Gare Kobsar is doing a lot of travelling these days and that is just fine with the 18-year-old baseball player from Quesnel.
“It’s pretty exciting,” Kobsar said.
Exciting for sure as Kobsar travels to Regina to take part in the national major midget AAA baseball championships as a member of Team BC and later this month will travel to Victoria for the Western Canadian Championships to defend last year’s title.
Given Kobsar’s statistics this year with the Victoria Marlins, coaches of the provincial major midget baseball team had every reason to include the slugger from Quesnel on their roster.
This year, as a senior at Lambrick Park secondary school, Kobsar posted some impressive numbers, including a .425 batting average, 24 stolen bases and two home runs, one of which was a grand slam.
Compared to last year, where Kobsar’s batting average hovered around .200, this year stands as a break out year for Kobsar.
The former catcher credits his switch to right field at the beginning of the season and spending the off season in the gym and the batting cage under the watchful eye of coach Rocky Vitale for his emergence at the plate.
“I have more power now and my hands are quicker,” he said.
The move to right field, Kobsar said, was a good decision by the coaches.
“As a catcher you have to be perfect, you can’t miss a ball,” he said.
“There’s a lot of pressure.
“Moving to right field I was more comfortable, more relaxed during the game and that helped me at the plate.”
With his new found skill at the plate, Kobsar is looking forward to this next month.
First up are the national championships in Regina, Aug. 17 – 23, where Kobsar will be starting in right field as a member of Team BC and he is clear as to what his role will be with the team.
“A run producer,” he said with a smile.
Kobsar knows the competition will be stiff and opposing players will try to use any tactic to gain an advantage, including trash talk.
With that in mind, Kobsar knows to be successfull he will have to ignore the talk and focus on his game.
“I have to stay cool,” he said.
Following the national championships, Kobsar travels to Victoria to suit up with his Marlins teammates as they host the Western Canadian championships, Aug. 25 – 29.
Last year, Kobsar and his Victoria Marlins teammates won the Western Canadian championships after taking the B.C. championships.
Although the Marlins lost eight veterans this year, Kobsar believes the Marlins still have a shot at repeating as Western Canadian champions.
“It’s going to be tough, we’re not as deep in pitching,” Kobsar explained.
“But we have a good shot.”
Once the summer ball season is over, Kobsar heads to Glendive, Montana in September to attend Dawson College on a baseball scholarship.
“Coach Vitale said Dawson College would be a good fit for me,” Kobsar said of a $4,000 scholarship the college allowed him to cover half of his tuition expenses.
“Glendive is a small town and coach thought that would be good for me.”
“I’m pretty excited about going there,” Kobsar said.
While at Dawson College, Kobsar will take courses in law and criminology which he hopes will eventually lead to a degree in law or law enforcement.
Although Kobsar has an eye on his education, he also has an eye on the big leagues and dreams one day of lacing up his spikes for the Los Angeles Angels, his favourite Major League Baseball team.
“If I play hard in college I think I have a good chance of getting drafted,” Kobsar said with an air of confidence.
With his move to Glendive just over a month away, Kobsar reflected on the help he has received over the years that got him to where he is today.
“I have to thank coach Pat Jones,” Kobsar started.
“I don’t think I would’ve been as good as I was going to Victoria if it hadn’t been for him.”
Kobsar also tipped his hat to Vitale who coached him for the last two years with the Victoria Marlins and saved the best for last with a nod to his mom and dad, Rhonda and Gary.
For Gary, Gare’s success was almost a given from the day he began to play baseball.
“From the day he started playing baseball, Gare has been serious about playing baseball,” Gary said.
Indeed it is obvious Gare takes the game of baseball seriously, but at the same time it is also obvious he very much enjoys playing baseball and going to Dawson College is just one more opportunity.
“It’s going to be a big change, I’m going to be on my own,” he said.
“But I’m excited about playing baseball.”