Meet Liam Shortt — the Simcoe ballplayer chasing an OBA title

Powered byWalker Mortgages, your hometown mortgage coach.

Meet Liam Shortt. He is 15, from Simcoe, and he pitches and plays first base for the Simcoe Giants 16U, wearing number 6. Liam has been on a ball diamond since he was four years old, following a family that has played the game for as long as he can remember. Now he is chasing two things at once: an OBA championship and a gold medal at the Ontario Summer Games. Here is his story in his own words.

His Story

Liam did not so much choose baseball as grow up inside it. He has been playing since he was four years old, and he was never the first one in his family to lace up. His older brother was already playing, and so were most of his relatives. The Shortts are a ball family, and Liam was the next one in line. By the time he was old enough to hold a bat, the game was already part of who he was.

His proudest moment so far did not come on a home diamond in Simcoe. It came with a medal around his neck. Liam points to winning the bronze at the Ontario Summer Games as the achievement that means the most to him. The Summer Games bring together the best young athletes from across the province, so earning a spot on that podium is no small thing. For a kid who grew up watching his family play, standing there with hardware was proof he belonged.

Ask Liam who shaped him and the answer is short and steady. His dad, and his coaches throughout the years. There is no single name he leans on. There is a dad who has been there from the start and a string of coaches who kept building him up season after season. That is the kind of foundation that turns a four-year-old at the diamond into a 16U pitcher with real goals.

Story continues below ad

What's Next

On the field, Liam has two clear targets this year. He wants to win an OBA championship, and he wants to win gold at the Ontario Summer Games. He has already tasted that stage with a bronze, and now he is chasing the top step. Those are specific, measurable goals, the kind a player only sets when he believes he can reach them.

Looking further ahead, Liam wants to keep the game going. His goal is to play baseball at the college or university level. For a kid who has been on the diamond since he was four, the dream is simple. Keep playing, keep climbing, and take this game as far as it will go.

Who He's Thanking

When asked who he wanted to thank, Liam started with his parents and his coaches throughout the years, the people who have driven him, taught him, and stuck with him every step. Then he got specific about one person. His brother Jeryn. "I have looked up to him and hoped to be as good as him all my life," Liam said. That is the whole story in one sentence. A little brother chasing the example in front of him, and quietly building his own along the way.