INNISFAIL — An Innisfail youth has been drafted by Major League Baseball (MLB).
Seventeen-year-old catcher Nathan Flewelling was drafted in the third round (94th overall) by the Tampa Bay Rays during the draft, held July 14-16 in Fort Worth, Texas.
Although born in Innisfail, Flewelling has been going to school most recently at St. Joseph's Ball Academy in Red Deer.
He is listed as being six-feet, two-inches tall and weighing 200 pounds. He bats left and throws right.
Flewelling plays for the Sylvan Lake Gulls of the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL). Last October, he joined the Canadian national baseball team and took part in the fall instructional league camp held in the Dominican Republic.
So far this summer, according to WCBL stats, he’s batting .329 with 21 runs and 19 RBI, five homeruns, and 15 BB.
Flewelling was ranked 236th on the MLB top 250 draft prospects list and is slated to attend Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.
“We are proud of you Nathan and we look forward to following your baseball career for years to come,” the Gulls and St. Joseph High School posted on their social media.
