Local Baseball player named U18 AA Player of the Year

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

From Strathmore to Calgary, Jonathan Rilling spent his 2021 U18 AA season tearing up the leagues, earning himself Baseball Alberta’s Player of the Year award.

Rilling clarified that it’s the highest award a player can achieve at that level and said he’s proud to have been named for the award. 

“It’s a pretty big thing that I won and I’m pretty honoured to have it. I’ve worked hard for it,” said Rilling.

“This baseball season is actually one of the best I’ve had. I played probably the best season I’ve ever played and my team ended up winning the Tier 1 provincials for U18.”

Rilling played the season with the Calgary Cardinals, beginning in the Tier 2 bracket and having worked their way up to play in Tier 1. 

He added one of the highlights of the season for him was pitching his team to victory in Edmonton to move them up into Tier 1, before making their Cinderella run as the underdogs up the ranks.

The Cardinals went on to be victorious in the U18 AA Tier 1 provincial championships.

“I’m happy for my team that we were able to do that and I was able to play my last year with one of my favorite coaches. That was also a pretty big thing for me,” said Rilling.

“I just performed better than I thought I could. I hit for a high average, I had a few homeruns, I hit lead off all games, I didn’t sit a game, I started every single game.”

The road to victory was not without its challenges. Rilling explained in the final few weeks of the season, he pushed through a back injury which impeded his pitch and his swing as the season drew closer to its conclusion.

“I just had to deal with it because I knew the team needed me.”

Rilling said his love for the game began early in his childhood, as he was introduced to the sport by his dad at the age of five and has simply played ever since.

The enjoyment, he added, comes from the “competition and focus” he finds when he’s in the dugouts and on the field.

“I played T-ball up until now and most of my years I played in Strathmore. In 2020 was the first time I left Strathmore (to play),” said Rilling.

“I just really enjoy it. It’s relaxing to me and it’s kind of different than all other sports. It’s slower paced … not all people like that about baseball but I really enjoy that.”

Rilling now waits on responses from post-secondary facilities where he submitted a video of his performance on the field, from which he hopes to earn a scholarship. 

He added he aims to continue to play either in Alberta or in the United States while he continues his education.