CAZENOVIA — Recently, 11-year-old Cazenovia athlete Christian Choquette was selected to play on a national 11 and under (11U) baseball team at the 3rd Annual Perfect Game East MLK Championship in Fort Myers, Florida.
Locally, Choquette plays travel baseball with the Central New York Rawlings Tigers, a baseball and softball club aimed at helping youth and high school players reach the next level of competition.
Rawlings is a national brand that has travel teams in over 30 states.
According to James Garrett, director of CNY Rawlings Tigers, Choquette has been part of the regional program since its first year in 2022.
Garrett said he has viewed Choquette as a team leader and a leader within the program since day one.
“[He’s] always there with a smile and ready to work hard,” he explained. “Christian is a player who uplifts his teammates in times of adversity and celebrates with them in moments of triumph. He always strives to look for improvement in all facets of baseball.”
Garrett added that Choquette also shines off the field, maintaining an A average in all his Cazenovia Middle School courses, being dependable, and “always going the extra mile to ensure that he has not missed any details.”
Choquette’s CNY Rawlings Tigers 11U team is coached by his father, Kyle Choquette.
According to Kyle, players try out for their local travel teams each July.
“We have some fall practices then take a break until January,” he said. “We then do winter training into April. We start playing outside as soon as the fields allow us to. We then play games against other local travel teams and play in five tournaments. The season will end for us the second weekend of August.”
Players hoping to make the roster of a Rawlings Tigers National Team must complete an application process that includes submitting videos showcasing their skills in different aspects of the game, such as hitting, fielding, throwing, and pitching.
Choquette, who plays center field, catcher, and pitcher, was one of only 11 players from Rawlings teams across the country to be selected for the 11U national team.
The Perfect Game East MLK Championship was held Jan. 12-15.
The Rawlings Tigers 11U team finished with a record of one win and two losses.
Over the course of the weekend, Choquette had a batting average of .400 and an on base percentage of .572. He scored two runs and stole one base.
“This was achieved while facing pitchers throwing 67 to 69 miles per hour,” noted Garrett.
According to Kyle, Choquette was also a “jack of all trades” during the tournament, playing six different positions — catcher, left fielder, right fielder, shortstop, second baseman, and third baseman.
“It was really cool that I was able to meet people from around the country who love baseball as much as I do,” said Choquette, who hopes to play baseball in college. “Playing on the national team was challenging because it was a different style of baseball; the game was quicker, the pitchers threw harder, and the players were faster.”
According to Garrett, one of the advantages of playing for a national organization, such as Rawlings Tigers, is the opportunity for exposure.
“There were scouts from colleges present at this tournament, and Louisiana Tech University seemed to be paying attention to Christian and a few others from different age groups,” Garrett said.
Another advantage is that Rawlings players and their families are given V.I.P. access to hundreds of online instructional videos created by professional players.
Garrett also highlighted the program’s emphasis on teaching integrity, accountability, leadership, and strong character to shape the athletes into well-rounded young men and women.
“We want to ensure that when we are helping athletes venture into beginning the college selection process, they stand out as a person, not just as an athlete,” he said. “The issue we see traveling around the country is that youth coaches and families seem to glorify the athlete more than they do the person. College scouts and coaches want solid athletes, but they also want individuals who have strong leadership skills, are humble, understand personal accountability, and have high integrity.”
He added that Rawlings programs are also big on supporting the athletes’ families and giving back to local communities.
“This past Christmas, [for example,] our players and families raised money for Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital,” he said. “We went as a program and purchased all the gifts and hand-delivered them a week before Christmas. This was something that our athletes took the lead on and made a success.”
To learn more about the CNY Rawlings Tigers, visit cnyrawlingstigers.com. For more information on the national organization, visit rawlingstigers.com.
