Mackenzie Catto is a man on the move.
The former Victoria Eagle, who left the organization in favour of the Mariners this fall, recently signed a letter of intent to join the UBC Thunderbirds next summer.
At six-foot-nine, 238 pounds, the mountain of a young man is excited about what lies ahead for him as he plans to earn a degree from the institution's Sauder School of Business on his way to what he hopes to be a shot at the major leagues.
He'll do so at a school that has produced the likes of Jeff Francis, who was a dominant left-hander for the T-Birds from 1999-2002.
"I'm excited about the opportunity," said Catto, a 17-year-old Grade 12 student at St. Michael's University School, who transferred from Lambrick Park where he spent his Grade 10 and 11 years. "I'm especially excited because it's a Canadian university so I will be, in a way, representing not just UBC but my country."
Catto - who opted on joining the Mariners this fall to play his final year of junior along with his friends - was first contacted by the T-Birds while playing sa国际传媒 Junior Premier League ball for the Eagles.
"They watched me play a few games on the mainland then invited me to prospects camp a couple of weekends ago."
UBC pitching coach Shawn Corness then expressed interest in Catto joining the school.
"The academic opportunity is fantastic," Mariners manager Mike Chewpoy said of Catto. "I don't think I've ever had a kid go to UBC right out of high school. He's going to do very well there. He wants to take care of his schooling and there really is no better place to do it than right in your own backyard."
Chewpoy is delighted to have the hulking right-hander, who has also worked with local pitching coach Marty Hall, on the mound.
"From what I've seen out of him, there's no reason why he can't be a top-five pitcher in the Premier league, top 10 easily," offered Chewpoy. "He's huge. The upside on this kid is unreal and the ceiling on him could be huge.
"He's throwing like mid80s [miles per hour] and we're working him through a couple of pitches. He's got some real good tools to work with. He has real good velocity and I think, by the end of the year, he can be throwing in the 90s. Our guys have brought a lot of velocity out of a lot of guys in the past and this should be no different," added Chewpoy.
"Mackenzie has a pitcher's body and anything can happen with this kid."
And it will all happen close to home, just a ferry ride away.
"That's a big part of it," said Catto. "It's very close for me and it's not a big deal for my parents to travel across. There's a lot of plus to that and it's a very prestigious university, ranking wise."
