’s definitely different.

“But putting myself in those situations will only make me better in the long run, and more versatile in the future. I’m happy I’ve been able to go through that, even though there have been wins and losses, and I’ve been successful and haven’t been so successful, but it helps me overall.”

Happy to have the confidence of his coaching staff, Gollert has so far proven them right in every situation he’s faced.

“It shows they have trust in me,” the Austin Peay commit said. “I’ve always been pretty good under pressure. I’ve shown that throughout my career, so being able to use that trust and confidence they have in me and letting my own confidence show on the mound, whatever situation I’m in, it helps. I’m making sure I do what I can do.

“If they beat me, they beat me, but I’m not going to let myself and the energy get to me. That’s probably the biggest thing. But I enjoy the trust, and I don’t get nervous when I come into situations like that, it’s just not the type of person I am.”

Not shying away from looking at times when he finds less success on the mound, Gollert believes that every outing is a learning opportunity and that occasional mistakes allow for more growth.

“I’ve been maturing, even when it comes to my non-successes, being able to deal with them and realizing that you’re not always going to be good or always on your game,” he said. “But being able to bounce back the following times has been a really big thing for me, especially in a tournament like this. It’s so up and down, and you saw it after Day 1, we looked like we were definitely in the gutter. But we’ve definitely bounced back here.”

With more to come, he’s enjoyed the experience so far.

“It’s definitely been good,” Gollert said. “Greg [Hamilton, Baseball Canada’s director of national teams] always talked about the excitement and the energy we were going to get in a world tournament like this, and you can talk about it for as long as you want, but until you get there and actually experience it, you can’t really understand it.

“We’ve actually been one of the teams in the tournament that has experienced the most of that momentum swing. It’s definitely awesome. We’re all growing together, and when we go through stuff like that together, it’s only going to make us better as a group. We’re able to bounce back from adversity better, which is going to be a key going forward, especially as we face better competition.”

Gollert is one of eight Canadian Premier Baseball League players at the World Cup in Thunder Bay. He is joined by Ontario Blue Jays teammate Noah Naylor, Toronto Mets Landon Leach, Dondrae Bremner and Denzel Clarke, and Great Lake Canadians Griffin Hassall, Eric Cerantola and Lucas Parente.

 

Photo credit: WBSC/Christian Stewart

Noah Naylor gets his own taste of World Cup competition with Team Canada

THUNDER BAY, Ontario – Noah Naylor had heard about world championship experiences before.

Heading into the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s U18 World Cup on home soil in Thunder Bay, the 17-year-old catcher and third baseman had watched from afar when his brother Josh – the 12th overall pick in the 2015 draft – played for Team Canada on the world stage in Mexico and Japan.

“This is one of the biggest events overall,” Naylor said. “Playing against different countries, representing Canada across my chest, it’s definitely something to be thankful for…Events as big as this, seeing other players go through it, like [Canadian 2016 second-rounder Andrew] Yerzy, Josh, and a whole bunch of others, it’s just something that I’ve always dreamed of being in.”

Joining the Canadian Junior National Team almost two years ago, Naylor learned from his older teammates what the experience was like in those other countries. The native of Mississauga and his teammates had also gleaned insight into what it might be like from Greg Hamilton, Baseball Canada’s director of national teams.

“This is amazing,” Naylor said. “Having the home crowd behind you, and Greg has preached this a lot, having the sea of red in the crowd, it’s…an unreal moment for a few days, and I look forward to everything that comes along the way.”
But the experience has really been something that Canada’s current top prospect heading into next year’s draft has needed to feel firsthand to fully understand.

“It’s been amazing,” he said. “Being around my brothers, playing with them, and having a great time outside of the game as well. We’ve got a good chance ahead of us, we just need to stay with our game and just play our hearts out and not take anything for granted.”

Entering his third year with the junior squad and his final season with the Ontario Blue Jays after the World Cup, Naylor has spent much of his time drawing comparisons to his brother while trying to create a path for himself.

“I’m still in the midst of creating my own identity,” he said. “Having Josh going through this whole thing before me has been helpful. He’s told me about all of his experiences, and I’m just trying to make it all my own and build my career around me, and give thanks to everybody who’s helped along the way.”

When the younger Naylor was first invited to join Team Canada, he was originally given a jersey with the No. 35, the same digits his older brother had worn through his four years with the national squad. A little less familiar to all those around him than Josh was at the time, Noah asked if there was any possibility of a trade.

“I asked for a different number,” Naylor said in the spring. “I didn’t want to change anything, but it’s probably more about creating my own path rather than having the same number and doing everything the same as Josh.

“I’m obviously honoured and thankful to have him as a brother, and to carry the same legacy on and have the same number, and that would be cool, but I felt like a different number would be different for me, just to see me go through a different path. It’s something that I look forward to.”

Ironically, at this year’s World Baseball Classic – Josh’s first opportunity to play with the senior national team – he was given Noah’s new No. 32. But with a couple of seasons under both of their belts since the original switch, and a multitude of chances for Noah to separate himself, it was something for the brothers to laugh about.

“We definitely have differences,” the younger Naylor said. “Since Josh is a lefty, he’s definitely limited in terms of positions, but we’re two different players hitting-wise because he’s more of a power guy, and I feel like I’m more of a line drive, gap-to-gap guy with a little bit of pop. That’s the main difference between us, besides the fact that he’s bigger and he’s got a really good arm and stuff like that. Other than that, there’s not too much different about us.”

A left-handed hitting backstop and infielder with good bat speed, a strong arm, an impressive ability to hit, and some power, Noah has been nothing short of impressive on his own merit throughout his high school career.

“Noah brings a lot to the team,” Hamilton said. “He slows the game down, he plays under control, he plays with confidence, he’s a good, complete hitter, he gives you a good at-bat. I look at him as a good hitter with some power, as opposed to his brother, whose power kind of defined him but he was also so good hitter. I see the inverse with Noah, being a good hitter with some power. Your eyes don’t pop out with the power, where with Josh it was the power.

“They’re different personalities too. One’s going to run overtop of you and step on you to beat you, and the other competes very well. With Josh it was a vicious competitive streak, and a good kid outside of it but he was going to be a real tough, hard-nosed kid on the field. Noah plays pretty level, and plays with ease, and he has a more laid-back type personality, but he has a really good chance to be a really good hitter.”

While Josh’s competitive nature may have been more evident in his time with Team Canada, Noah believes that is definitely something they have in common.

“We compete in anything and everything, you name it,” the Texas A&M commit said. “Whether it’s a video game, or just pick-up basketball or anything. We’re definitely competitors. That’s something that we do share with each other, and I don’t think that will ever go away…

“He always beats me at video games. I don’t know why, there’s something with them, he’s always been good at those and I can never get one over him. Maybe the occasional game I’ll win, but it’s an effort, and never really by a blowout or anything like he would beat me. But for outdoor sports like basketball, pick-up hockey on the street, I would beat him at that. I like being outside more, but that’s kind of how it’s been throughout our lives.”

The middle child among three Naylor boys – 12-year-old Myles a standout talent in hockey and baseball – Noah has started to take charge a little bit more on the field lately than ever before, stepping up as one of the longest-tenured players currently wearing the red-and-white uniform.

“I do portray a little bit of a leadership role, but I definitely feel that as time goes on, I’m going to have to start to pick it up,” Naylor said. “Along with some of my other teammates, be a leader for everyone to look up to and follow, because why would I want to be someone who nobody would look up to or follow?

“Seeing these guys leave, they definitely helped me and I hope I’ve helped them get better. Being a leader, and showing the next group or some of my other teammates, helping them get through everything, that’s the key.”

Naylor is one of eight current or former Canadian Premier Baseball League players currently at the World Cup in Thunder Bay. He is joined by OBJ teammate Harley Gollert, as well as Great Lake Canadians Griffin Hassall, Eric Cerantola and Lucas Parente, and Toronto Mets Dondrae Bremner, Landon Leach and Denzel Clarke.