by JAMIE SHANKS of the Weyburn Reviewby JAMIE SHANKS of the Weyburn Review
A lot of radar guns have been aimed at Dustin Emberley lately, but the only ticket the Weyburn baseball player might get is a ticket to the big leagues.
Emberley, 18, recently signed his letter of intent to play for Northwestern State University in Louisiana after being intensively scouted by a number of American college teams. If he is drafted highly enough in Major League Baseball's 50-round amateur draft on June 2, 3 and 4, however, Emberley might be looking at some major-league money - and a chance to play pro ball.
"If I go high enough, I might sign," says Emberley, a right-handed pitcher who currently plays for the Weyburn Midget Beavers of the Regina Optimist League. What remaining time he has is divided between the Weyburn Jr. Indians and Sr. Beavers baseball clubs.
The attention Emberley has been receiving this spring from professional teams and the media culminated at a recent midget game in Regina in which he took the mound in front of a congregation of 11 major league scouting officials.
"There's a little bit of pressure, but it doesn't really bother me. It makes you try a little harder," he says serenely. "It's not a negative for me."
The real pressure will probably come while waiting during next week's draft for what could be the most important phone call of his life, according to Emberley's father Eugene.
"His stomach will be turning, I imagine," adds Eugene, a former pitcher himself and a veteran of several high-calibre western fastball leagues who is now taking some justifiable pride in his son's accomplishments.
"For him to be able to do that is a wonderful thing," Eugene says. "I've played ball all my life I suppose there's nothing we like better to do than go to the ballpark. We wouldn't trade it for anything."
Emberley admits his four-year college agreement has placed him in what is now essentially a win-win situation regardless of the outcome of the draft. His final decision to go to Louisiana came after a barrage of offers earlier this year and two visits to other schools in Maine and Nebraska.
Midget Beavers co-coach Larry Monteyne says that Emberley has managed to keep his cool despite all the attention as of late.
"He seems to take it in stride," Monteyne says. "All the hoopla doesn't seem to have affected him and I think that's good."
He describes Emberley as a self-motivated player with high standards for himself and good technique who has also benefited greatly from his dad's experience and support. That coupled with his talent - "He's always been a natural," says his father. Dustin's natural ability landed him on Team Canada twice and helped them win a Bronze medal at the Worlds in New Brunswick last year.
"Right now I'm more of a power pitcher," says Emberley, whose fastball was recently clocked at 92 miles per hour. "I'm happy with that now."
As for the buzz currently surrounding his chances in the upcoming draft, the young ball player says that his friends actually seem more excited about it than himself, although he does appreciate how fortunate he is.
Emberley's father agrees with the "wait and see" approach. "You always hope for the best," he says.
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