Sam Shaw has more functions than a Swiss Army knife for Canada at the 2022 Under-18 baseball World Cup in Sarasota and Bradenton, Florida.
“I’m a utility guy who is all over the field — designated hitter, infield, left field and even pitching,” said the 2023 MLB draft prospect, heading into Grade 12 at Lambrick Park Secondary.
Fellow Victorian Tyrus Hall, also versatile as DH and infielder, joins Shaw on the Canadian U-18 team at the World Cup. Shaw, switching from the Victoria Mariners to the Victoria Eagles, will join Hall as a teammate at the club level, too.
“There’s a lot of talent on the Island, and Tyrus and I have played against each other growing up and it’s great to have him as a teammate now, both on the national team and also in club,” said Shaw.
Both players should be in Baseball Canada’s long-term plans as it looks ahead to when the sport is expected to return to the Olympics in 2028 at Los Angeles.
“I didn’t feel it at first, but when we began playing other nations in the pre-World Cup exhibition games, that’s when I really began to feel what wearing the Maple Leaf jersey is all about,” said Shaw, headed in the fall of 2023 to play NCAA Division 1 baseball at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio.
“It’s a different kind of feeling than in club play. I was nervous at first but am excited to play internationally.”
No. 12-ranked Canada’s first game at the U-18 World Cup against No. 3 South Korea was postponed on Friday due to rain and the Canucks were scheduled to play No. 25 Brazil on Saturday. Group B continues this week with Canada playing the No. 5 and nine-time champion U.S., No. 8 Netherlands, No. 26 South Africa and the make-up game against South Korea.
The two top-ranked teams, Japan and Taiwan, are in Group A along with Australia, Italy, Mexico and Panama. The top-three from each pool advance to the six-team Super Round from Thursday to next Saturday. The top-two teams from the Super Round advance to the gold-medal game and the third- and fourth-place teams to the bronze-medal game next Sunday.
This is Hall’s second time in Canadian colours after representing the country in the U-18 Friendship Series against the U.S. last year in Florida.
Hall and Shaw will join forces next season with the Victoria Eagles in the B.C. Premier Baseball League, which has an alumni list that includes current or former MLB players Nick Pivetta from the Eagles, Michael Saunders and Rich Harden from the Victoria Mariners, James Paxton, Tyler O’Neill, Ryan Dempster, Jeff Francis, Brett Lawrie, Adam Loewen, Justin Morneau and Hall of Famer Larry Walker.
“It’s just cool thinking about that list,” said Shaw.
It’s one every young ball player in the province dreams of joining.
“It’s a very competitive league and I love playing in the BCPBL, especially knowing its great history,” Hall has said.
But this week it’s all about the national team and rocking the red.
