Tyson Trosckinski catching for NJCAA's Blue Knights

The flow of Sudbury and area baseball talent south of the border is beginning to become an annual occurrence.

The latest local teen to make the jump is Hanmer native Tyson Trosckinski, a catcher who signed a National Letter of Intent earlier this year with Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount, Minnesota.

The graduate of Bishop Alexander Carter Catholic Secondary School will begin his career with the Blue Knights in August, joining a team which competes in the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association).

"Finding a school that is right for me was the hardest part," said Troscinski at a Letter Signing ceremony last month at Skater's Edge Source for Sports. "I was looking for a two-year school, which allows me to play in my first year."

Potentially. The Blue Knights will have freshman Jack Piram returning for his second year in the fall, and have signed three catchers, including Troscinski, who will battle it out for the opportunity to split time with the incumbent as the team faces a number of double-headers on their schedule.

Though Troscinski was initially introduced to baseball on a local setting, it was a move to Toronto, signing on with the Ontario Premier Baseball League, that would ultimately set the table for his move to the States.

"In Toronto, it was the best baseball league for 16 to 18 year olds in the province," said Troscinski. "You have to test yourself against that. You have to set your goals high, and see how you fare."

Tinkering with various positions over the years, Troscinski eventually settled on catcher, giving him a regular look at the pitches that were more likely to cause him trouble when he stepped into the batter's box.

"Everyone can hit speed," said Troscinski. "For me, as a catcher, I always found it more difficult to adjust, as a hitter, to the breaking ball or off-speed stuff."

That said, he has worked closely with Baseball Academy founder and former NCAA catcher Jean-Gilles Larocque in developing his game.

Dakota County head coach Trent Seaman, now entering his second full year with the Blue Knights, reached out to Larocque to fill a specific need for the school, located roughly 20 minutes south of Minneapolis-St Paul.

"We were looking for a catcher to come right in and compete for a starting position," noted Seaman in a media release issued by the Baseball Academy. "After Tyson came for a visit this winter, it confirmed everything that the video had shown."

"Tyson will definitely help our program. He has put on some good mass, and gotten stronger, which will only complement his hitting and ability to catch," added Seaman.