“Each year the job of the selection committee gets harder and harder,” said Charlie Smith, ISC Treasurer and Chairman of the CFF Committee, adding that the applications from Baker and Lewis “were the ones that stood out this year.”
Baker is enrolled in his first year in a four-year Bachelor of Sports Management Degree program at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, and hopes to land a job in the sports industry. Ideally he would end up working in the not-for-profit sector, and potentially within a minor sports organization.
Baker played fastball starting at the age of five in the house league system for four seasons, before moving up to the rep program and would go on to play for Team Canada at last summer’s U19 Junior Men’s World Championship in Whitehorse, Yukon.
A strong utility player whose athleticism enables him to play infield, outfield or pitch, Baker has also participated in the ISC Canada East U21 Championship and he has already competed in the ISC men’s division, as well.
Michael Lewis attends the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri and is in his second year of a Sports Management Program. Lewis’ love for the game started very early in life, following in the footsteps of his father who played in many ISC World Tournaments with Michael in attendance as a son and fan.
Lewis has been a member of the two-time ISC U21 champion Midland Junior Explorers and has played in the ISC World Tournament with Fargo Kegel Black Knights. His work as team manager for the women’s softball team at Missouri enables him to work closely with head coach Ehren Earleywine, a former ISC All-World player and U.S. National Team member.
This is the second consecutive year that Lewis has been a recipient of the CFF Scholarship Award.
“Both Baker and Lewis show us that the future of ISC fastball is in good hands in the years going forward,” said Smith.
The Carrol Forbes Foundation was established in 1995 in memory of ISC founder Carrol Forbes (1909-1982) and has provided funding since 2006 for youth development programs. Its mission is “to invest in the future of the great sport of fastball.”
The ISC is a non-profit association for the promotion and administration of men’s and boy’s fastball throughout North America and the CFF Scholarship Program is just one of the many ways we are striving to promote the game on and off the field.
For additional information, please contact
Joe Todd
ISC VP Communications
Ingersoll, Ontario
ftode739@rogers.com