A diamond is forever for Team Manitoba baseball player

When Noah Geekie started the long process of qualifying to play baseball for Manitoba in the 2017 Canada Summer Games about 2½ years ago, something clicked.

"Once I started trying out for this team, I thought this is what I want and this is what I want to do, said the 17-year-old from Strathclair, Man. "That's when it really took over."

He'd spent most of his life playing both baseball and hockey, but his family is really a "hockey family," he said.

Both his brothers play hockey. His dad played in the WHL with the Brandon Wheat Kings and Spokane Chiefs. His older brother, Morgan Geekie, was drafted into the NHL by the Carolina Hurricanes this year.

But Geekie shook things up by choosing baseball. This spring he stopped playing hockey for good to focus on the sport.

"I just think I have the extra passion for it," he said. "I love the game. I love hockey, but I mean, I really, really love baseball, and I just love to go out there and play."

It wasn't an easy decision, he said.

"Morgan, he chose hockey, that's what he did. That was his choice," Geekie said. "But I chose baseball and I'm proud of that and so is my family, and that's a good thing."

'Definitely a relief'

Geekie is one of 20 young athletes comprising Team Manitoba's baseball contingent in this year's 2017 Canada Summer Games. The team was announced in May after a more than two-year process to identify competitors.

"To be trying out for that long and having a long process like that, it's definitely a relief — and especially to represent your province at such a big event in your home province, it's going to be pretty exciting," Geekie said.

The qualification process let the teammates get to know each other, Geekie said.

"We've been trying out for this team for the past 2½, three years, so we've gotten to know [each other] way better and we've … bonded together as kind of brothers."

Going into the Games, Geekie said, there's nothing he's not looking forward to.

"The chances of playing in the Canada Games is very slim, but being the home team is even a smaller chance of that," he said. "Definitely the home crowd I'm most excited for."

He's never competed in a national event before.

"I feel like it's just going to fly by so I'm just going to enjoy the moment and see what happens," he said.

Pre-game jitters

Geekie predicted some of the toughest competition might come from larger provinces such as Ontario or Quebec, but he's not going to underestimate any teams.

"Every team's going to be good, you know that coming in. We're just going to have to play our game and see what happens," he said.

He plays on six different baseball teams, with practices or games six days a week, and trains on his own on his days off.

He said the biggest challenge for Manitoba's team will be staying cool under the pressure.

"I feel like just because we'll be the host province we'll have a bit of pre-game jitters, and during the game we're going to be a little nervous," he said.

"But once we get into a few games and into a few innings, I feel like we'll get comfortable and start to be ourselves and start playing like a team."

The Games run from July 28 to Aug. 13 in Winnipeg.