The Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-04-01, Page 33Thompson takes a step toward
baseball dream with Nationals
Gerard Creces
signal -star staff
For 16 -year-old Brett Thomp-
son of Goderich, March Break
was anything but.
The pitcher/shortstop spent
his March Break in Florida, tak-
ing part in the Ontario Nationals'
baseball spring training camp.
Thompson played last year
under Nationals' coach, Shawn
Gillespie as part of the Western
Region team at the Ontario Sum-
mer Games. He received an invita-
tion to this year's training camp.
"I got a phone call from the
coach and he asked me if I wanted
to play for his team this year,"
Thompson said. "And if I wanted
to go to Cocoa Beach in Florida
this year."
Playing for the Nationals is a
stepping -stone for .;what Thomp-
son intends to make a career in
baseball.
"It makes me feel good,"
Thompson said. "I get to play for
a much better team and get myself
out there."
The young athlete laid they
played seven games in Florida,
winning all but one. The Nationals
Under -16 team, he said, was able
to take down older teams from
Ontario and British Columbia as
well as American teams.
"They were all older kids 18 -un-
der," he said. "We were .16 -under.
We never faced anyone our age."
File photo
Brett Thompson is recently
returned from Florida, where he
spent spring training with the
Ontario Nationals.
And if he is ,any example of the
Nationals' calibre it's no wonder
they were successful - Thompson
has been improving on an already
impressive game.
Last year he was throwing 76
miles per hour and batting .750 on
his way to the Ontario Games.
A year older and wiser, he said
he's now pitching 81 mph and
batted a massive .950 in Cocoa
Beach.
"I got three triples, two doubles
and all the rest were singles," he
said. "I throw 81 now, but I only
pitched twice. I played shortstop
a lot."
He said he enjoys playing short
as it puts you "more into the
game."
The team trains in Stratford in
a converted warehouse, complete
with astro-turf, batting cages and
a live bullpen. Thompson said he
trains three times a week for the
season which will be starting at
the end of the month.
Through the Nationals, Thomp-
son said he hopes to get a schol-
arship so he can attend his post-
secondary school of choice - the
University of Michigan.
"They have a good ball team
and a lot of people go to the ma-
jors from there," he said. "A lot of
college scouts will be at the games
and they will be able to see more
of me."
He said the advantages of his
new team also include the chance
to play in stadiums, access to bet-
ter coaching and getting his name
out there as a player with a fu-
ture.
"People know about me now,"
he said. "I'm a good ball player."
Slo-pitc.h league open to players, teams
Denny Scott
signal -star staff
Slo-Pitch is starting up in Goderich once
again, and players and teams are welcome tel
join.
Currently, there are six confirmed teams
and one tentative team, and more are wel-
come to join.
According to Goderich Men's Slo-Pitch
League organizer Trevor Bazinet, their move
to Goderich diamonds from the Bluewater
Highway has been a,successful one, and he
believes many more players will be interested
in joining with the in -town location.
"We moved into town last year, and it seems
like there is a lot of poeple interested in join -
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ing the league," he said. "Anyone who wants
to play can be put on a team."
Bazinet explained that there are still many
of open spots to be filled.
"We're looking for teams and players, basi-
cally anyone interested in joining the league
or putting a team in, we can find a spot for
them," he said.
Games run on Monday and Wednesday
nights at the Ag Park on the hardball diamond,
with start times at 6:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m.
Anyone interested in participating can
contact Bazinet at (519)-525-7570 or Matt
MacPhee at (519)-524-3185.
.APEX COLLEGE of ELECTRICAL
SCIENCE offers another hands-on
8 week, 192 hour, 4 days per week
full-time program giving laboratory
experiments and marketable skills in the
direction of apprenticeship. Mon., Tues.,
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Cost is $1,946. Begins Mon., April 6 thru
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32 hours. Cost is $336.
Call Heinz at 519-395-0558 .
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Skills are vour asset and they're portable.
•
Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, April 1, 2009 - Page A33
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NOM 1L0
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