It didn’t take long for Calum Andersen to etch his name into Vauxhall Academy lore.
As a 15-year-old in April 2024, the right-hander twirled the program’s second five-inning perfect game, striking out 10 in an 11-0 win over AHP Academy Black.
The only other person to do it: Western Canadian Baseball League Pitcher of the Year Levi Abbott in 2018.
Pretty good company for the Calgary-born Andersen, who has continued to build on his resume in the last 18 months or so, helping the Jets win games and tournaments while going on to represent Canada at the Prep Baseball Future Games and Team Alberta at the Canada Summer Games.
The 6-foot-4, 185-pound pitcher then put in a solid showing at the Blue Jays Academy Canadian Futures Showcase and turned enough heads to get the invite to the Baseball Canada Junior National Team’s Dominican Fall Instructional League roster in a couple of weeks.
Andersen joined us earlier in the season for an episode of Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast, and was gracious enough to answer a few more questions via text to bring us the latest 1 Thru 9.
1. How excited are you to join Baseball Canada’s Junior National Team at the Dominican Fall Instructional Camp?
I am really excited about making JNT. It is something everyone dreams about doing and to be able to get the opportunity to do, it is something I’m really pumped up for and I’m happy I’m able to share it with some of my Vauxhall teammates.
2. What did it mean to you to get that call or email saying you were invited?
It was the best feeling in the whole world. You work really hard to even get the chance to be in the conversation of Team Canada and to know it’s starting to pay off feels amazing.
3. What did it mean to you to be named top pitcher at the Future Stars Series event?
Being named top pitcher at the future stars event was a huge honour. To be invited to play and compete at this event was a privilege I fully recognized! To be able to play with some of the top competition in the country then able to showcase my skills was a great privilege.
4. What was key to your success there?
For me, my key to success is trusting my stuff. Trusting my stuff is simple for me, I know I have put in the time and the preparation to pitch. So I just go out there and have fun.
5. You also got to take part in the Canadian Futures Showcase this September. What was that experience like for you?
It was absolutely incredible! To be at Rogers Centre, the home of the Blue Jays, to be in their dugout and bullpen, and on their field: it was unbelievable. Standing on the mound it was insane. I couldn’t believe I was there. Definitely one of the best things I’ve ever been apart of.
6. Not only that, but you also played for Alberta at the Canada Summer Games. What did it mean to you to represent Alberta at a unique event like that?
To play for Team Alberta … it was awesome. It was super surreal to put on the white-and-blue jersey and to be able to compete against the top talent in Canada. Being in Newfoundland was also super exciting. I’ve never been to the east coast, so I was super happy to get out there. The athlete’s village was also amazing. It was such a cool vibe and being to hangout with different athletes from different provinces was awesome and I met some different people.
7. Take us back to that perfect game at the Prairie Baseball Academy tournament. What was working for you that day?
During the game, until the third inning, I realized that I wasn’t going out of the stretch, I was out of the full the whole time. I was like, “Oh this is kind of unusual.” Yeah, that game, it was like if I wanted a fastball on the outside corner, it was right there. I could just throw whatever pitch with absolute conviction. I thought it was just baseball feeling really easy that day.
8. On the flipside, we all know baseball is a game of failure. What’s been the biggest challenge or hurdle you’ve had to overcome over your young journey to this point?
I would say just trying to play up with being so young. All those guys have more experience and have seen good stuff and have played good baseball. So you need to play to their level and play above that.
9. For those kids wanting to get to where you’re at now, what’s that one piece of advice or words of wisdom you would like to impart upon them?
I would say just to always have the ability to let go. If you have a bad outing, it’s not the end of the world. Just let go and forget because you will always have more ahead of you.
