Lodewyks swings for the fences

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This article was published 26/09/2023 (765 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nate Lodewyks is swinging for the fences, and he won’t settle for less.

The La Salle teen had the biggest at-bats of his young career last weekend at the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Academy’s Canadian Futures Showcase in Toronto.

Lodewyks, 15, was the lone Manitoban at the four-day showcase, which invited 150 of the best junior baseball players in the country to work out at Rogers Centre under the watchful eyes of major-league scouts and college recruiters.

Those who dazzled might have put their names on the short list of recruits, much like the 117 former showcase participants did who’ve since been drafted since 2013.

“I just kind of took it all in there,” said Lodewyks, a third baseman, shortstop and occasional pitcher. “It was a really great experience playing in the Rogers Centre, that’s always fun. And it was nice meeting new guys, meeting guys from all over Canada. It was pretty fun, just a great experience.”

Though the opportunity wasn’t lost on Lodewyks, who already has the attention of provincial coaches, he knows it’s far from his ultimate goal.

“My whole thing is, ‘I’m not done yet,’” he said. “I’m trying to make it to the next level and then the next level. So, for me, that’s enough motivation to keep pushing and to keep going. I have a goal that I want to reach and get to the next level so I’ll do anything to get there.”

Lodewyks passed the eye test from an early age, said his father, Troy.

Troy, a multi-sport athlete in his younger years, encouraged his sons to play many sports when growing up — but it was clear Nate had a knack and a love for the action on the diamond.

“From a younger age, he’s played at the AAA level,” said Troy, who coached Nate in baseball and hockey from the time he was six until he was 13 years old. “Even as a minor age or a younger kid, he’s always been chosen to play on the AAA teams in our area and that’s not always the case as a younger guy, where you’re playing with the older guys.

“So, that was certainly a real indicator in terms of how well he was doing. And then he’s really improved every year.”

Nate’s 2022 campaign was perhaps his biggest leap. A stellar season with the AAA Winnipeg South Wolves earned him Baseball Manitoba’s 15U AAA Player of the Year honours and a spot on Team Manitoba’s U18 squad, where he played again this year.

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Nate admitted he was nervous when stepping onto the diamond at Rogers Centre for the first time this weekend, but remembered that unsettling feeling was something that drew him to baseball in the first place. Surely, that’s not the last time he’ll feel uncomfortable, but that’s something he’s more than ready to overcome.

“It gives me a challenge and I really like trying to overcome challenges and facing challenges,” he said, describing his love for the game.

“I think you have to work hard to get where you want to be, and always have an open mindset and a big dream.”

jfreysam@freepress.mb.ca

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Joshua Frey-Sam
Reporter

Josh Frey-Sam reports on sports and business at the Free Press. Josh got his start at the paper in 2022, just weeks after graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College. He reports primarily on amateur teams and athletes in sports. Read more about Josh.

Every piece of reporting Josh produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.