* Billy Germaine (Aldergrove, BC) homered for the Denver Cougars at the National Baseball Congress tourney final in Wichita, Kan. .... MLB open workouts 2014 Canadian draft list 2013 Canadians in the Minors  2013 Canadian collegians playing summer ball 2013 Canadians in College  Letters of Intent

 

By Bob Elliott

Jeff Francis had his coming out party there.

So have 100s of other collegians who went to on to successful big-league careers.

Francis pitched a shutout and worked in relief for the Anchorage Glacier Pilots as they beat the Hays (KS) Larks in the National Baseball Congress tourney final in Wichita, Kan. in 2001. Francis was a University of British Columbia student at the time.

He’s not the only big-league who spent time at the NBC in Wichita:

Michael Young (Fairbanks Gold Panners), Heath Bell (El Dorado Broncos), Mark Teixeira (Maryland Battlecats), Tim Lincecum (Seattle Studs), Joba Chamberlain (Beatrice Bruins), B.J. Ryan (Hays Larks), Albert Pujols (Hays), Lance Berkman (Hays), Eric Karros (North Pole Nicks), Trevor Hoffman (Nevada Griffons), Robin Ventura (Santa Marian Indians), Brett Butler (City Utility Towers), Chuck Knoblauch (Clarinda A’s), Mark Grace (North Pole) and Barry Bonds (Fairbanks Goldpanners and Hutchinson Broncos).

Former Jays played there over the years: Jimmy Key (Kenai Peninsula Oilers), John Olerud (Kenai Oilers), Joe Carter (Boulder Collegians), Dave Stieb (Kenai Oilers) and Dave Winfield (Fairbanks Goldpanners).

And this summer at least three Canucks were in the 32-team tournament.

_ Billy Germaine (Aldergrove, BC) had two hits, including a homer, for the Denver Cougars in a 9-8 loss to the Ozark Generals, an elimination game.

Germaine, who attends Hill College, singled in the opener, a 4-3 loss to the Houston Tuzos.

Next, Germaine singled in a 5-4 win over the Newton (KS) Rebels.

During the tourney, Germaine hit .286 (4-for-14) with the homer and two RBIs.

On the season, playing in the Rocky Mountain League ... he batted .351 with 15 doubles, two triples, 10 homers and 58 RBIs as the Cougars went 28-33 on their 61-game schedule. He had a 1.015 OPS.

 

_ 3B Jordan Varga (Port Coquitlam, BC) had two hits as the San Diego Waves scored a 4-1 win over the Houston Tuzos in their second game of the tourney.

Varga, who plays for South Dakota, was hitless in a 10-2 San Diego win over the Newton Rebels in the opener.

Next, he was hitless in a 4-0 San Diego loss to the El Dorado (KS) Broncos.

He singled and walked in a 5-1 elimination loss to the Ozark (MO) Generals.

In the tourney, he hit .231 (3-for-13).

On the season, playing in the Western Association for the 31-22 Waves ... Varga hit .277 with three doubles, a triple, one homer and 22 RBIs. He had a .732 OPS in 39 games.

 

INF Cooper Langley (Edmonton, Alta.) singled for the Newton (KS) Rebels in a 10-2 loss to the San Diego Waves in his opener.

Langley, who plays for Hutchinson College, didn’t play in a 5-4 loss to the Denver Cougars.

On the season playing in the Walter Johnson League ... Langley hit .259 with four doubles, a homer and 20 RBIs. He had a .657 OPS in 33 games.