Baker on the field at Canadian Futures Showcase

Cochrane ball player Simon Baker is on the field right now for the Canadian Futures Showcase at Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays.

It's day two of the five-day showcase of the top 168 baseball prospects in Canada and follows yesterday's opening Scout Day.

Games will be played until Friday and it wraps up with a home run derby and prospects game on Saturday.

It's Baker's second appearance at the showcase that was held in Ottawa last year.

Hosted by the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Academy, the event enables Canada’s rising amateur talent with draft and college eligibility to further their athletic and academic careers, by exposing them to MLB scouts and college recruiters.

The scoreboard at the Rogers Centre. Simon is at the top of the Royal Blue lineup on the left. (photo submitted)

The players are split into six teams to compete against each other in a tournament-style format. Centrefielder Baker has been assigned to the Royal Blue team.

Players were selected through a series of open tryouts and in-person evaluations that ran nationally from May 16 to July 20. 

Since 2013, 117 former Canadian Futures Showcase participants have been drafted by Major League Baseball organizations, with more than 600 receiving college scholarships.

After that, Baker is in the Dominican Republic from Oct. 11-22 playing with the Canadian junior national team.

Baker, 17, is a grade 12 student at Cochrane High and plays for the Webber Academy Wildcats.

Simon, right, with Eric Hartman of the Okotoks Dawgs, who is also appearing in the showcase. (photo submitted)

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