Aylmer teen and star athlete to represent Canada at international baseball tournament

Sophie Demers

Sixteen-year-old Jordan Doy-Yat will be representing Canada at an international 18U tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico at the DRD International Baseball Academies Tournament. Doy-Yat is a left-handed pitcher with the Canada Reds Baseball Academy, a private baseball Academy in Ottawa.

At the tournament, the Canadian team will go up against other top athletes from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Germany, Argentina, the United States, and Guatemala.

Doy-Yat started playing baseball in Aylmer at the age of five with the Aylmer Baseball association. His mother, Melissa Smith, says he progressed quickly, moving on to other teams and then to the academy. Doy-Yat also just made the Perfect Game Tournament team in Florida and trained at the top school in that state, the prestigious IMG Academy, where many pro athletes have also trained.

The young athlete is a grade 10 student at D’Arcy McGee High School. In addition to his studies, he trains six times a week. “My favourite thing about the sport is pitching through the intense moments of an inning or in a must-win situation while working for my team and enjoying where the game of baseball is taking me,” said Doy-Yat. Major League Baseball (MLB) scouts and other professional scouts will be in attendance in San Juan.

Doy-Yat is at quite a high level for his age as a pitcher. Until about a year ago, he usually played outfield. According to Smith, the coaches from the program saw something special in the way he threw the ball. He became the top pitcher in the program in a short time. He currently has an 85 mph fastball and is aiming to be in the 90's by next summer. Doy-Yat says his biggest goal is to play at the professional level.

“The tournament is a big deal for Jordan; it’s huge,” said Smith, “We are so proud of him and everything he has accomplished. He is such a dedicated student and athlete.”

Doy-Yat is looking for sponsors to support his upcoming tournament and baseball career. Local organizations and businesses interested in supporting a young athlete achieve his baseball goals by becoming a sponsor can contact doyyatj5@gmail.com for more information.

Photo: Jordan Doy-Yat, sixteen-year-old left-handed pitcher with the Canada Reds Baseball Academy.

Photo: Courtesy of Jordan Doy-Yat