He conquered the Pacific Rim in 2009 and now Lawrence Park CI alumnus Jordan Glover continues his pursuit of major league baseball in the Coastal Plains League.
Playing for Edenton Steamers in North Carolina, the Eastern Michigan University student is experiencing just what it means to be All-American on the diamond, especially when it comes to the culture of sports south of the border.
“All through high school it’s all about sports. People in a small town all come to games,” said Glover, who last year played in a summer league in Hawaii.
“Down south it’s pretty crazy. There are 5,000 people in the town I’m living in and yet over a thousand fans at a game.”
Glover has been perspiring on the mound, heading into a crucial Coastal league game against Wilson Tobs with a zero ERA and three walks.
Eastern Michigan Eagles have also had ample success making it to the semi-finals in the Mid-American Conference, only to lose 9-8 to Kent State in the bottom of the 10th inning.
One would have thought that with Edenton and EMU, the experience of sun and surf in the Aloha State would have kept the flow of knowledge alive for the young pitcher.
Not so.
“The baseball wasn’t all that good and people just wanted to see the beach,” he said.
No matter.
Ranked eighth in the nation with Edenton, Glover has learned a boatload to get his name highlighted by MLB scouts.
“I’d love to get drafted. That’s what I’ve been working so hard for. The level of competition is unbelievable down here.”
Even Glover’s stepfather, Alan Crossley noted the sense of passion with sports is electrifying.
“It’s really quite shocking to be honest with you because you know the baseball games he was playing here in Toronto you get some of the parents coming out to watch,” he said, “whereas down there Edenton’s team, they’re celebrities.
“At one point some kid gave him a baseball and he autographed it, talked to him, and the kid walked off beaming.”
Once the Coastal League wraps up, Glover will be on his way back to Toronto for a brief reprieve before returning to university to continue his regiment of baseball-school-baseball-sleep.
Crossley couldn’t be more impressed with his stepson’s dedication.
“Jordan’s passed up a lot of stuff over the years: parties, girlfriends, all kinds of stuff,” he said. “But it really makes you proud to see he can prioritize all this and put in great schoolwork.
“He’s matured a lot being away with older kids, learning about the pressures of being on the road and not letting the good times go too much to your head.”