Sandlots: Diewert, Warken, Le Blanc, Stewart

* OF Zach Diewert (Chemainus, BC) of the Nanaimo Pirates made an impression at the Perfect Game Northwest Showcase in Seattle. .... 2014 Canadians in the Minors … Canadians in College 2015 Canadian draft list Letters of Intent

By Bob Elliott OF Zach Diewert (Chemainus, BC) made some noise south of the border.

Diewert ran a 6.9 60 at the Perfect Game Northwest Showcase in Seattle.

He also joined Morgan Reiter’s Team Inside Pitch Prospects at the Perfect Game Nationals in Az. he tripled to left centre and hit a ground-rule double and a single with five RBIs in nine at-bats. 

He fared well during the BC Premier League season with the Nanaimo Pirates hitting .336 (51-for-152) with nine doubles, three triples, four homers and 36 RBIs.

The Perfect Game report from the Northwest Showcase in Seattle ...

2015 Top Prospects 2. Cole Warken - C - 2015 - Regina, Sask. A consistent game action performer, Warken has good bat speed that produces hard line drives to all fields. He also impressed behind the plate with quick feet and a strong throwing arm.

3. Zach Diewert - OF - 2015 - Chemainus, BC A powerful right-handed hitter, Diewart showed big carry and lift that translated in game action. He has good bat speed and knows how to handle the pitch inside. He also showed good athleticism, running a 6.90 60 yard dash.

5. Cooper Misic - RHP - 2015 - Surrey, BC Misic looks the part of the prospect pitcher at 6-6/190 and has a loose arm that produced a consistent 81-83 mph fastball that he spotted well. He’s going to keep improving as he gets stronger.

11. Patrick Van Den Brink - RHP - 2015 - Surrey, BC Van Den Brink is a classic sinker/slider pitcher and his 74 mph slider might have been the best breaking ball at the showcase, with late, hard biting action. His low 80’s fastball gets plenty of consistent sink. Van Den Brink also showed good power at the plate as a potential two-way prospect.

2016 Top Prospects Trevor Fonseca - OF - 2016 - West Vancouver, BC Fonseca attacks the ball from a calm balanced left handed stance with very good bat speed. He has some lift in his swing and consistently pulled the ball with authority.

Scout Blogs Maroon vs. Green Highlights Cole Warken (2015 C, Regina, Sask.) continued his impressive first day of showcase action, as he lined a rocket single in his first at-bat. The line drive registered 88 mph off the bat off a 57 mph curve ball, showing his ability to generate power.

Zach Diewert (2015 OF, Chemainus, BC) hit one of the hardest line drives off the day, smoking a double into the right center field gap.

Orange vs. Navy Highlights Cooper Misic (2015 RHP, Surrey, BC) topped at 83 mph with his fastball, showing good command of his pitches and a projectable frame. He tossed three solid innings and fanned seven batters along the way.

Trevor Fonseca (2016 OF, West Vancouver, BC) picked up a triple, continuing his day of solid play.

Ryan Fonseca (2016 MIF, West Vancouver, BC) also launched a hard double to center field.

Keaton Edwards (2015 RHP, Surrey, BC) worked four solid innings and topped at 81 mph with his fastball. He picked up five strikeouts and did not allow a run.

White vs. Royal Highlights Patrick Van Den Brink (2015 RHP, Surrey, BC) worked from an easy delivery and pounded the zone with a sinking fastball. He also topped at 82 mph and showed off a sharp slider. He tossed four scoreless innings and scattered three hits.

Green vs. Orange Highlights Cole Warken (2015 C, Regina, Sask.) continued his weekend of outstanding play, lining a hard single to center field in his first at-bat on Saturday that registered again at 88 mph off his bat. He later lined a rocket single over the third baseman’s head.

Zach Diewert (2015 OF, Chemainus, BC) also continued his strong weekend on Sunday, launching a long double to left field that hit high off the fence. His bat speed and lift continue to impress.

Royal vs. Maroon Trevor Henits (2015 1B, North Vancouver, BC) lined a sharp single in his first at-bat, showing good bat speed an ability to stay inside the ball. He later lined another sharp single.

White vs. Navy Hayden Jaco (2015 C, Coquitlam, BC) lined a hard double to the opposite field, showing his good bat speed and ability to stay inside the baseball. He later picked up a single.

Batting Practice Highlights Cole Warken (2015 C, Regina, Sask.) flashed some of the most impressive bat speed seen all day, showing off impressive pull side power and lift. He stays short to the ball and makes consistent line drive contact.

Zach Diewert (2015 OF, Chemainus, BC) launched a long home run in his round on Saturday, showing good bat speed and easy pull side lift. The ball jumps off his bat.

Trevor Fonseca (2016 OF, West Vancouver, BC) used a simple approach and produced loud results on Saturday. He showed good bat speed and natural lift.

Velocities from 2014 Northwest Showcase Name Position Graduation Year Team Fastball High School Province Club Team Cooper Misic RHP 2015 Navy 83 Sands Secondary (Baseball Academy), Delta BC Langley Blaze Keaton Edwards RHP 2015 Orange 81 Elgin Park BC White Rock Tritons Trevor Fonseca LHP 2016 Navy 77 West Vancouver BC North Shore Twins Ryan Fonseca RHP 2016 Navy 73 West Vancouver BC North Shore Twins

Team Name 60-yard dash Green Cole Warken 6.98 Regina Wolfpack Green Zach Diewert 6.90 Nanaimo Pirates

_ SS Charles LeBlanc was named No. 6 on the Perfect Game top 30 prospect list from the 2014 Perfect Game summer collegiate league.  LeBlanc (Laval, Que.) hit .226 in 12 games with five RBIs for the Watertown Rams, starting eight for the Rams at shortstop, with two doubles. He also successfully stole all three bases he attempted to steal.

Perfect Game Baseball League TOP 20 PROSPECTS 6. Charles LeBlanc, ss, Watertown Rams (Pittsburgh/FR in 2015) An imposing presence in the batter’s box thanks to his 6-foot-4, 200-pound build, LeBlanc held his own in the league despite being an incoming freshman for Pitt. He hit .226 in 31 at-bats for the Rams this summer, but his strength, bat speed and arm strength were all evident despite limited looks. Athletic enough to handle shortstop for the time being, where he is expected to begin his college career defensively, third base is a better long-term home for him where his power potential and arm strength would be a natural fit.

20. Roberto Suppa, rhp, Elmira Pioneers (Cornell/SR in 2015) Although Suppa didn’t have a good summer from a statistical standpoint, posting a 5.40 ERA while walking 31 in 31 2/3 innings of work, there’s plenty of pro potential thanks to his size and stuff. At 6-foot-5, 205-pounds Suppa has a workhorse build with the ability to sit at 89-91 mph with his fastball, peaking at 93-94 early in games. His changeup is a polished pitch that he can throws for strikes and he also has a still-developing low-70s curveball. Throwing strikes and commanding his three-pitch repertoire are the keys to his success moving forward.

_ RP Devon Stewart (Maple Ridge, BC) coach Mike McRae’s (Niagara Falls, Ont.) Canisius Golden Griffins moved to the bullpen in summer ball with the Anchorage Bucs and Baseball America ranked 10th in its top 10 rankings from Alaska:

Stewart pitched in nine games with the Bucs, as he walked 11 and struck out 11 in 15 1/3 innings with a 1.17 ERA.

Last spring he was 6-5 with a 4.38 ERA as he walked 23 and fanned 43 in 90 1/3 innings in starts.

In Perfect Game’s top 10 prospects he was ranked No. 8 ...

Alaska League 8. Devon Stewart, rhp, Anchorage Bucs (Canisius/SR in 2015) Stewart has a huge arm, but somehow got through the entire Major League Baseball Draft without getting selected. He didn’t let that effect him as he had a strong summer, tallying an 0.81 ERA in 18 1/3 innings, while also striking out 15 and walking 12. Stewart profiles as a reliever at the next level and definitely needs to show more swing-and-miss stuff moving forward. However, there’s definitely some upside with his power arm. Stewart showcased a big-time fastball this past summer, topping out at 94-95 mph while also having some late run to the pitch. At 6-foot-2, 185-pounds, he also has a projectable frame with a quick and easy arm action.