Rogelstad hopeful for Olympics
As it gets closer to the day when Matt Rogelstad boards a flight for Beijing, he gets giddy when speaking of the opportunity he has to play in the Olympics.“The excitement’s definitely building and I’m getting antsy,” the Potomac Nationals’ infielder said.
Rogelstad, who is from New Westminster in British Columbia, is likely to play third base for Canada in the Olympic Games. Canada’s roster is supposed to be officially released in the next day or so.
A Canadian baseball representative has contacted Washington Nationals officials to request Rogelstad’s services for the Olympics and Washington officials have granted him permission to play in the games.
“We anticipate he will be selected for the team,” Washington director of player development Bobby Wil-liams said.
If so, Rogelstad is imagining what it will be like.
“There will be a little bit of nerves, but as an athlete you try and find ways to minimize them and remain re-laxed,” Rogelstad said. “That’s the key. It’s the same game being played over there as I’m playing right here.”
Rogelstad will leave for Toronto on July 28 for three days of team functions and then the Canadian team will travel to North Carolina for a four-day exhibition series against the United States before departing for Beijing.
Rogelstad anticipates marching in the opening ceremonies on Aug. 8. It is then when he will realize the meaning of being an Olympian.
“I don’t think it’ll hit me until the opening ceremonies when we walk into the tunnel in front of 120,000 peo-ple or whatever it is,” Rogelstad said. “The light bulbs will be flashing everywhere and there will be a couple billion people watching on T.V.”
Canada opens play on Aug. 13 against China. It seeks to erase the disappointment of finishing fourth at the 2004 games.
“We have a lot of power in our lineup with the bats and some good pitching,” Rogelstad said. “In a short tournament like this, it’s a sprint to the finish line and anyone can beat anyone on any given day. I think we’ve got a great shot.”
Eight teams, including the United States, participate in the competition. The top four finishers in the pre-liminary round advance to the semifinals on Aug. 22. The gold medal game is Aug. 23.
Rogelstad has much to offer his team. He hit .360 with two home runs during the Olympic qualifying tour-nament. He is hitting .274 with eight home runs and 39 RBI for Potomac and was a 2008 Carolina League All-Star.
Potomac’s postseason will be a week away when he returns. Potomac is a playoff team, having won the Northern Division in the first half and Rogelstad will try to stay focused.
“It’s going to be pretty intense overseas, so you try to maintain it coming back,” Rogelstad said. “But you try to look at the positive side and that we are a playoff team, so we’ll have the playoffs to look forward to when I come back.”
Advertisement
View More:
No tags are associated with this article
Not what you're looking for? Try our quick search:
Advertisement