Lodewyks true to his word

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This article was published 20/08/2024 (439 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A year ago, Nate Lodewyks vowed his encouraging performance at the Toronto Blue Jays Canadian Futures Showcase was only the beginning. That the work would continue until he reached the next step in his baseball career — hopefully, an offer from a big-time college program in the U.S. that would set up a chance to go pro.

A year later, the La Salle teen has stuck to his word.

Now, the ball carries a bit further off his bat, his throws from third base pop a little louder in the glove and his confidence on the diamond has settled.

It’s why Lodewyks, 16, was selected again to participate in the Canadian Futures Showcase at the Rogers Centre, the home of the Toronto Blue Jays, from Sept. 17-21. He’s the only Manitoban to be featured the last two years.

“This is what I’ve worked for all year, trying to go again in my Grade 12 year. Grade 12 is the oldest age for this showcase, but knowing I went last year in Grade 11 as a younger guy, that just pushed me harder to work harder and to make it two years in a row, which very few people in the tournament have actually done,” Lodewyks said.

It’s a dream opportunity at this point in Lodewyks’ career, as he’ll train with 160 of the best young baseball talents in the country for four days under the watchful eyes of major-league scouts and college recruiters.

The final roster was announced Monday, but Lodewyks’ spot has been locked up since July 26 when he was named among the top 75 selections. Last year, he was one of the final invites.

The difference in a stronger and more poised player has been noticeable to Patrick Griffin, a Canadian area scout for the Toronto Blue Jays, who has a trained eye for the details.

“He did a really good job over the past year of making improvements both physically and between the lines,” said Griffin, who is also on the selection committee for the Futures Showcase. “That’s one of the big things that we look for from year to year, especially for the returning players.

“I think he’s going to fit right in and I think if you’re a college scout that’s coming to the Canadians Futures Showcase, I think that Nate Lodewyks will be a pretty interesting target for you.”– Patrick Griffin, Canadian area scout for the Toronto Blue Jays

“Last year, Nate showed us a lot of projection. There were some uncertainties around what the in-game aspects might look like if things speed up a little bit and then he came to the Rogers Centre in September and performed well and fit right in with the rest of the players in the country. When we showed up this past May for the tryout, physically he was impressive, the tools all took a little bit of a step up so I think that was probably the biggest difference on a year-to-year basis.”

Griffin said the most common trap players fall into at the showcase is being overcome by the aura of a Major League stadium. With a year of experience under his belt, Lodewyks isn’t worried about nerves.

“Last year I was kind of testing the waters as a younger player but this year I’m going in with the same mentality, trying to do as best as I can, obviously, and hopefully I can get recruited from there —more scouts reaching out to me this year in comparison to last year,” he said.

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Lodewyks had another impressive season with the 18U Winnipeg South Wolves, who made it to the provincial championship series. Earlier this summer, he helped lead the Wolves to a Western Canadian Championship in Chilliwack, B.C., where he was named the all-star third basemen.

Griffin believes Lodewyks can carry some of that success onto the major league diamond, and another standout performance could be on the way for the Manitoban.

“I think that when he comes up in September and he’s facing some of the best pitchers in the country, I think he’s going to fit right in and I think if you’re a college scout that’s coming to the Canadians Futures Showcase, I think that Nate Lodewyks will be a pretty interesting target for you.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

X: @jfreysam

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.