Scott Diamond isn’t in the major leagues yet, but the former Bearcats pitcher may play alongside some of the globe’s best talent in this spring’s World Baseball Classic.
Diamond, a 22-year-old left-handed starter, has been selected to Canada’s provisional roster — along with names like Jason Bay and Justin Morneau — for the second installment of the 16-team tournament, scheduled for March.
The Ontario native isn’t sure he’ll beat out 22 others for one of 13 available spots for pitchers, but he considers his selection to the provisional roster an honor in itself.
“To be honest, I think [my chances] are kind of low, but just the opportunity to be named on such a list is special to me and my family,” said Diamond, who pitched for the Bearcats from 2005-07.
Diamond said growing up he had always been in the picture for Team Canada, but never received a formal invitation. His professional debut last year for the Atlanta Braves organization likely opened some eyes wider: he posted a 2.89 ERA in 24 starts between Low-A and High-A.
Diamond, who stands at 6 feet 3 inches, will likely begin this year at Double-A, putting him within legitimate reach of the big leagues.
“That’s the main goal, start off in Double-A and either finish above that or finish the season there,” Diamond said. “It’s been a hell of a journey getting up here; it’s like you’re that close to your dream. Why not keep fighting and give it everything you can? There’s always that possibility of getting that September call-up. That’s my motivation — to have that opportunity.”
Diamond’s major league dream could prevent him from playing in the WBC. If the tournament impacts his ability to ready himself for pitching every five days during the regular season, Diamond said he would not participate.
“I haven’t talked to the Braves officials about it yet,” Diamond said. “The biggest concern of mine is that if it does potentially affect my upcoming season, to the point that it affects me in the starting rotation, then you got to kind of weigh the risks with the concerns.”
Workouts to determine who makes the cut will be held in Canada. The roster will be finalized by Feb. 24, with Canada’s first game scheduled for March 7.
The WBC was created by Major League Baseball and is held every four years. The event is intended to promote baseball internationally by pitting the best professionals from different leagues worldwide against one another.
After Diamond’s season with the Braves ended in the fall, he returned to the Binghamton area to continue his education at Binghamton University. He used BU’s facilities and worked with the school’s conditioning staff over the winter.
BU head coach Tim Sinicki said Diamond’s advancement in the professional ranks and his presence in the area are both positives for Bearcats baseball.
“It’s a real feather in the cap for the program to be able to see one of our former players participating in that event or selected to the roster,” Sinicki said. “It’s not a surprise. Scott has always worked hard … to have him around, he can’t do much with us in terms of drills, but allowing him to use the facilities to a point where our guys can see how hard he’s working is definitely a very valuable thing.”
After taking classes this fall, Diamond remains a semester shy of earning his undergraduate degree. On the field, he earned 14 wins in 37 starts in his time with BU — team highs during that period.
“I credit a lot to what I learned at BU,” Diamond said. “And everything that’s kind of come my way has kind of been because of my experience at BU, how I learned and how I matured within that program.”