MacDonald does it all in 10-5 Team Black win at Futures Showcase

Team Black utilityman Matthew MacDonald (Kamloops, B.C.) pitches in the seventh inning of a 10-5 win over Team Red at the Canadian Futures Showcase at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park in Ottawa. Photo: Mark Colley.

September 22, 2022

By Mark Colley

Carleton University

OTTAWA - Standing in a T-shirt in 12 degree weather and 25 km/h winds, Matthew MacDonald insists he isn’t cold.

“I still got the adrenaline going,” MacDonald, 17, says.

He is riding the high from a 10-5 win for Team Black over Team Red at the Canadian Futures Showcase at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park in Ottawa. MacDonald (Kamloops, B.C.) hit two doubles and drove in a run while playing right field.

Then, in the final inning, MacDonald — a catcher who also plays the middle infield — took the mound. He gave up a single and nothing more, striking out two of the batters he faced.

“I would say I’m a utility guy,” he said. “Wherever they want me, I’ll play.”

The appearance came as a surprise to MacDonald, who was told right before the game by manager Cole Armstrong (Surrey, B.C.)+ that he would pitch the seventh.

“I was pretty fired up for that,” MacDonald said.

MacDonald competes with the Langley Blaze and started playing baseball at an early age after seeing his brother play. Not only does he catch, pitch and play second base and right field, he also switch hits — a skill he learned three to four years ago.

Growing up as a lefty, MacDonald started to experience back issues when he was 13. He started taking cuts as a righty, breaking the swing out in wiffle ball games.

“Eventually, I was like, maybe I can do this in a game,” he explained.

MacDonald’s versatility helped Team Black on Thursday. After losing 8-4 to Team Red the day prior, it looked like Team Black could suffer a similar fate in the Thursday rematch, when Black went down 4-2 in the second inning. It was Red’s Dylan Chopp (Calgary, Alta.) who did the most damage, hitting a two-run triple to centre field.

Team Black pitcher Brett Getz (Medicine Hat, Alta.) started and allowed four runs in three innings during his team’s 10-5 win over Team Red at the Canadian Futures Showcase at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park in Ottawa. Photo: Mark Colley.

But Black’s pitching nearly shut down Team Red for the rest of the game, using Ty Hamilton (Ottawa, Ont.), Carson Tehan (Lasalle, Ont.) and MacDonald to pitch a combined four innings with only one hit and two walks allowed. The trio also combined to strike out five.

Team Red catcher Jason Green (Georgetown, Ont.) speaks with a coach and trainer after being hit in the head with a pitch during a 10-5 loss to Team Black at the Canadian Futures Showcase at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park in Ottawa. Photo: Mark Colley.

The commanding pitching performance gave the offence time to take the lead. In the fourth, Team Black tied the game thanks to two wild pitches, then it took the lead in the fifth with the second of MacDonald’s doubles.

MacDonald’s strong performance means he may play in the Prospects Game on Saturday, the final day of the showcase.

“It would mean everything,” MacDonald said. “Coming down here, that’s what I’m hoping for — to come play in a game like that … Hopefully my performance allows me to play in that game.”

Getting to the showcase in the first place is a highlight for MacDonald, who said it is “definitely the biggest thing I’ve ever been a part of,” comparing it to the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games last month.

“These guys are all … just insane, right?” he explained. “Every guy can hit, every guy can throw, so being able to play against these guys is definitely a privilege and it’s something I’ve worked hard for.”