Befitting a baseball player, Lucas Chappell handled the change-up with poise.
While his fellow Holy Rosary High School graduates bound for post-secondary athletics had already finalized their college and university plans, June 4 truly was commitment day for Chappell.
Read more: AJHL expands playoffs, adds new all-star game
Just hours before officially signing to play junior college baseball at Three Rivers College in Missouri, the 17-year-old catcher from Lloydminster joined an athletic crop of Holy Rosary students for a school ceremony celebrating their post-secondary intentions.
Chappell had just switched his baseball commitment from one junior college (JUCO) Division 1 school to another, as he opted for Three Rivers instead of Pratt Community College in Kansas.
Although correspondence leading up to the signing celebration had linked him to Pratt, Chappell inked his scholarship offer from Three Rivers before the day ended.
“It’s been a busy couple of weeks here, just talking with coaches and finalizing it and getting ready to head down (to Missouri) in mid-August,” Chappell said.
“Three Rivers is a well-known program, and they have a good history of winning records and everything.”
John MacNeil – Meridian Source
Chappell had committed to Pratt last fall, but he decided to alter his baseball path this spring after coaching changes at the Kansas school left him uncertain about his future with Pratt.
“I think I just kind of rushed my decision to go with Pratt, back in November,” he said. “But I think I made the right decision, going to Missouri now. It’ll be a good step.
“The campus is pretty nice. They’ve got a nice facility, nice field, good coaching. It looks like a good spot. It’s definitely nice knowing that Three Rivers, they’ve got belief in me. They were willing to send a scholarship offer.”
Chappell signed the deal on a day that began with the Holy Rosary gathering and ended with his baseball practice in Edmonton and his announcement about his new commitment.
He had verbally agreed to attend Three Rivers after encouraging talks with the coach of the Poplar Bluff, Mo., program. They built a connection through social media. Chappell had posted clips of his progress this spring with the ATHX Redhawks, an Edmonton academy team, and from this school year with Going Yard Baseball Academy of Saskatoon.
Before returning home this spring to graduate with his friends at Holy Rosary, Chappell spent his senior year of high school at Holy Cross in Saskatoon, while training, travelling and playing with the Going Yard Goats varsity team.
John MacNeil – Meridian Source
Along with developing his catching and hitting techniques, Chappell also made appreciable gains in the gym, making him that much more of an intriguing prospect for college scouts.
“Yeah, it was a big step this winter,” he said. “I gained 15 or 20 pounds. I was definitely pretty small last year.
“(The year at Going Yard) helped a lot. I’ve got to give credit to my billets. They fed me really well and gave me a good spot to live. It was a good opportunity.
“The (Goats’) weight-room guy, Brody Boyenko, did a really good job with us in the gym, making sure that we were there and always getting our lifts in. Pushing us, really.”
Now measuring in at about six feet and between 180 and 185 pounds, Chappell had already accelerated his progress in the classroom. He took a heavy courseload at Holy Rosary in his Grade 11 year, and three classes in the first semester this year at Holy Cross, freeing up his schedule for baseball training and travel this semester.
“I’ve liked my time here,” he said about his years at Holy Rosary. “It’s been fun, and they helped me a lot with my schooling stuff, to get it transferred over (to Saskatoon) and then to come back and make sure everything is fit to graduate. I appreciate them doing that. It meant a lot.”
Wearing a cross around his neck, Chappell said Holy Rosary has given him a strong foundation in multiple ways.
“I found it in my dresser somewhere and I started wearing it. Going to Holy, I’ve kind of been around that Christian stuff quite a while. Yeah, I think it helped me probably more than I know.”
Baseball-wise, he also credits the Border City for much of his early development.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without Lloyd. Bulldogs Baseball Academy, I went there for a long time. It built me into a player, fundamentally. Just needed to get the size on and fix up a little bit of metrics and all that.”
Now, he’s right at home behind the plate, his most natural position for a decade.
“There are photos of me from when I was pretty young and I was catching even then,” Chappell said with a smile. “I always kind of stuck with it since I was young. Just after T-ball, I think. Nobody wanted to be catcher, really, and I just stepped forward and said I would catch. I’ve always liked the position.
“I’d say hitting is one of my better traits, and then obviously defence is really important as a catcher. So, I focus on those two a lot. I’d say IQ plays a big role, as well.”
John MacNeil – Meridian Source
His fluid catching and timely hitting have been on display this year, from Going Yard’s trip to Arizona in March to ATHX’s recent run through two major events. After playing in the Langley Blaze tournament in British Columbia, the Redhawks participated in the Road to Okotoks qualifier at Lethbridge for the ground-breaking Morneau Cup national championship in July.
ATHX narrowly missed one of the Prairies’ four qualifying berths.
“We came up short in the (quarter-finals), though,” Chappell said. “It was tough, especially with it being my last year (of eligibility) for it.
“We had a pretty good run. We were strong in pool play, going 3-1, and then we ran into Sylvan Lake in the quarters and faced a good (pitching) arm. He kind of shut us down.”
The Redhawks continue their spring and summer season for about one more month, including a trip to Washington State University in mid-July.
Chappell spent last summer with the 18U AAA Sherwood Park Dukes in the Baseball Alberta Elite League (BAEL), before suiting up with academy teams this year in Saskatoon and Edmonton. He’s accustomed to life on the road and occasionally bunking with teammates.
“It was tough at first, but I think it paid off,” he said. “It’s definitely worth it. Sometimes you have to take the next step and sometimes it takes leaving home and going to the better spot.
“It was kind of tough, not being with my (Lloyd) buddies for my last year of high school, but it’s good to be back for the final two months to spend time with them before I head down to college.”
Chappell has big dreams that go beyond junior college baseball.
“I’m hoping to perform at the JUCO level and see what comes out of it,” he said. “Whether it’s (NCAA) D1 or D2, I’m just looking for the best option after.
“Playing at that level would mean a lot, honestly. That’s probably the biggest goal, even as a child. You see those guys on TV and you just think that’s so cool.”
His favourite Major League Baseball player has always been Cody Bellinger, most recently of the New York Yankees.
“I loved his swing, and he was really fun to watch young in his career,” Chappell said.
Read more: Fabulous Fink shatters three records
