It's a safe bet that Carson Perkins will always remember his experience over the past week.
The Bienfait pitcher experienced one of the highlights of his career to date, playing with Team Saskatchewan at the Baseball Canada Cup in Saskatoon.
"The atmosphere there is one thing. You got a bunch of guys who want to be there. It's almost a surreal experience," Perkins said.
The 15-year-old, who pitched a no-hitter three years ago and won a provincial bantam championship a year later, has added something else to his resume.
The Baseball Canada Cup is a prestigious tournament bringing together the best players in the country aged 17 and younger.
It's rare for a 15-year-old to play in the tournament, but Perkins got to take the mound in two games, including the bronze medal game.
"It shows that I'm on the radar. Of course, I'm lucky to be there and it shows I've got the stuff to be there," he said.
In his first game, a 9-8 win over New Brunswick, Perkins threw one inning and faced five batters. He allowed one hit while striking out one and walking one.
Next, on Sunday, he pitched in an 11-2 loss to Quebec in a game that saw Saskatchewan finish fourth. He pitched an inning and a third, allowing two unearned runs along with two hits, two walks and a strikeout.
"It was definitely an amazing experience. Talking to the coach, he says it was something he wanted me to experience. To be out there in front of all the people, it was awesome," he said of the bronze medal game performance.
"I was fairly happy. I know I could've done better. I think I did my job for the most part," Perkins said of his pitching in front of major league scouts.
"Of course, there was pressure and stuff, but you try not to think about it and show them your best stuff."
Saskatchewan couldn't have possibly gotten off to a better start, winning all five round-robin games and hammering their first three opponents.
They beat Manitoba 12-2, Newfoundland and Labrador 11-1 and Nova Scotia 11-1 before defeating Prince Edward Island 7-4 and New Brunswick 9-8.
After that, they faced perennial powerhouse British Columbia in the semis and lost 3-1.
"I think everybody was up. Coming out of our pool 5-0 and crushing all of our opponents and then coming up to the tougher teams, we had a tough game against B.C., and it was an emotional one. It was kinda heartbreaking, and I know everyone was kinda down and depressed for the last game," Perkins said.
