ST. PETERSBURG, Fla – Windsor, Ont., has a long history of producing elite athletes.
Jake Lumley may soon be a name you can add to that list.
The 17-year-old plies his trade with the Windsor Selects Under-18 team of the Premier Baseball League of Ontario, and is one of 32 invitees to Team Canada’s junior national camp this week.
Competing against the best players in the country in his age group, Lumley feels he is ready for the challenge.
“I think I stack up pretty well with the other guys at this camp. They’re obviously all good players but I think I’m doing alright and fitting in pretty well being one of the younger guys here,” Lumley said outside the dugout prior to batting practice.
Named Baseball Ontario’s Adult Player of the Year in 2010, Lumley is no stranger to the spotlight, but his talents extend far beyond the baseball diamond.
An honour roll student at Holy Names High School, Lumley balances a schedule that includes several university preparatory courses while maintaining a level on the diamond that has him rated as one of the brightest young stars in Canadian baseball.
He’s not your typical teenager.
Lumley’s vice principle, Joanne Chiandussi, gives a glowing report of the young second baseman.
“He’s a very mature young man and a very hard worker and a very good student, he doesn’t give us any grief that’s for sure,” she said.
“He’s a great example of a student athlete. The kid probably had an average of around 85 in very demanding academic courses. He’s taking university biology, chemistry, math. These are not easy subjects and yet he can walk away with great marks like it’s nobody’s business, so academically he’s very strong and he can achieve anything he puts his mind to. He’s the type of student that can manage his time well enough to balance everything.”
Lumley is a very reserved young man. Rather than being loud or boastful, he lets his actions both on the field and in the classroom speak for themselves.
“He’s a very kind person, not cocky by any stretch” said Chiandussi.
“Here’s a kid that plays at an elite level and he has one day absent and it’s for a sporting event. He has near perfect attendance and playing where he does, I think that speaks volumes. He’s a great role model for his peers and the younger students. He’s a true example of an exceptional student athlete.”
Jake Lumley is a class act and a great mentor to our youth. An excelllect student athlete that shows great baseball spirit internally and out. His work ethic is second to none and his passion for the game cannot be toaught. I am proud to have coached him while he was a young man of 10 for a short while for a weekend. I have seen him continuously develop with class and dignity through the years and wish him the best of success in his future schooling and great baseball years.
Rick Prior