TORONTO - Lucas Alberti has what George Mason is looking for in a college player.

“I fit the type of player they want,” Alberti said after making a commitment to the university located in Fairfax, Va. “I’m not the tallest, I’m gritty, competitive and play with a high motor. I hate to lose and will bring a winning mentality to the team.”

George Mason found that out when the junior at Humberside Collegiate Institute made a stop at the school while on a fall tour playing for the Ontario Blue Jays.

“I played center field 10 innings and hit well,” the sixth-rated 2024 outfielder in Ontario reflected. “The coach talked to me afterward and I went on a tour the next morning. He offered after that. He gave me three weeks to consider it and I took all three.”

In that timeframe Alberti realized that George Mason was the right choice to make.

“I had a few other options and considered pursuing other things,” Alberti explained. “I was talking with Liberty and Pitt, but I didn’t have any offers so I would be taking a risk.”

The 25th-ranked junior in Ontario decided to go with the Atlantic 10 Conference school in the state of Virginia, whose first-year head coach Shawn Camp played in the major leagues for five different teams including Toronto, where Alberti lives.

“The coaching staff is good and they’re rebuilding the program,” Alberti noted. “I like where they’re going with it. It’s a good fit for me.”

It was in ninth grade when Alberti made a decision regarding baseball in his future.

“I was playing both high-level baseball and high-level hockey and decided I was a little better at baseball so I began to take it more seriously,” Alberti explained. “After that I started to see myself separate from others in grades 10 and 11. Coaches said I had a shot and I worked at it.”

Improvement continued for the 5-10 175-pound speedy outfielder.

“I was training a lot, hitting, working out and throwing, really working on it,” Alberti related. “My explosiveness on the field took a jump and how hard I hit the ball and my speed on the bases improved.”

Interest from the next level picked up as well after a slow beginning to his recruitment.

“At the start I didn’t know much about it,” Alberti admitted. “It was slow at first with Covid, so my coaches helped me out. I sent emails to schools that were realistic for me. I attended a couple of camps and this summer got some interest from lower-level D-1s. By the end of summer I had an offer from George Mason.”

Coach Corey Eckstein is credited by the 17-year-old with helping in the recruiting process while trainer Jesse Hodge was big in his development, which translated onto the field.

“Obviously this is very exciting and I’m very happy,” Alberti said of making a commitment and knowing what college is in his future. “My parents are happy, there’s just all around excitement.”

Alberti, who carries a 3.5 GPA in high school, is looking at a major in a business-related field at George Mason, a school located nine hours southeast from Toronto.

“Playing at the next level is huge for me,” Alberti concluded. “I can’t wait to be competing with other kids from around the country while preparing to get to the next level which is the draft.”