By JOE McFARLAND

Before every one of his starts, you will see Reece Hemmerling grab a pendant around his neck, look up at the sky and say four words.

“I love you, Dad.”

It’s a new pre-game ritual for the Beaumont, Alberta product, after his father passed away in November.

The pendant matches a tattoo that Hemmerling had etched on his arm, featuring an anchor that represents how his dad, Troy, was the anchor of the family, and a grey ribbon representing Glioblastoma Cancer awareness.

But it’s more than just symbolism for the young hurler.

“The cool thing about the pendant is that it has some of my dad’s ashes inside of it,” Hemmerling told Alberta Dugout Stories.

“He is always with me when I pitch.”

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That fatherly presence has proven to be formidable, as the hard-throwing right-hander is 2-1 with a 3.93 ERA in five appearances at Barton Community College, striking out 21 batters in 20-plus innings.

Most impressively, Hemmerling threw a seven-inning complete game against North Iowa Area Community College on March 1st, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out six in a 6-0 victory.

For his efforts, he was named the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference West Pitcher of the Week.

UNDERDOG MENTALITY

Whether it’s working on the science of pitching and his mechanics to limit his walks, or taking a multitude of classes – including trigonometry, basic nutrition, health and chemistry – as he chases his academic and career goals around physical therapy, Hemmerling seems like he’s always looking at what’s next.

Hemmerling is clearly driven, something that might have been born out of being smaller than some of the other pitchers on his team – an underdog.

“Growing up, it wasn’t easy to make teams because of my height,” said the 6-foot, 165-pound righthander. “I almost quit baseball in my senior year because I got cut from a team in the Edmonton area.”

[Alumni of the Week: Reece Hemmerling]

Reece spun a CG shutout for Barton CC on the weekend, punching out 6 while allowing just 3 hits! @ReeceHemmerling #Alumni #AHPFamily pic.twitter.com/VDwdiq0ioe
— St. Albert AHP Baseball Academy (@AcademyAhp) March 5, 2024

Instead of hanging up his spikes, he tried out for another team and made it, fueling his desire to reach for the highest level of baseball he could achieve.

With the help of Taylor Burns and the team at Absolute Human Performance in St. Albert, he says his work ethic and talent came together to attract Barton.

“They’ve grown me as a person and an athlete,” he said. “Without their help, I wouldn’t be a college athlete. It’s been amazing and I can’t thank them enough.”

A FINE FRESHMAN SEASON

Hemmerling is coming off a solid freshman season with the Cougars, going 6-2 with a save in 17 appearances (including nine starts), posting a 4.77 ERA and 55 strikeouts in nearly 55 innings of work.

Happy with how he adjusted to the college life, he noted an increase in his fastball velocity, which was something he was hoping to improve.

“I’ll give myself an A-minus,” the St. Francis Xavier product told Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast in the fall. “I did pretty good as a freshman and grinded, but I want to be a lot better next year.”

After suiting up for the Edmonton Riverhawks of the West Coast League in the summer and then heading back to Barton for school and some baseball showcases in the fall, Hemmerling received the tragic news about his dad.

“Rest easy, Dad,” he said in an Instagram tribute. “You were the greatest father, provider and human being. You were my best friend and biggest role model.”

He went on to praise his father for battling hard and showed gratitude that he was no longer in pain, promising that he would make his pops proud.

MAKING DAD PROUD

Hemmerling acknowledges that his first start of the spring college season didn’t go as he had hoped.

He allowed three runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout in his one inning of work in what turned into a 14-7 win over Rose State College on Feb. 9.

“After that, I told myself that it can’t happen again,” said the 20-year-old.

After two relief appearances, he found himself back in the starter’s role, posting the win over North Iowa Area.

“It was awesome to throw a complete game this early in the season,” the sophomore continued. “This was my first collegiate complete game and it was a shutout as well, so it was a huge accomplishment and I plan to throw more of those throughout the season.”

Barton's Hemmerling pitches way to KJCCC West’s Week Five honor #GoBarton https://t.co/95VUcn0tqZ
— Barton Sports (@BartonSports) March 10, 2024

While he wasn’t able to replicate that performance in his next start, a 4-3 loss to Butler Community College on March 6th, he was still solid in allowing four runs on four hits with two walks and six strikeouts in six-plus innings.

“I have bounced back pretty well,” Hemmerling said. “I’m super-happy to see success but obviously I won’t ever be satisfied with how well I am doing because I can always get better.”

As he weighs his options for potential four-year schools, the fireballer believes the key to his success is his mental maturation, as he feels more focused and able to block out any negativity that comes his way.

If he’s ever in doubt, Hemmerling says he will always be able to ground himself again by grabbing his pendant and looking to the sky.

“I told my dad before he passed away that I would continue to make him proud,” he said. “I know he’s watching down on me with a huge smile.”