17 future prospects from the Okotoks Dawgs Academy will be heading down to Toronto on September 13-18 2018, for the T12 baseball tournament.

Associate Head Coach for the Dawgs Academy, Tyler Hollick says the players are excited for the opportunity to play in the Blue-Jays stomping ground.

"The Blue-Jays Academy, and the Tournament 12 really do it right, so its a first class tournament and I think its an experience the kids wont ever forget, so they're just so fortunate to be able to participate. They're really excited to be able to till the rubber with the same mound as some of the players they idolize, and being able to play in front of Hall of Famer Roberto Alamar and get to hang out with him for a week... it's just a really cool experience."

Hollick says the tournament is important too, as several scouting opportunities will be available to the players.

"I think its a great reference for a lot of kids, I always tell them it shouldn't define you as a player, but for kids who don't have access to a baseball academy like the one here in Okotoks, its a great way to get into some scouting opportunities, as there's a lot of eyes in the T12 tournament, for up and coming players looking to get into major league or college teams."

160 amateur players across Canada will make their pilgrimage to Toronto to demonstrate their skills, being sorted into teams based on the province they were born.

Hollick says the Dawgs Academy has had a stellar track record for players from the academy heading to the T12.

"We have the most of any program in the country heading into this tournament, we had 22 last year, and 18 from the year before, it just speaks to the level of work the kids put into the program, as well as the level of exposure they're going to get, and I'm excited to see how they do this year."

 

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