It wasn’t ideal but an Okotoks Academy Dawgs’ star made the best of his recent trip to Florida.
Top prospect Jordan Procyshen joined Canada’s best 14 to 18-year-old players in St. Petersburg, FL for a Canadian Junior National team evaluation camp earlier this month.
Unfortunately for Procyshen, the trip did not go exactly as planned.
The Okotoks product suffered a concussion after being struck in the face by a baseball during warm-ups.
The injury kept Procyshen out of action for Canada’s games against several touring squads including a team comprised of Toronto Blue Jays’ AAA and AA prospects.
The Blue Jays squad also featured current major leaguers John McDonald and Aaron Hill.
Although the Junior team fell to Toronto 9-0 on March 4, the score was irrelevant to Procyshen and his 30 teammates.
“That was an unbelievable day,” he said.
The opportunity to interact with Major Leaguers and Canadian stars was a particular highlight for the Dawgs’ catcher.
The Juniors had the chance to meet the pros during batting practice and pick up some tips.
The Blue Jays’ stars then joined the Canadian Juniors in their dugout after a few innings of play.
“(McDonald) and Aaron Hill both came over for three or four innings and just talked to us in our dugout so it was a really cool experience,” Procyshen said.
Upon his return on March 6, the Dawgs catcher shifted his focus to recovering and training for the next round of try-outs.
“I’m still not back to 100 per cent,” Procyshen said, adding he hopes to resume practicing in the next week.
The Canadian Junior National team tryouts will continue on April 20 with another evaluation camp in Orlando.
The 10-day trip will consist of games against minor league spring training teams.
Three more qualifying trips are scheduled afterwards, including a May tournament in the Dominican Republic and a July trip to Cuba.
The Junior National team executive will be making continuous cuts along the way in anticipation of the World Junior qualifier tournament in September.
In what continues to be a busy offseason for Procyshen, the Dawgs Academy announced he has accepted a scholarship from The Plainsmen of North Eastern Colorado Junior College.
“I’m so grateful for the Dawgs,” Procyshen said, following the announcement.
The fact that the 5-10, 175-pound product of Holy Trinity Academy was offered a scholarship should hardly be considered a surprise to outside observers.
After claiming the bronze medal last August as a member of Team Alberta at the Nationals in Kindersley, Saskatchewan, the left-hander also led the Dawgs to an undefeated run at the Arizona Fall Classic in October.
David Robb, head coach of the Dawgs Baseball program, said the rare skills Procyshen possesses make him quite sought-after in the U.S. college system.
“A left-handed hitting catcher is always a valued commodity,” he said.
The Calgary-native is unlikely to be deterred by the level of competition at the collegiate level.
After a series of injuries to the summer collegiate Dawgs last season, Procyshen was called up by the team to play in the Western Major Baseball League.
The rookie catcher did not miss a beat in his extended audition, batting .297 with four doubles in 37 plate appearances.
Procyshen is expecting to make an impact right away with North Eastern Colorado once the 2011-12 school year rolls around.
As he explained, the Plainsmen coaching staff has let it be known a starting job can be his provided he continues with his trademark work ethic.
“(They are) expecting me to come in and hopefully go for a starting role, as long as I keep playing and keep working hard,” Procyshen said.
