Ontario Terriers INF Elijah Hammill (Oakville, Ont.) joined Georgia Premier Academy and gained Perfect Game all-tournament honours in Hoover, Ala.

March 12, 2021

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

What’s a man to do?

The borders remain closed, so the Canadian Junior National Team didn’t make the fall instructional trip to Palm Beach. Nor did they make a March trip to St. Petersburg.

Indoor facilities here are closed.

And even if it was sunny and the month of May, American scouts can’t come north -- unless they want to sit in a hotel quarantine before they are able to go scout a game.

So, when the mountain climbers wouldn’t come to see him, Elijha Hammill went to the mountain. And oh yeah, he reached the top.

SS Hammill (Oakville, Ont.) of the Ontario Terriers played for the Georgia Premier Academy of Statesboro, Ga. earning all-tournament honours at Hoover Met Sports Complex in Hoover Ala. The Perfect Game High School Showdown-Academies drew 38 teams, while 27 teams were in the High School Showdown for a record 65 teams.

Hammill combined to go 2-for-4 (.500) with seven walks, three stolen bases, a whopping .833 on-base mark and an even larger whopper of 2.333 OPS.

Georgia Premier opened with a 9-0 shutout of MVP Baseball Academy. Hammill walked three times in three plate appearances, knocked in a run and swiped a base.

Next Georgia Premier thumped MSD Gold 8-0 on a combined no hitter. Hammill walked twice in his two appearances -- both with the bases loaded -- finishing with a stolen base, a run scored and two RBIs.

Then, Georgia Premier fell 2-0 to G-Form Artillery Underclass. Hammill was 1-for-3 when the switch hitter pulled a double into the right field corner.

Georgia Premier finished up with an 8-4 triumph over Central Pointe Christian Academy Navy 17u in consolation play. In this one Hammill, who has committed to Utah, homered with two RBIs and a pair of walks.

Toronto Mets LHP Mitchell Bratt (Newmarket, Ont.), who is bound for Florida State, has also joined the Georgia Premier Academy. Ontario Blue Jays’ INF Keshav Trebeck (Brampton, Ont.) and C Iyad Ansari (Toronto, Ont.) formerly with the Ontario Blue Jays are also on the Georgia Premier roster.

Also in Alabama was 6-foot-3 RHP Jaiden Mccully (London, Ont.) with on the Combine Academy roster.

Pool G PCT W-L-T RA RS

G-Form Artillery Underclass .833 2-0-1 14 22

Georgia Premier Academy .667 2-1-0 2 17

MVP Baseball Academy .500 1-1-1 26 18

MSD Gold .000 0-3-0 22 7

Perfect Game

Elijha Hammill (2021, Oakville, Ont.) had a solid showing this weekend on both sides of the ball and he’ll have a good shot at improving his draft stock if he continues this type of performance through the remainder of the spring. As a switch-hitting shortstop, the profile is already a good one but the combination of discipline, bat-to-ball skills and physicality really shined at this event. He didn’t get much to hit as he worked seven walks in four games, but he made the most of his chances as he hit a double and a home run in his only four statistical at-bats, both of which came from the left side of the plate. At shortstop, he has great hands and moves well to both sides to go with strength in the arm and a great internal clock working to and through the ball.

-- Jered Goodwin, Tyler Russo And Colton Olinger