NEWS PHOTO RYAN MCCRACKEN
McCoy Colts pitcher Reese Whelen celebrates after winning the Southern Alberta High School Baseball League championship with a 10-7 victory over the Hat High Mohawks at Athletic Park on Wednesday, May 29, 2019.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com@MHNMcCracken
Reese Whelen is a hot commodity.
The Grade 12 McCoy student is coming off a Southern Alberta High School Baseball League championship with the Colts and just joined up with the Medicine Hat Moose Monarchs for the summer – but they aren’t the only team looking to recruit the well-rounded ball player.
Whelen says he’s been given a few offers from various colleges hoping to pull him into their baseball program in the fall, but none seem more appealing than West Virginia.
“I’m not completely decided yet as to where I’m going to go. It’s looking probably like West Virginia,” said Whelen. “I did end up with a few other (offers) but they kind of just weren’t the best fit for me. West Virginia seems like the best fit as a school and a program.”
Monarchs head coach Skyler Stromsmoe – a former professional who spent time in the minor league system and won gold with Canada at the 2011 and 2015 Pan-Am Games – has worked with Whelen periodically over the past few years, and says he’s thrilled to finally have the opportunity to coach the young prospect in a full-time capacity.
“It’s something I’ve been excited to do. He’s the kind of kid that we love having in the program,” said Stromsmoe. “He does everything the right way, works hard, good attitude every day. Whether he’s having success or not, he’s still on the even keel. As a coaching staff, that’s the kind of player we love to coach.”
Stromsmoe added Whelen can offer a lot to a post-secondary baseball program, just as he’s been doing in Medicine Hat to start the American Legion Baseball AA season. The Monarchs found themselves in a difficult spot when the Medicine Hat Mavericks called up local catcher Zack Stark to the Western Canadian Baseball League, but Whelen only saw the situation as an opportunity.
“He said, ‘Hey coach, I’ll catch every game,’ and we said, ‘We don’t want to burn you out.’ He said, ‘Try me, you can’t do that,'” said Stromsmoe. “Just that bulldog mentality, especially as a catcher, he’ll lead us this year and we’re excited for that.
“For Reese to hopefully have an opportunity to play at the next level, we just wish him nothing but the best with it.”
Whelen says he owes a lot to his coaches – from minor ball through high school and into American Legion – for helping develop him into a stronger player and person over the years, as he’d likely be chasing his dream in another sport if not for their support.
“It it wasn’t for the baseball programs like Legion Baseball and all the coaches and stuff, I don’t know if I’d even still be a baseball player, let alone playing college baseball. I’d probably be looking to be a hockey player right now,” he said. “The coaches here made me realize I don’t have to be perfect. I can make mistakes and get me to be the best player I can be, and be confident in myself. It’s been amazing. They’ve turned me into the baseball player I am, and an even better person.”
In game ripe with failure, Whelen says having those coaches who allow him to make mistakes and learn from them in a positive way has been the driving factor in his improvement – pointing to a single statement from a former manager that left a lasting impact.
“Another coach here (in Medicine Hat), coach Rob McDonnell, always said that you have to be thinking the positives. You have to be thinking about what you want to do, not what you don’t want to do. The coaches here all preach that – think about what you want to do, think about the success,” he said.
“If you’re thinking about success, you’re going to get it a lot more and you’re not going to be worried about making mistakes. You’re going to be thinking about the success you want to have rather than the failures you don’t want.”
