Parksville’s Anson McGorman has been named among the top 15 prospects on the Canadian Baseball Network 2021 draft list.
The former Parksville Royals standout, who now attends Vauxhall Academy of Baseball in Alberta, is ranked 13th and is one of two players on Vancouver Island and one of four in British Columbia included in the CBN draft list.
“Anson making this list is pretty impressive” said Royals general manager Mike Parlow. “Several guys on the list are in college programs.”
The 17-year-old McGorman is still in Grade 12. He has already committed to play NCAA Division 1 baseball with the Sacramenton State Hornets next fall.
“I have alway wanted to go there,” said McGorman, who was approached by Sacramento State coaches and flown to the school for a visit last year. “I always knew it was a great place to be. The weather is one of the biggest things I like, coming from Parksville where it’s always grey. They have a great baseball program and also curriculum. I can’t wait to play there.”
As for the news he was listed on the CBN draft list, McGorman said he feels humbled and also is inspired.
“It’s great to be included with all those other guys who are considered to be top players in the country,” said McGorman. “It motivates me to really work even harder.”
McGorman developed his baseball skills in Parksville. He went through the process, starting with Oceanside Minor Baseball and progressing to the Royals in the B.C. Premier Baseball League.
“I had a lot of supporters here and it’s been really good,” said McGorman. “I played on the senior team (Royals) when I was in Grade 10 and I had a great time. My teammates were older and I got to see how that works. My coach Frank (Kaluzniak) kind of took me under his wing and helped me with everything I needed pretty much. He is one of my biggest supporters.”
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The six-foot-two, 195-pound pitcher enrolled at Vauxhall when he was in Grade 11 as he wanted to continue to improve his game. And he said he did, undergoing a dramatic development that has garnered the interest of coaches in Canada and also from across the border.
“It’s tough to be away from my family,” said McGorman. “I was homesick in the first few months but I wanted to improve. I got over it now that I have made some friends here.”
McGorman was hoping to see more action on the field last year but wasn’t able to due to the pandemic. They were limited to just training and workouts.
“It’s fine for improvement but it’s hard when we can’t play games,” said McGorman. “We can do whatever we want. We can do hit, we can throw but we just can’t play anyone else. We’re just playing against each other and that’s not bad. But it’s better if we play other teams.”
McGorman is eager to advance to the next chapter of his baseball career. He said he doesn’t know what to expect at Sacramento but knows he can’t rest on his laurels.
“I just plan to keep my head up and work real hard,” said McGorman. “The goal is to hopefully get drafted in the top five in my third or fourth year in Sacramento. From there, hopefully I make it to Major League Baseball. That’s the dream.”