July 16, 2022

By Denis Gibbons

Canadian Baseball Network

To say Adam Leatherland’s victory-lap year in high school was a success would be grossly understating the case.

The Great Lakes Canadians 18-year-old centre fielder, who recently signed to play for the University of Waterloo Warriors this fall, is living proof of pro scouts’ belief that participating in a variety of sports enhances an athlete’s ability to play baseball.

Besides being named Delhi District Secondary School’s Male Athlete of the Year, he was MVP of the Raiders football team, won the CWOSSA senior boys badminton championship and represented Delhi in the 100 and 200 metres at the CWOSSA track and field championships.

“Adam plays the game with a ton of confidence,” Waterloo manager Ben Norris said. “He’s an outstanding centre fielder, he can hit at the top of the lineup and will be a very important part of our team.

“To do what he did in a region like CWOSSA is incredibly impressive.

“Knowing he’s coming from an outstanding program like Great Lakes, my expectation is that he’s going to be an impact player.”

Norris said he wishes he had some of Leatherland’s tools when he played centre field for the Warriors between 2007 and 2012.

Leatherland hit .350, drove in 20 runs and stole 18 bases in 30 games as the Canadians won the Canadian Premier League Baseball Championship and finished as runner-up in the Mid-Summer Classic at Grand Park in Indianapolis against some of the best talent the U.S. has to offer.

Great Lake Canadians manager Sean Reffinghaus, a former catcher with the London Majors, said Leatherland will be missed.

“He flies all over the field for us on defence,” Reffinghaus said. “He plays the game hard and is a natural leader. At the plate he can spray the ball to all fields and uses his legs to his advantage.”

Starting centre fielder MacKenzie Strong, a product of the Ontario Blue Jays organization, has graduated leaving the Waterloo job up for grabs. Strong was an OUA first team all-star.

Leatherland patterns his defensive style after former Toronto Blue Jay Kevin Pillar.

“Pillar is always willing to put his body on the line to make a play for his pitcher,” he said.

“I’m very excited to be going to Waterloo. They have an up-and-coming team and really have a chance to win an OUA championship.”

Leatherland had some scholarship offers from U.S. colleges but based his final decision on the unique CAP pharmacy program Waterloo has, which guarantees high school graduates a place in pharmacy studies after completing their first two years of science.

“Academics are the priority in our house and Waterloo has both the academics and athletics we were looking for,” he said.

His father David, who is head of physical education and head football coach at Delhi, has been tutoring him since childhood.

“He’s just been awesome, the best role model a kid for ask for,” Leatherland said. “”I’m sure he has thrown a million baseballs to me in batting practice.”

Depending on how quickly Leatherland adjusts to university life in his first semester, he may also try out for the Waterloo badminton team.