Troy Shantz A young city baseball player took a step closer to his big league dreams when he became the only Canadian selected to participate in the Junior All-American Games tournament in Florida last weekend.
Troy Shantz
A young city baseball player took a step closer to his big league dreams when he became the only Canadian selected to participate in the Junior All-American Games tournament in Florida last weekend.
Thirteen-year-old Kristofer Lotz played for the Sarnia Braves and the Flushing Raiders out of a Michigan baseball league this year.
He was invited to the prestigious tournament following his performance at a recent tournament in Illinois while representing the Raiders.
The Junior All-American hosted players from 20 U.S. states and featured a skills showcase, player evaluations and home run derby.
Family members made the trip south to watch Kristofer play in the weekend tournament, father Todd Lotz said from Florida.
“They are actually playing on the same ball diamond that the Baltimore Orioles play on,” Lotz said.
Kristofer, who pitches and plays first and third base, also plays hockey in Point Edward.
“In the last couple of years it’s been a toss-up between hockey and baseball, but he’s started to lean towards baseball,” Todd Lotz said.
Following a short break after the tournament Kristofer will resume training in January.
He will play for the Clio Black Sox, part of the Greater Flint Baseball league, in the upcoming 2017 season.
