A star catcher from Orillia has signed with Alfred University in New York to play Division III NCAA baseball this year.
Will Timpano, 18, got his baseball career started by playing Kiwanis T-ball when he was four years old. He graduated to Orillia Legion Minor Baseball, where he played until after his 15U season.
"I really fell in love with the game in Orillia," he said. "I loved that it's a lot more than just a physical game."
As a catcher, Timpano is known to spend hours off the diamond strategizing and practising with teammates.
🚨𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐈𝐓𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐓🚨
— PBR Ontario (@PBR_Ontario) January 2, 2024
'24 C Will Timpano (@TimpanoWill) announces his commitment to Alfred University.
👤 https://t.co/lryAnI7Tet || #OffTheBoard🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/F1J5nYvIUO
"It's kind of like an art. When everything works the way you planned and practised it, you feel really accomplished," he said.
The right-handed Timpano also grew up playing hockey, which was his favourite sport at one point.
"Once I started playing competitive baseball in Orillia, I realized I liked it a lot more," he said. "I decided to quit hockey when I was 11 years old and spent the winters developing in local gyms."
Once he began focusing on baseball year-round, his game took off to another level.
While attending Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School, Timpano moved his baseball career to Aurora and Vaughan to play with the Team Ontario Astros out of the Canadian Premier Baseball League.
"It's been quite a challenge," he said. "A lot of nights, I would have practice and an assignment due the next day. I had to find ways to make it all work. Sometimes that meant carpooling and doing homework in the car."
Balancing the busy lifestyle for three years was well worth it, he says.
"Putting in the work with coaches who have played college baseball in the States has given me a lot more opportunity," he said. "There are also kids who I was playing with and against who I'm going to see their names called during the MLB draft this year."
The best coach Timpano has ever had is his father, Tim, who coached him throughout his career in Orillia.
"There were so many times that he was up late making practice plans or lineups for our teams," he said. "He's really dedicated and invested in the game and is still in Orillia trying to create opportunities for more kids like me."
In August, he received a phone call from Alfred University, which was looking to add him to its roster. While he had other offers from junior colleges and Division III teams, he says Alfred University was his favourite of the bunch.
"The coaching staff was very positive and easy to get along with," he said. "I'm also taking engineering, and Alfred has very good facilities for that, being a private school."
While he hopes to keep playing baseball as long as he can, Timpano's main goal after university is to find a job in the engineering field.
"I enjoy math and science," he said. "I really like problem solving, which is why I figure engineering is the best path for me."
He expects this next life chapter to be his most challenging yet.
"I've always played with my age group, but now I will be competing against and with four different age groups," he explained. "On the academic side of things, I know that engineering typically comes with a difficult course load."
