By Justin Cuthbert @jccuthbert
SPECIAL TO SPORTSNET.CA
CLEARWATER, FL — At Vauxhall Academy, a better person means a better player.
Edmonton native Steven Inch is a 22-year-old minor-league relief pitcher in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, and the most celebrated graduate of the Vauxhall Baseball Academy in Southern Alberta, a program dedicated to producing elite baseball players who are challenged to strive for excellence in the classroom.
Inch is the highest major-league draft selection in the school’s history after being chosen in the sixth round by the Phillies.
The former member of the Canadian National Junior Team is slated to close for the Class-A Lakewood BlueClaws of the South Atlantic League this season.
In 22 appearances least year, Inch sported a 3.74 ERA with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.5-to-1.
He credits his experience at the private school for instilling upon him a strong moral character and a dedication to academics.
“They don’t promote that they are going to get you drafted into professional baseball,” the right-hander said. “There, you are a student athlete or else you’re not going to be able to play at the school.”
He credits the teachers, coaches and staff at Vauxhall for building personal relationships, and putting forth an unwavering effort to help students achieve their full potential.
Inch recounts teachers holding study sessions at their homes on weekends and receiving a congratulatory text message from his math teacher after being drafted.
Passion for academics
Despite his passion for academics, Inch turned down a scholarship from the University of Kentucky to play baseball, instead opting to sign a professional contract with the Phillies.
However, Inch has since enrolled at the University of Alberta and is working towards a degree in education.
“A plan B is never a bad thing,” Inch said, at the Phillies’ minor league complex. “It gives me some sanity, too.
“You play baseball and you’re so focused on it for eight months a year. It’s kind of nice to be a normal person.”
“Once a Jet, always a Jet,” is the Vauxhall saying, and Inch relishes the role of mentoring and inspiring other young ball players. He tries to visit the Academy two or three times a year to speak with new players and old coaches.
Les McTavish is the head coach and Director of Baseball Operations at Vauxhall, and was extremely influential in shaping Inch into an elite baseball player with a passion for education.
“He really matured as a young man when he was here,” McTavish said.
“The baseball side takes care of itself, but he was able, at a young age, to move away from home, learn how to balance school, learn how to balance nutrition, learn how to balance conditioning, as well as baseball, when you don’t have mom or dad around.”
At the age of 16, Inch was never reluctant in his decision to move five hours from his family to enroll at Vauxhall. He had then decided that he wanted to be a baseball player.
McTavish believes Inch is the perfect role model for young Canadian baseball players as he has embodied what is truly means to be a student athlete and more importantly, a Vauxhall Jet.
With that, Inch was dealt the greatest compliment.
“Being what he envisioned is an honour. It really is. A large credit goes to him, his program and his staff that kind of molded me into his vision,“ said Inch.
