Hundreds take shot at pro baseball dream at Frontier League tryout in Avon

AVON — Baseball's version of "American Idol" came to ForeFront Field this week when the Frontier League held its annual open tryout camp. Over 450 attendees, some of whom were recently released by Major League Baseball-affiliated teams and others who have been away from the game for years, gathered to catch the eyes of the managers and coaching staff of one of the 18 Frontier League teams. "It's a beautiful opportunity for these players to get out in front of all of us managers and the league," Lake Erie Crushers manager Jared Lemieux said. "At this point, we've made our commitments to most of our roster but there's always something that happens and holes open up around this time of year. This is a chance to get a good look at guys." The camp opened Monday with player workouts, specific drills in various positions before they got their turns in the batter's box. From there, players were selected for the second day of camp which consisted of on-field scrimmages. Each team will draft at least two players from the camp to join its spring training rosters. In 2025, pitcher Michael Spinozzi made his way from the camp to a full season spot on the Crushers roster. "We're looking for the best talent possible," Trois-Rivières manager and former Lake Erie pitching coach Jonathan Albaladejo said. "There's a lot of kids here looking for the opportunity. With MLB having less teams in minor league baseball, there's a lot of talent in college that's not getting drafted and we get to see them play here." Albaladejo pitched in the majors for the Washington Nationals, New York Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks, so he knows what it feels like for the players who are chasing the dream of earning a spot on a Frontier League roster and hopefully earning their way to the ranks of an MLB-affiliated team. "As long as you have a uniform, you have an opportunity, so it's great to see these guys continuing to work hard and chase that dream," Albaladejo said. One of those campers chasing that dream was pitcher Caleb Debban, who traveled to Avon from Tigard, Oregon, in an attempt to keep his baseball career alive after pitching four years at George Fox University in Division III. "I'm just trying to get a chance and an opportunity to play in the Frontier League," Debban said. "I'm lucky to have my girlfriend here with me and a great support system back home of friends, family and coaches that support me. They make me confident in my abilities to compete at this level. "There's a lot of opportunities out there, you gotta find one and make it for yourself. There's the Pioneer League, which is closer to home for me, but I knew what the Frontier League offers gives me a better chance. The caliber of coaches and the level of scouting attention they get makes it worth the time and worth the trip." Debban said the campers had a very limited opportunity to make a first impression on the coaches and scouts in attendance. "It's kind of brutal," Debban said. "You come out here and you're only guaranteed 15 pitches. You're kinda betting on yourself, especially when you're making a long trip. I feel like I performed well." While some attendees like Debban are on the cusp of making it to the pros, for others it's a much longer shot. Ryan Schwalm, who since 2020 has hosted the podcast and popular Instagram account "Indy Ball Nation," was invited to the tryout by Frontier League deputy commissioner Matt Shepardson. Schwalm's social media followers were able to follow along on his 100-day journey to get ready for the camp. "I was on a podcast a few months ago and Matt Shepardson said do you wanna come on out, you can do some content while you try out," said Schwalm, a native of Reading, Pennsylvania. "I said yeah, I'm up for a challenge so I got the wife on board and penciled in a trip to Avon, Ohio." When asked why he accepted the challenge, Schwalm said: "I think I'm crazy, we'll go with that first. Beyond that I think it's important to understand the people I talk about. I give a lot of feedback on players and what they're doing on the field so every once in awhile it's important to go out and remember, 'Wow, baseball is really hard.'" "I'm here without anything on the line but there's a lot of guys out here trying to keep their dream alive," Schwalm said. "It's great to see how much they want it. I was talking to a kid from Texas and he was like, 'I can't think about the cold, I've got to go out there and get on a team. No excuses.'" Shepardson said 45 states and five countries were represented this week. "You've got players here who haven't played since they were 12 years old and you've got other guys who were in affiliated spring training two weeks ago," Shepardson said. "We have a track record of players not only coming through our league but even through this draft that have made Major League Baseball clubs and made their major league dream come true by showing up and putting a T-shirt on just like these guys that are here this week." The Crushers and the other Frontier League teams will begin training camps next week with the season officially getting underway May 7. Lake Erie opens its season at home May 8 against Schaumburg. Contact Todd Shapiro at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.