Former Nelson Baseball player has aspirations of playing the Majors after being picked by Cincinnati in draft
By Bruce Fuhr
Morgan Lofstrom remembers hitting balls into the outfield at Queen Elizabeth Park.
If all the planets align just right, someday the former Nelson Baseball Association player may get to smash pitches into the outfield at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
The Reds in the 20th round of the Major League Baseball Draft Saturday selected the 17-year-old Lofstrom.
“I’m pretty excited with the opportunity the Cincinnati Reds have given me selecting me in the 20th round of the draft so hopefully now I can start my professional baseball career,” Lofstrom, who now lives in West Kelowna, told The Nelson Daily this week.
“I can sign on July 2,” the son of Donna and Dave Lofstrom added.
“I’m going to be meeting the Reds scout when I’m at the (Canadian) Junior Nationals Camp in Toronto. Hopefully I can sign a contract then and in about mid-September report to instructional league in Arizona.”
Lofstrom still remembers heading to QE Park to begin his minor baseball career when he was five.
He played in the NBA until moving to Kelowna in Grade 6 where the 6’1”, 185 pound catcher flourished in the West Kelowna Minor Baseball Association.
But it was while playing for Team BC at the Canadian Under-17 Championships where Lofstrom began turning scouts heads and Canada’s Junior National Team.
He attended an instructional camp in the fall in Florida and returned to the team’s spring training camp.
Lofstrom was among 28 players invited to play for the national junior team in the Dominican Republic against players already signed by Major League teams.
Success experienced in the Dominican Republic, combined with a potential $100,000 signing bonus for a 20th round selection, has Lofstrom willing to forego a scholarship to San Jacinto Gators’ junior college team in Houston, Tex.
“I do have scholarship to a Junior College in Houston Texas but I wanted to go the pro route because I’ve been dreaming of the opportunity of playing pro,” Lofstrom, a catcher/pitcher with the Okanagan Athletics of the B.C. Premier (Midget) Baseball Leagueexplains.
“I got selected in the mid-rounds of the draft which proves (Reds) like me quite a bit hopefully they give me a good opportunity and I’ll be on my way to an exciting baseball career.”
Before Lofstrom books his ticket to the Arizona instructional league in September, he has a little unfinished business on the National Team circuit.
He’s off to Toronto to continue shooting for a spot on the Canadian Junior National squad.
It’s expected that 25 of the 28 of the players who played in the Dominican Republic will be invited to travel to Boston later this month for exhibition games against summer league college teams.
Coaches will select 23 to continue on to a pre-world championship tournament in Australia in mid-August, while the final 20-player roster will play for Canada at the junior world championship in Taiwan Aug. 30 to Sept. 8.
Back in West Kelowna Lofstrom is pleased to know that dreams of a Canadian playing professional baseball are not as far-fetched as in the past.
“I’m hoping if everything works out I can make a career out of baseball,” Lofstrom said.
“It’s pretty good knowing there’s a Canadian (Joey Votto) on the Reds and he’s pretty much the face of the franchise.
“So scouts are giving Canadians more of an opportunity hopefully one day I can play on the same team as him.”
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