While cell phones in class are not permitted, Tuesday was a special circumstance.
“I had warned my teacher ahead of time that I might be getting a call and he told me to go ahead and take it if it came,” explained Dustin Houle.
The teacher realized this was not an ordinary phone call.
Houle was sitting in English class at Brookswood Secondary when his phone rang shortly after noon.
On the other end was Houle’s advisor calling with the great news that the 17-year-old had been taken in the eighth round, 251st overall, by the Milwaukee Brewers.
“I was shocked to go that high,” Houle admitted, figuring he would go between the tenth and 15th rounds of the 50-round draft for all high school, college and university players in North America.
“But over the past month, I have been tearing it up.”
“I am just really excited right now; it is a surreal moment.”
Houle, a third-baseman/catcher, spent most of May in the Dominican Republic with Canada’s junior national team.
Upon returning a few weeks ago, the Brewers invited him to a pre-draft workout just last week (June 3). And Houle made a very lasting impression.
Already on the organization’s radar — Milwaukee has chosen six players from the Blaze program since 2004 — Houle belted a 420-foot home run.
Following that monster shot, he said one of the team’s scouts began calling him the ‘Canadian King Kong.’
After talking to his advisor, who will soon become his agent, Houle called his mom back in Penticton, and he said she got pretty emotional over his accomplishments.
Houle left home last year to join the Blaze, knowing it would open more doors and opportunities for his baseball career.
“I just owe a lot of credit to coach Doug (Mathieson) and coach Jamie (Bodaly) for all the support and good coaching along the way,” Houle said.
“I appreciate them a lot for everything they have done.”
Bodaly says Houle is arguably one of the best hitters in the country.
Houle will remain in the Blaze line-up for the time being.
Through 19 games, Houle is hitting .304 with a team-high 15 RBIs. He is also tied for the Blaze lead with seven extra-base hits, including a triple and home run.
He is also just two RBIs behind the Premier Baseball League lead, despite playing three less games and having 16 less at-bats.
Last season, he batted .289 with 19 RBIs over a full season in Langley.
According to MLB rules, he cannot sign a pro contract until after graduating.
He admits he is leaning towards signing, which would mean his pro career would start this summer in rookie ball in Arizona.
Should Houle choose not to sign, he does have a scholarship to Florida’s Chipola College.
