Bowen !sland player expected to go high in upcoming draft THE story going around Bowen Island is that when Matt Huntingford was in Toronto’s Sdsydome Stadium last summer, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston took him to centrefield and asked him how it felt to be standing there. When Matt allowed that he was absolutely thrifled. Gaston, is said to have told the 17-year- old West Van High student: “Well, maybe one day you WILL be here as a piayer.” True in all respects, except it was- n’t Gaston. It was the Jays’ director of Canadian scouting, Bill Byckowski. That hasn’t changed the thrill for the six-fooc and still growing Bowen Islander, who was the 1996 Player of the Year in B.C. amateur baseball. He also is rhe vouth who led who led the unbeaten (9-0) B.C. to the national 18-and-under champi- onship at Waterloo, Ont. The tournament teader at the plate, all he did was bat a mere 500. You don’t usually see numbers like that at any level of baseball. His performance was hardly a fluke. In 60 B.C. Premier League games for the North Shore Twins Jast spring and summir, against opponents from all over the province and Washington, Huntingford batted .455. Invited to try out for ‘Team: Canada, he and eight other B.C. team members made the final 18-man roster for a 15-game barn- storming tour against U.S. college teams, Team USA and the Dominican Republic AllStars. A big step up in competition. Matr played every inning and batted .313. Hardly shabby. In his final high school year, where he’s cooking along with an 82% grade average, hell be 18 on March 5. Abour three months fater will come decision time: the -wragor league draft. Scouts from the Jays, the Dodgers and the Texas Rangers like his style So do half a dozen U.S. colleges. High school cagers prepare for piayofis By Andrew McCredie Gee ts Editor High school hoopsters are up to their hi-cuts into the sccond season as B.C. zone playoffs tipped off this weck -RZFOSS the province. A ran-and-gun of North Shore ieams in the thick cf it: In senier ciple-A ection, three girls’ teams and four * squads are contesting coveted B.C. tournament berihs. On the girls’ side, North Shore league champs Argyle are one of 12 teams chasing five B.C. tournament spots. The Pipers played host to Semeston Monday night, while West Vancouver tray: elled across the inlet to play Kitsilano. Yesterday, Sertinel played a yet-to-be-derer mined opponent jitke the scores tor the Monday night games, info was unavailable to press rime). Action in the zone tour- nament concludes tamorrow through Saturday at West Vancouver Secondary. The B.C. triple-A tourney takes place March 5-8 at Capilane Caidege. In boys’ triple-A action, Arevie, West Van and Carson Graham are set ta) begin action in the Howe Sound tournament Friday at Argyle (as North Shore champs the Pipers play rournament host! Sutherland and Sr. Thomas Aquinas contest for the fourth and) final berth tonight at 8 pam. oar Sutherland. West Van tips-of against Carson at 6:30 p.m. Friday, to be followed by Argyle playing the Suther- land-St.) Thomas Aquinas winner at 8:15 p.m. The Howe Sound tournament winner gets a berth in the B.C. triple-A tournament (GM Piace, Maren 5-8), while the second-place fin- isher plays an Okanagan team for a tourney wildcard berth. Windsor leads the charge in senior girls’ double-A zone tournament action as the Dukes host Seo Thanas Aquinas tonight ar 7:15 p.m. Howe Sound has an oppor- tunity to sneak into the tour- aament, played at Windsor through Saturday, with a win over Elphinstone yesterday. In boys’ double-A action, Howe Sound and Seycove are the two North Shore rep- resentatives ac the zone tour- namenct. The final takes place NEWS photo ARGYLE forward Jenn Wickson (with ball) attempts to Cindy Goodman A WINNING SMILE — Matt Huntingford is the iatest North Shore Twins’ product te catch the eye of major league baseball scouts. The Bowen Island 17-year-old says getting drafted would be “a dream come true.” If drafted, he doesn’t expect to go as high as Sechelt pitcher Ryan Dempster, taken by the Rangers in the third round avo years ago and handed a $200,000 bonus to turn pro. Since traded to Miami Marlins, Dempster’s scheduled to move up from single-A to double-A ball this season, Given the Chris Meares or Simon Pond sce- narios, Huntingford will likely rake the full-ride scholarship offer from Central Arizona, where the sun shines the year round. And where he won't have to head for an old warehouse near the Second Narrows bridge to take vatting prac- tice. Pitcher Meares was dratted a year ago by the Mariners in the fifth round; infielder Pond in the eighth round by the Expos in 1994. Both signed for much smaller bonuses, but with education guarantees — common practice these days — built into their contracts. What they and Matt have in common is that they're all graduates of the North Shore Twins basebali program. Dave Empey isn’t exactly running a baseball factory in North Van. More of a cottage indus- try. It’s said that those who can, do. Thase who can’t, teach. Or become sports reporters and write about it. Dave reversed the process. He once wrote sports at The Vanconver Sun, then quit to become a rock promoter with partner Paul Gemino. He’s also a coach and teacher in his favorite game. His approach with the Twins is refresh- ing: “What we're doing here is player develop- ment. We don’t worry too much about won-lost records. The big thing is to get the kids to another level.” Imagine that Winning isn’t everything. Or the only thing. it’s incidental. The Twins don’t keep statistics. Empey says they’re misleading. Of the kid from Bowen, he says: “He has fine potential. Also 2 brain. And he listens. The scouts like his quick hands. If he goes to Arizona and works hard, he has a future in the game.” Historically, pro ball has never been over- loaded with Canadians. For the same reason hockey isn’t teeming with Mexican players. It’s all about climare. In January Empey and Gemino opened a baseball school in their rented North Van warehouse. The current enrollment is 25. Videos, a batting cage, bright lighting. “We're trving to bring California indoors.” Or Arizona, where Huntingford is almost certain to go following the World Junior Championships in Atlantic Canada this summer. And where he hopes to add 15 pounds of muscle, improve already decent speed and keep hitting those sin- ules and doubles from the left side of the plate. As for the major league draft: “I certainly don’t see myself as a first rounder. PH be thrilled if } see my name anywhere in the draft. It'd be a dream come true.” mo” pn a le NEWS photo Paul McGrath evade West Vancouver's Samantha Haladner during the senior girls’ North Shore fina! last week. Argyle outpaced the Highlanders 75-62. Both teams, along with Sentinel, are currently playing in the 8.C. tripie-A zone taurnament. Saiurday at Howe Sound. The top team qualifies for the B.C. double-A tourna: ment March 5-8. In single-A_ girls’ action, Collingwood beat Pember- ton 52-34 last week to qual fy for the B.C. single A tour nament in’ Reremeas Feb. 27-March 1. Likewise, the West Van private schools senior boys’ team will play in their B.C. tournament -- at Prince George March 5-8.