September 17, 2019

By Lukas Weese

Canadian Baseball Network

Zachary Laurie was introduced to “lucky-charms” at a young age.

When he stepped onto the baseball diamond as a 10-year-old, Laurie decided to sport an arm sleeve that from afar looks like an eclectic mix of tattoos.

Before the sleeve, Laurie was struggling to hit. With the sleeve on, the Peterborough, Ont., native was a different player.

“I was coming off a huge road-trip and was 0-for-2,” said Laurie. “When I put the sleeve on, I hit a double to the wall. It was a moment where I said to myself, ‘Gee, I should have this as part of my game.’”

Seven years later, Laurie still possesses the superstitious temperament. At the 2019 edition of Tournament 12 in Toronto, the now 17-year-old is still sporting his lucky sleeve. But it isn’t just the article of clothing for Laurie. There are now keychains around his neck, even hidden lucky pennies in his shoes.

“I am very superstitious,” said Laurie with a big smile. “If you aren’t confident before going onto the field, you aren’t going to be confident on it.”

Superstition matters little if not backed up by positive results. Competing in his second T12 Tournament, Laurie has displayed significant improvement over the past year. A blossoming catcher, Laurie showcased his hustle, running a 6.8 second 60 metre dash. While at home plate, the Canadian prospect demonstrated strong arm strength, throwing to second second base with ferocity.

But it was in the batting cage where Laurie shone. He stepped up to the plate with a flare. Every time he hit the ball, a pure “crack” permeated throughout Rogers Centre. A sound enviable to many young baseball prospects.

“He’s the real deal,” stated Toronto Blue Jays alumni coach Jesse Barfield. “He just crushes balls with such a beautiful sound.”

The challenge for Laurie is to contain the energy he possesses. As Duane Ward, another Blue Jays alumni coach, explains, less movement of the wrists when the ball is coming his way will allow him to make contact squarely.

“Laurie can really hit,” said Ward. “The ball launches just like out of a cannon. If he can reduce the movement in his wrists pre-contact, he will present a great challenge to pitchers.”

For Laurie, sticking to his strengths as a hitter has provided the impetus for his success. He can hit the high fastball, with the ability to adjust to other pitches that are thrown his way.

But what you will consistently see in Laurie is an undeniable swagger at the plate. The bigger the moment, the more fearless and aggressive he hits. While other young players may take a period of time to adjust to the big stage, Laurie lives for it.

“Mentally, my game is a lot sharper than last year,” said Laurie. “I am consistently focused on working on my fundamentals. I want to work at 110 percent so I have a spot on the team.”

Laurie’s love affair with baseball is rooted back to his Mother. She was a catcher who played in Florida, who showed her son the intricacies of the game.

“My Mom was my first coach, who got me into baseball when I was six years old,” said Laurie. “She always wanted to get me into catching. I owe everything to her to be playing at a D1 level right now.”

Initially, Laurie wanted to chart his own baseball path by being a pitcher. While he showed signs he could throw with a high velocity, the position of catcher became Laurie’s call.

This year, Laurie had the chance to represent his province as part of Baseball Ontario for the Canada Cup in Regina, Sask. He also committed to St John’s University.

Modelling his game and personality after Bryce Harper, Laurie hopes to inspire other Canadians to participate and succeed in baseball.

“I want the world of baseball to be bigger in Canada,” said Lawrie. “More important than my personal growth is to see more kids participating in baseball in this great country.”

Laced with his good-luck charms and contagious spirit, Laurie is eager to continue on the path to the big leagues. Perhaps a red and white sleeve is in the cards when Laurie eventually makes his major league debut.