September 23, 2023

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Now, the games have been completed.

All that’s left in the Canadian Futures Showcase is a Saturday morning home run derby and then a prospect game set to start at noon at the Rogers Centre.

INF Leo Cote

Team Red

Hometown: Sainte-Catherine-De-Hatley, Que.

Current Team: Okotoks Dawgs

Previous teams: Longueuil Gouverneurs, Longueuil Ducs.

Committed: Oregon State.

Who is the most influential people in your baseball life and why? “My dad (Jerome Cote) and my mom (Kizzy Cote). My dad is not a big baseball guy. He’s an architect. He played rugby and was a skier ... he went to the nationals at Kimberley, BC. He was a really good skier. No injuries until he tore his ACL when he was older. I play catch with him. He’s here to see the games.”

Who is the most influential people in your baseball life besides your parents and why? “Mark Griffin (who played three years in the Los Angeles Dodgers system and two more in the Montreal Expos chain), who coached me when I was 10. He taught me my swing and showed me all the basics. He was a left-handed hitter. I hit left handed. We talk about facing lefties. Like that Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam BC, pitching for Team Navy) I faced the other day. He’s one of the best I’ve ever faced. Mark always tells me, ‘Don’t make it complicated? What’s your pitch?’ It’s middle-in like most left-handed hitters. Mark will say, ‘Well, why swing at anything else until you get to two strikes? ... Take anything until you get to two strikes and then adjust. Now I’m at Okotoks along with Mark’s son Henri.”

Greatest day on the ball field? “In the 15U Alberta provincial championships, Okotoks played St. Albert. It was a great game. They had Michael Yusypchuk (Edmonton, Alta.) pitching. He must have struck out 15 or 16 in six innings. (Coach) Lou (Life Saver) Pote started me and I had 12 or 13 Ks in five innings and it was tied 1-1. It was the biggest stage for Alberta baseball. Back then, Michael was a two-way player and he hit a double off the fence against me. He tells people, ‘I took him deep to the fence.’ And Michael is a pitcher only now, but he has a great career ahead of him (committed to Missouri State). In the top of the 12th, Eric Hartman (St. Albert, Alta.) hit a home run to put them ahead. In the bottom half, we got a lead-off walk, I was hit by a pitch and Tyrel Gertner (Claresholm, Alta.) hit a walk-off homer. We won 4-2. I’ve played for coaches Tyler Hollick and Valentine Helldobler. But Lou ... he’s always the first to arrive. He’s always smiling. He’ll stay four hours extra if you want to stay. And Lou’s son (Owen Pote) pitched well here.”

Favourite player and why? “It was Josh Donaldson, I really liked him, but I guess it would be Hall of Famer Ken Griffey, Jr. He wears No. 24. Kobe Bryant wore the same number (not to mention Hall of Famers Willie Mays and Rickey Henderson, as well as Barry Bonds). That’s why I wear No. 24.

If not a pro player, what’s the next best job you’d want to have when you grow up? “I’m going to school to play ball. Baseball has always been Plan A. Plan B? Maybe start a business. I’ve been a leader my whole life. I’ve always been loud.”

The most important life lesson you’ve learned playing ball? “Keep your head. Even if you are 0-for-75, you still have to have confidence. Look at Kyle Schwarber. What’s he hitting .190 (.196) and he has a bunch of strikeouts (207), but he still has 45 homers. Haters are going to hate.”

Webber Wildcats INF Dylan Dekker (Kamloops, BC)

INF Dylan Dekker

Hometown: Kamloops, BC

Current team: Webber Wildcats

Previous teams: Kamloops River Dogs, Jasper Bears.

Uncommitted

Who is the most influential person in your baseball life and why? “My dad (Brian Dekker), he’s an engineer with CN railway. I still remember the day my dad called me into the garage and pulled my first glove, my first bat and a couple of baseballs out of a bag and gave it to me. He’d hit me ground balls and play catch with me. I’d get hit with a ball and I’d cry. I’d get angry, Through all that he supported me.”

The champion Jasper Bears with Dekker second from right in the front row.

Greatest day on the ball field? “The Jasper Bears went to Fort McMurray to play in the Alberta AA Tier six provincials. We had to play an extra game because I was playing too deep at second and a run scored. We lost 12-11 to Sylvan Lake. So, then we played St. Albert. Kelan Polard (with the Wake Tech Community College Eagles in North Carolina) this spring pitched a complete game. We won 17-6 against the Red Deer Braves. I remember taking the team picture and the celebration. My dad and Kelan’s father (John) were the coaches. It was a cool moment and it meant a lot to me. I was born in Hinton, now far from Jasper and then we moved to Kamloops. In Jasper, the same 12 guys played baseball, played hockey or any team sport.” (Decker also pitched a complete game 33-3 win against Red Deer and also pitched in the opener a 17-16 win over St. Albert.)

Favourite player and why? “Jose Bautista who showed today. I didn’t see him, but my friend Matt Macdonald (Kamloops, BC) had his picture taken with him and a couple of other guys. I didn’t see him but I remember sitting in the left field bleachers with my father -- I was probably six or seven -- watching Bautista take batting practice. We didn’t get a ball but he sure hit a bunch out during BP. I thought of that today ... to look out there and remember all the way back then.”

If not a pro player, what’s the next best job you’d want to have when you grow up? “I’d like to be either a physiotherapist or a baseball coach. I think I’d be a good coach or a trainer. I’ve worked with Marty Lehn’s Big League Experience camps in Oliver, BC.”

The most important life lesson you’ve learned playing ball? “You can learn from your mistakes. There is a lot of failure in this game, whether it is a strikeout or an error. Used to be I’d get so angry. But you learn from mistakes and make adjustments.”

RHP Owen Fernandes

Team Grey

Hometown: Maple Ridge, BC

Current team: Langley Blaze, Junior National Team.

Previous teams: Coquitlam Reds, Ridge Meadow Royals.

Uncommitted

Who are the most influential people in your baseball life and why? “My mom (Carlynn Fernandes) and my father (Pedro Fernandes). Mom is always there for me no matter if it is a good outing or a bad one. Like here in my outing I was really, really wild. A bunch of walks and I hit a couple of guys ... I couldn’t find the zone. My mom send me a text which completely changed my mindset. When I made the Junior National Team, she wrote me a letter and in the text she reminded me of some of the things she’d written: ‘No matter what, we’re proud of you.’ Mom worked in insurance and then worked for my dad’s company. My father cares a lot. He knows a lot. He’s really invested. He gets me everywhere and makes sure I’m in the right spot. He signed me up for the Bullpen travel team when I was young with coach Fred Sabatine. Everything he does is to make me a better pitcher. He used to work at a machine shop, Mahler Industries, then he bought it. Eventually they sold it and now both my parents are retired.”

Who is the most influential person in your baseball life besides your parents and why? “Coach Jason Bolt when I played at Ridge Meadows. I was playing up a year and I was humbled. He worked me hard and stuck with me. I made the biggest progression playing for him.”

Greatest day on the ball field? “Facing Saskatchewan at the Canada Cup in Regina. That was the most dominant game I’ve ever had and it was against good competition ... the best guys in the province. I had a good relationship with everyone on our team. I pitched a complete game (a 6-1 win, needing only 83 pitches -- 52 strikes, 62.7% -- as he allowed three singles and a double, walking two and striking out seven for coach Cav Whitely (New Westminster, BC)).”

Favourite player and why? “Marcus Stroman, Chicago Cubs. I like watching him throw. He has a swagger. I loved watching him pitch for the Blue Jays. I used to like Javier Baez when I was younger. Marcus ... he owns it, he’s going at it.”

If not a pro player, what’s the next best job you’d want to have when you grow up? “I really haven’t looked at what the job is called, but for three years I have been working with special needs kids. I try to help and a lot need assistance. I’ve helped out with Challenger baseball. I have some good friends with special needs. I love being there.”

The most important life lesson you’ve learned playing ball? “That a bad day is not always a bad day. There is always a learning point. You have to be work hard to get to the good times.”

C Connor Gaitens

Team Black

Hometown: Tillsonburg, Ont.

Current team: Great Lake Canadians

Previous team: Tillsonburg Otters.

Committed: Southeastern Community College

Who is the most influential person in your baseball life and why? “Chris Robinson our catching instructor. I’ve been with him for more than four years. He’s made me a better player. He taught me how to catch and play the game right. Chris has given me discipline -- on and off the field. He set short-term and long-term goals for me.”

Best day on the ball field: “We won the CPBL 17U championship beating the Ontario Nationals, I think it was 10-2. I hit a home run on a 2-2 pitch -- a fastball -- to left.”

Favourite player and why? “David Ortiz, former Boston Red Sox DH. I’ve always been a Red Sox fan. He always had a lot of flash. I’ve watched documentaries on him.”

If not a pro player, what’s the next best job you’d want to have when you grow up? “Anything to do with baseball. I’d like to try being a scout or a coach ... anything in baseball.”

The most important life lesson you’ve learned playing ball? “My brother Tanner Gaitens, who played for the London Badgers, always taught me to have a good work ethic. The biggest lesson is that hard work beats talent.”

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Numbers

8 Home run derby competitors _ Benito Bonilla (Halifax, NS), Esteban Dessureault (Trois-Rivieres, Que.), Nathan Flewelling (Innisfail, Alta.), Aiden George (Woodstock, Ont.), Lee Jones (Toronto, Ont.), Brendan Lawson (Toronto, Ont.), Gianluca Montanaro (Aurora, Ont.), Keegan Russell (Whitby, Ont.)

17_ College recruiters and coaches on hand _ University of British Columbia, Canisius College, East Tennessee State, Georgetown University, Georgia State University, Gonzaga University, Kent State University, Long Beach State, Michigan University, Niagara University, Pepperdine University, Sacramento State University, Northern Kentucky, Western Kentucky, Utah University and Mary.

32 _ Pro scouts representing 19 teams on hand: Toronto Blue Jays (seven, including scouting director Shane Farrell, plus regional scouts Jamie Lehman (Brampton, Ont.), Adam Arnold (St. Thomas, Ont.), head Canadian scout Patrick Griffin (Oakville, Ont.), Rene Tosoni (Coquitlam, BC), Demi Orimoloye (Orleans, Ont.), Jasmine Roy (Montreal, Que.), Cincinnati Reds (three), New York Mets (three), Chicago Cubs (two), Kansas City Royals (two), Texas Rangers (two), Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays.