Southview senior to attend Dominican Republic camp

Ian Segall, a baseball player at Sylvania Southview High School, will attend a baseball camp this month in the Dominican Republic. Enlarge

For many area athletes, summer includes attending camps that help them improve in their chosen sport.

But few athletes will have the experience quite like the one Ian Segall will have in about a month.

Segall, who will be a senior at Southview High School, will take part in a summer baseball camp July 26 through Aug. 1 in the Dominican Republic.

"I didn't know if I wanted to take part in this camp when I first heard about it," Segall said. "But when I found out more about it, I became more interested."

Segall said he and his father, Nate, will fly July 25 to the Dominican Republic. The camp is based in the seaside town of Boca Chica, which is 30 miles east of Santo Domingo, the capital.

The schedule includes daily practices with coaches from the U.S., as well as the Dominican Republic, and games against Dominican teams.

Segall and his fellow campers also will visit a major league team's Dominican academy and will take a day trip to Santo Domingo to tour the historic Colonial Zone.

"I think it will be a great experience, both culturally and for baseball," Segall said. "It will be a good baseball test, and it's hard to argue with practicing near a beach. And getting to tour Santo Domingo will be a good experience culturally."

Segall spent time on the Southview varsity as a sophomore, but as a junior he became an important part of the lineup. He started at second base and batted .389 with 22 runs scored and 14 RBIs as well as 12 stolen bases. He helped Southview advance to the Division I district final and post a record of 15-14.

Segall, who was voted All-Northern Lakes League second team, plays shortstop for the Ohio Trojans in the summer.

Contact John Wagner at: jwagner@theblade.com, 419-724-6481 or on Twitter @jwagnerblade.