Flood, a Corner Brook native, and Cole Porter, who calls Mount Moriah home, are the only two players from the west coast to be named to the 2017 Newfoundland and Labrador Summer Games baseball team bound for Winnipeg later this summer.
Flood, son of Corner Brook’s Ed and Leanna Flood, is making his second appearance on the national stage, last summer earning the right to play for his province at the 2016 15U national baseball tournament.
Prospects for the team participated in the Perfect Game baseball tournament in Okotoks, Alta. earlier this month in the last showcase event for the coaching staff to select the roster for the 2017 Games.
Flood was only home a day when he got a call from coach Stephen Donahue that he had cracked the roster. It put a smile on his face when Donohue told him that he earned a spot on the team because he showed steady improvement and had been on the radar for the coaching staff for some time now.
Flood brings speed to the outfield and sure hands on the infield, but he’s also expected to provide the team with some innings as a member of the pitching staff.
Playing the game against the best in the country in Winnipeg is something he’s really looking forward to doing and he’s eager to put in some hard work over the next few months.
“I feel really good about making the team. It’s pretty cool to say that you’re one of the best in the province,” Flood said.
Porter is going to play in his third national baseball tournament in three years, but he’s really excited about suiting up for his province at the Canada Games because it’s something that only comes around so often and not everybody gets a chance to experience the crazy atmosphere most athletes talk about after they have participated in the Games.
He’s proud of his selection to the team, but he’s willing to work hard over the next month or so to ensure he does what he can to help his team put some wins on the board in Winnipeg.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a teenager,” Porter said. “I had a couple of my buddies and a couple of coaches go to the Games for baseball before and they told me how it was a great experience and how nice it was up there and that the atmosphere is amazing.”
He’s hoping to be one of the gems for his province when the action gets underway in Winnipeg.
