Two Orillia Royals baseball players have committed to playing for Indian Hills Community College next summer.
The 18-year-old Orillia Secondary School graduates started playing baseball with Orillia Legion Minor Baseball (OLMB) at a young age.
Outfielder Chase Brennan started when he was eight and pitcher Max Rutherford started when he was three. Both players eventually developed into elite players for the Royals house league select team, coached by Wes Winkel.
“Baseball has become my passion. We’ve won three provincial titles with the Royals, and it’s been a fun ride,” Brennan said.
Rutherford, who was a key player for two of the three provincial titles, credits his time with the Royals for his more recent success.
"It got me into the competitive nature of sports and how to deal with teammates, coaches, and it transitioned me into being comfortable playing at a higher level," he said.
Brennan developed a competitiveness for the game when he turned 13. He stated practising year-round and participated in winter training programs.
“For the past two years I’ve been playing with the Ontario Nationals in the winter, and I finished my final season with the Royals in the summer,” Brennan said.
“Playing with the Royals has helped me a lot to develop not only as a player but as a man. Wes Winkel taught me a lot about dealing with my on- and off-field emotions. He was a big role model and leader in my life.”
Rutherford, who plays with the Lake Simcoe Nationals, only started taking his baseball career more seriously a couple of years ago.
"It was after my final year with the Royals when we lost in provincials. After that, I decided I wanted to join an organization that is a little more higher-end," he said.
"Playing with the Royals and for Wes prepared me; it taught me how to compose myself, and how to handle everything around me."
Now Brennan and Rutherford are off to Iowa to play with the Indian Hills Community College Warriors, who ranked seventh in the nation last season. The Warriors are knocking on the door of playing in the Junior College World Series.
“I emailed a bunch of schools and gave them my information, and when these guys got back to me, I saw how good they are, so we got in contact and things went really smooth,” Brennan said.
“They offered me a spot almost right away, and I didn’t hesitate to take it.”
Rutherford was in the midst of talking to different collages down south when he learned that Brennan had committed to Indian Hills.
"I got the coach's phone number from Chase, shot him a text and I heard back from him that night," Rutherford said.
"I sent over some video to him, had a phone call with him, did some research on the school, and then I committed."
Brennan and Rutherford are training with the Ontario and Lake Simcoe Nationals multiple times a week and are meeting with specialty coaches.
“I train every day, I work out in my garage gym almost every day, I’m just constantly training. I don’t really have days off,” Brennan said.
“This is something I want to do; I’d rather train and play baseball than do anything else. It’s always been my goal to get as far as I can with baseball.”
Rutherford has also been working out each day on his own and has been mentally preparing himself for the next level.
While Brennan is confident in his abilities, he’s nervous about the next chapter in his baseball career.
“It’s going to be different being so far away from home, especially in a different country. It’s going to be tough at times, but it will be a good learning experience,” he said.
Rutherford is also feeling the nerves as he has been put in a position to prove his way onto the team.
"Am I going to be able to keep my spot? That's something I've been thinking about. When I get down there I'm going to have to compete every time I'm on the mound and I'm going to have to prove that I belong at this calibre of a school," he said.
Brennan and Rutherford have the goal of becoming the best players they can become, and then applying those skills to a four-year university program. The end goal is to play in Major League Baseball with the world's best professional baseball players.
While playing down south, Rutherford says he and Brennan will be representing Orillia Legion Minor Baseball and their hometown.
"We are kind of putting Orillia on the map a bit for baseball, we are showing that a small town can produce high-level ball players that can make it down to the states and to different colleges," he said.
"It's going to continue, the age groups below us are going to continue developing with Wes and the other coaches and I'm excited to watch it happen."
