Froehlich carries brother’s memory from Nipawin to Natchitoches
Nipawin, Sask., native Kyle Froehlich has carried the memory of his brother, Clark, with him at every stop in his baseball journey, from his hometown to his provincial squad to the Colby Community College Trojans, and soon to Northwestern State University. Photo: Colby Trojans Athletics
February 21, 2022
By Matt Betts
Canadian Baseball Network
It’s a story that thousands of Canadian families across the country can relate to.
A father, his two sons, and countless wiffle ball games.
Cory Froehlich could often be found in the family back yard in the tiny town of Nipawin, Sask., hurling wiffle ball after wiffle ball towards an imaginary strike zone. On the other end, dug into an imaginary batters box, was one of his two sons, Kyle or Clark.
“That’s where it all started,” Kyle said from Kansas where he’s currently playing as both a pitcher and a position player for the Colby Community College Trojans. “Playing wiffle ball with my dad and brother.”
Out on the backyard sandlot, time stood still. But the baseball dreams being born in the town of 4,400 turned into heartache no family should have to endure in 2013. Just after his 13th birthday, Clark passed away from Burkitt's Leukemia. Those wiffle ball games would never be the same.
“Baseball was always the thing we did together,” Kyle recalls. “When Clark died, I always felt connected to him through baseball. It’s big for our family.”
Times of loss often bring about moments of great perspective. That’s something Froehlich takes with him every time he steps on the field.
“In life people often ask ‘why do you do what you do?’ I play for him because he doesn’t get to anymore.”
Kyle has carried Clark’s memory through some incredible moments in his career. In 2015, he suited up for Baseball Saskatchewan, from there he played his final three years of high school for the father of current Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Logan Hofmann (Muenster, Sask.). Froehlich can often be found training with the younger Hofmann in the offseason.
Then during his grade 12 year he took part in a scout day with Baseball Saskatchewan put on by Greg Brons. Colby head coach Ryan Carter made the trek north of the border to scope out the talent, which should come as no surprise with one quick glance at the track record of Canadians making their way to the Kansas based junior college. The Trojans head man liked what he saw from Froehlich, similar to the way he liked his buddy Hofmann just a few years prior. Now in his second season, Froehlich knows he made the right choice in committing to Colby.
“My two years here have been amazing,” he said. “There’s a lot of other Canadians which is nice because there are a lot of guys experiencing the same thing. I think the Juco route has taught me grit. In order to be successful, you have to put the work in.”
Eleven Canadians suit up for the Trojans to be exact. Joining Froehlich is right-handed pitcher Jared Arnold (Red Deer, Alta.), outfielder/right-handed pitcher Brayden Cust (Edmonton, Alta.), right-handed pitcher/outfielder Matthew Dobberthien (Calgary, Alta.), outfielder Blake Harsulla (Ardrossan, Alta.), right-handed pitcher Joel McGrath (Kindersley, Sask.), infielder Carter Roth (Stratford, Ont.), infielder Cleary Simpson (Elnora, Alta.), infielder Aaron Vulcano (Cloverdale, BC), infielder John Vulcano (Cloverdale, BC) and infielder Liam Vulcano (Cloverdale, BC).
When Froehlich decided to take the junior college path, he had a clear goal of going on to a Division I school when his time in Kansas was complete. During a sophomore showcase event in Wichita this year, he realized that dream when he committed to Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La.
The connection between Canada, Colby and the NSU Demons runs deep. Hofmann also made his way from Sakatchewan, to Colby and then to Northwestern State. From there, he was drafted by the Pirates in the fifth round, 138th overall in 2020 after posting a 4-0 record with a 0.00 ERA over 28 innings in the COVID shortened season. Right-handers Ethan Francis (Miscouche, PEI) and Ryan Olchoway (Saskatoon, Sask.) also traded in their Trojan blue for Demon purple.
As Froehlich advances in his career, he hopes to make one more connection, a big league one that runs all the way back to his hometown. Most may not be able to point out Nipawin on a map, let alone figure out how to navigate from there to the bright lights of Major League Baseball. But right-hander Dave Pagan did, and Froehlich hopes to too.
“I have one of Dave Pagan’s baseball cards,” Froehlich said of the only big leaguer to ever call Nipawin home. “I actually met him at an umpiring clinic a few years back. It’s pretty cool to know that he came out of Nipawin.”
Pagan made his big league debut on Canada Day in 1973 with the New York Yankees in the back half of a doubleheader against Cleveland. From the seats at Yankee Stadium, 28,556 watched as the home side won the game 11-3. That’s just over 24,000 more than the entire population of his small town Saskatchewan home. Pagan went on to play five seasons in the big leagues from 1973 to 1977 with the Yankees, Orioles, Mariners and Pirates, putting together a 4-9 record with a 4.96 ERA over 232 1/3 innings.
For now Froehlich is focused on the present.
“I plan on enjoying this season and I’m excited to make a run with the team here at Colby,” he said. “But I definitely want to play professional baseball one day.”
Regardless of where life takes him, one thing is for sure. Where Kyle goes, Clark goes.
And it all started with those backyard wiffle ball games in Nipawin.