Although it didn’t go exactly as he had planned, because of nerves and a little bit of impatience, Luke Van Rycheghem became the fifth high schooler from north of the border chosen, when the Arizona Diamondbacks made him their 23rd-round pick.

“For the tournament I decided I was going to strap it on,” Hill said. “I physically still wasn’t there but I was able to throw enough to pitch. Then in between [outings] I couldn’t play catch, I couldn’t throw bullpens and all that kind of stuff, but I figured where I was – not knowing if I was even going to play the following year again – that it was worth the short inconvenience of pain to help the team out, and to go through that experience.”

“How many times can Canada say that?” said Shawn Bowman, former Team Canada mainstay and gold-medal winning third baseman.