Jason Willow of Victoria, 2017 draft pick of the Orioles, decided against the orange and black of Baltimore in favour of the blue and gold as an NCAA Div. 1 freshman later this month with the UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos.
But the next 10 days will be all about the red and white.
Willow, one of six MLB draft picks on the host team, will be the shortstop as Canada opens today against Taiwan in the 2017 U-18 World Cup of Baseball in Thunder Bay, Ont.
“There is no feeling like running out on the field with the word Canada written across your chest,” said Willow, by phone from Thunder Bay.
“We’re not a team of individual superstars but we work off each other well and we work together.”
If there is anyone who embodies that ethic, it’s the Islander. Willow is the kind of player any coach loves — just plug in and play.
“Jason is a five-tool player who does everything well. He can play any position in the infield and has even played centre field for the national team,” said Mike Chewpoy, who is Willow’s coach with the Victoria Mariners of the B.C. Premier Baseball League.
“He has a great baseball IQ. Jason was born to be a baseball player. He looks like one and he acts like one. He has a lot of talent and he does it right. It’s hard to teach the latter. He is going to a school [Santa Barbara] with great coaches. Jason is going to play pro eventually.”
The breakout player from this Canadian team looks to be pitcher Landon Leach of Pickering, Ont., selected in the second round this year by the Twins and signed by Minnesota to their Gulf Coast League farm team. The other MLB picks on the Canadian team are Willow, infielder Dondrae Bremner of Toronto (Reds), second-baseman Edouard Julien of Quebec City (Phillies), Clayton Keyes of Calgary (Diamondbacks) and pitcher Cade Smith of Abbotsford (Twins).
The aim is lofty for coach Greg Hamilton’s host side in Thunder Bay.
“Our goal is to win the world championship. Baseball is about consistency and we have to stay consistent,” said Willow.
Canada has won six medals at the U-18 worlds, including gold in 1991 and silver in 2012 at South Korea with a team led by Victoria Mariners product Jesse Hodges. Canada was sixth at the last U-18 worlds played in 2015 at Osaka, Japan.
Canada is in Group A with Taiwan, Australia, South Korea, Italy and Nicaragua. Group B consists of the three-time defending champions U.S. along with Cuba, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands and South Africa.
Each group will play a round robin with the top finishers from each pool advancing to the playoff round Sept. 7-9. The gold and bronze medal games will be played Sept. 10.
“International tournaments are held over a short time frame, so you have to come to play and make an impact quickly,” noted Willow, a graduate of Lambrick Park Secondary.
Maybe one day Willow will be playing in the most high-profile international baseball tournaments — the Olympics and World Baseball Classic — like fellow Victoria Mariners alumnus Michael Saunders before him.
“That’s the goal,” said Willow.
About the decision to choose NCAA over minor pro in the Orioles chain, Willow responded that he “stuck to what my heart said.”
He is eligible to re-enter the MLB draft in 2020 because the two MLB draft windows are in Grade 12 and in the junior year of college or university.
“I will see what happens three years down the road,” said Willow.
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