Belgian-born Alberta boy Weemaels taking the road less traveled

By: Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

Brian Lesher played 108 major league games, hitting .224 with nine home runs and 38 career runs batted in spanning from 1996-2002 with Oakland, Seattle and Toronto.

Lesher is the only player from Belgium to play in the major leagues. Right-handed pitcher Kyran Weemaels (Airdrie, Alta.) would love to change that.

Weemaels has been all over the map, born in Belgium he then moved to Kitchener, Ont. After that he was off to Cincinnati, OH then to Airdrie, Alta. and to Owensboro, KY. The young right-hander has seen and done a lot so far in his young career.

He doesn’t remember much about his brief childhood overseas as he was there just a year. He still remembers where he first fell in love with the game of baseball, however.

“We went to a Reds game when we were in Ohio,” Weemaels recalls. “I fell in love with the game.”

“I used to love Aroldis Chapman.”

Chapman, now toeing the rubber for the Chicago Cubs, has helped the Cubbies to their first World Series since 1945 and hopes to end a World Series championship drought that dates back to 1908 against the other Ohio team, the Cleveland Indians. 

With just one major leaguer to Belgium’s name, how exactly did Weemaels get to the point of falling in love with baseball at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati? According to his mother, Veronique Dewilde, it wasn't the plan.

“In Belgium they are crazy about soccer,” she said. “We wanted him to play soccer.”

As it worked out, it was while in North America playing another sport, basketball, that Kyran was spotted as a potential baseball standout.

“He would inbound the ball across the court and he had a good arm,” Dewilde said. “The basketball coach was actually also the baseball coach and he asked if he could play baseball.”

Not knowing much about baseball as a family but willing to give the sport a shot, he did his best. After a few games they were losing very badly, Kyran’s mother remembers. This is when he would learn to pitch.

“We were losing badly,” Dewilde said. “I didn't know anything about being a pitcher, the only pitcher I knew about was a pitcher of beer.”

That was when one of the mothers asked the coach to take him out and she would try and teach him how to pitch.

“One of the mothers put up a piece of cardboard and told him to hit it 10 times in a row,” Dewilde remembers. “He has always been very accurate.”

Weemaels entered the game shortly after and his team would end up coming back and winning the game. A pitcher was born.

Weemaels went on to accept a scholarship at Brescia University in Owensboro, KY to study chemical engineering. Part of the reason the youngster chose Brescia was it was close to where his family lived when they were in Ohio. Overall he was happy with his freshman year.

 “I ended up starting by the end of the year,” he said. “This year I hope to be a starter.”

Fast forward to this September. After spending five months in Belgium playing baseball after his college season he would get the okay from his coaches and school to miss the fall season to participate with Belgium in the European Championships. 

Belgium finished 6th at the championships with a 3-5 record.

Weemaels appeared in three games during the tournament with his best performance coming against Greece. Belgium waltzed to an 18-1 victory in that game. Weemaels threw an inning, giving up a hit and a walk while striking out two. He picked up the win for the Belgians.

He now patiently waits for the spring to come to rejoin his Bearcat teammates.

“College baseball is a different environment,” he said. “You are with your best friends all year.”

 “After finishing fourth last year we are definitely going for first.”

Kyran doesn't have to look far for inspiration.

“I look up to my mother,” he said. “She always wanted to be a volleyball player. She pushed herself really hard and ended up making the Belgium national team.”

Good bloodlines and a good attitude can go a long way.

Being a chemical engineering major, Weemaels will have to transfer from Brescia after this year in order to continue his goal of getting his degree as his current university does not extend as far as he needs academically. He is not shy when it comes to his future goals for baseball.

“I wants to transfer to a Division 1,” he said. “I want to get drafted.”

After attaining his Canadian citizenship almost two years ago, he also has another national event on his mind.

“It would be really cool to play for Canada. It would be awesome to go to the Olympics.”
    
Watch out Brian Lesher, Kyran Weemaels hopes you will one day have company.