Local 15-year-old baseball player Nathan Davies has been taking his game to the AA level, and making the trip to Sherwood Park on a regular basis to compete as a member of the Athletics.
“It’s definitely a big step, there’s a longer season (than in minor ball),” said Davies, adding that while he misses St. Paul Minor Ball, playing for the Sherwood Park Athletics offers him new opportunities. “I would still like to play with my friends, but playing in a new town, you get to meet new people.”
Davies remains humble about his minor baseball career, and says that much of his success can be attributed to his coaches with St. Paul Minor Ball.
“If I didn’t have the coaches I had in St. Paul that basically gave me the building blocks to where I could go (to AA), I wouldn’t be where I am now,” he said. “With the great coaches I’ve had here in St. Paul and the ones I have now, they’ve really taught me the overall things that I need to know to be able to make this commitment.”
Davies started playing baseball in St. Paul at the age of four, and said it is the community of the sport and the unpredictable nature of the game that keep him coming back for more.
“When I first started it helped me build my character. I just love the sport. In my first year I played both soccer and baseball but I chose baseball because it was fun. I liked the people I was with and I liked the coaches, so I just stuck with baseball,” he said. “Anything can happen in baseball. You really have to be on your toes 24/7, no matter if you’re in the outfield, pitching or catching, even if you’re on the bench, you have to analyze the game.”
Sherwood Park Athletics coach Aaron Murphy pointed out that it is Davies’ dedication to the game that has both allowed him to develop so quickly and made him such a valuable asset to the AA club.
“It’s about them listening and putting in the time, and that’s the thing about Nathan. He’s at every single practice, he’s at every single conditioning stint. He’s one of the kids that improves because he’s always there,” Murphy said.
“He’s probably one of the most developed players we’ve ever had. When we first started with him we started right from ground zero, from throwing to hitting to catching, we even had to re-teach him how to catch, and now he’s playing AA ball. He’ll probably be a regular position player with us this year no problem.”
The right-handed outfielder has claimed a number of baseball accolades in his 11 years of playing experience, such as an MVP title that he was awarded at a tournament in Kelowna last season, as well as provincial gold and bronze medals with the Athletics, but there is one trophy that will always hold a special value to Davies.
“I think it was my first year of Mosquito, I forget where we went, but I remember being proud because everyone got these little trophies that had ‘Lakeland Minor Ball’, the year and all that written on it,” he said, adding that it still sits proudly in his bedroom. “It was my first trophy of medal that I’ve ever gotten.”
