At the age of 18 he was originally taken in the June 1996 Regular Draft in the 32nd round (941st overall) by Detroit Tigers but decided to attend college instead.
The tall right-hander, at 6' 8", was 7–3 with a 2.30 ERA and 97 K through 74 1/3 IP as a senior in 2001, making honorable mention on the SLAM!
He was signed by their chief Canadian scout, the late Jim Ridley, for the Toronto Blue Jays as an undrafted free agent after his senior year of college.
He was with Team Canada in the qualifiers for the 2004 Summer Olympics, as they locked up one of two American spots (alongside Cuba) in Athens,[1] which finished in fourth place.
Prior to going pro, he also spent some time in the IBL, playing with the Guelph Royals from 1997 to 2000.