Day 2 Jupiter: Berg, Hill, Leach, Naylor

RHP Landon Leach (Pickering, Ont.) of the Toronto Mets hit 93.2 mph pitching for the the Toronto Blue Jays Scout. 

By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
Landon Leach showed why he received a special invite for an October flight to Florida.

The Toronto Mets right-hander threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings for the Toronto Blue Jays Scout Team, who were 11-0 winners over the Dallas Patriots on Friday, Day 2 in Jupiter, home of the 88-team Perfect Game World Wood Bat Association World Championship.

Leach (Pickering, Ont.) allowed three hits and walked three while fanning seven in his outing. The Toronto Met threw 68 pitches -- 37 for strikes -- with a maximum velocity of 93.2 mph.
    
Dondrae Bremner (Toronto, Ont) singled in two at-bats.

Perfect Game report on Leach: It’s very rare to find a low-90s arm that is not already committed while at the WWBA World Championship, but that’s exactly what Toronto Blue Jays Scout Team righthanded pitcher Landon Leach (2017, Pickering, Ontario) is. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound righty has extremely smooth mechanics with an easy, repeatable three-quarters arm slot. Leach easily sat at 90-93 mph throughout his 3 2/3 innings of work while flashing good running action to the arm side. He has an advanced feel for his fastball that allows him to reach each edge of the plate with bat-breaking life. The uncommitted pitcher did not need his off-speed too often, but he did show a curveball and a slider that flashed very tight rotation with late-breaking action down in the strike zone. Wherever Leach may land after his Jupiter performance he is sure to be a power righthanded arm that can change the depth of any pitching staff.

Scouts and recruiters use golf carts to dart from one diamond to another

* * *
Reliever Williams Sierra (Montreal, Que.) was touched for three runs in the seventh as DBacks Langley Blaze fell 7-4 to Team Indiana. Sierra held a 4-3 lead with two out and no one on. Suddenly the final out was the toughest to record: a single, walk and an infield single, which might have been the third out allowed the tying run to score. Sierra was then tagged for a three-run homer. He worked two scoreless innings but was tagged for four runs on four hits and a walk, while fanning three.  

Danny Berg (Saskatoon, Sask.) led Langley with a pair of hits, while Clayton Keyes (Calgary, Alta.) and Jayden Wakeham (Victoria, BC) each singled. Michael Stovman (Maple Ridge, BC) knocked in a run.

The Blaze were without INF Adam Hall (London, Ont.) Canada’s top-ranked high schooler. He tweaked a muscle in his leg days say before leaving for Florida so he didn't attend since he would not be 100% healthy.

* * *
Berg continued his torrid hitting pace with two more hits, a double and a single and an RBI, as the DBacks Langley Blaze beat the Florida Burn 8-3 with two runs in each of the first two innings and the last two innings. Former big leaguer Mark Guthrie coaches Florida Burn. 
 
Ben Abram (Georgetown, Ont.) started giving up three runs on six hits in 2 1/3 innings, but he was picked up by Stovman, who pitched 3 1/3 scoreless allowing one hit, walking two and striking out a pair.

Mitchell Rennie (West Kelowna, BC) doubled while Cole Cantelon (Surrey, BC) and Keyes each singled knocking in a run. Jayden Knight (Langley, BC) also singled. 

If the Blaze beat the Dirtbags Saturday in their final game of round robin play they will win the division and advance to the playoffs.

 

* * * 
Three first inning runs allowed Canada PG Gold to roll to a 4-2 win against Baseball U.  

Andres Gonzalez (Toronto, Ont.) led off with a single advanced on a grounder and scored on a single by Jake Ervin (Mississauga, Ont.). Kyle Stevenson (Oshawa, Ont.) followed with a single and Dante Jakupovski (Mississauga, Ont.) singled in another run for a 2-0 lead. After a walk, Ryan Santos (Mississauga, Ont.) hit a scoring fly ball.   

Adam Hill (Mississauga, Ont.) pitched five innings for the victory allowing two runs -- one earned -- on three hits and one walk, while striking out two. Dimitri Stamatopoulos (Toronto, Ont.) pitched two innings for the save, walking one and striking out three. 

Gonzalez had two hits and an RBI, while the other hits went to Tyler Small (Mississauga, Ont.) and Austin Wilkie (Mississauga, Ont.).

 

* * *
Noah Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) had a pair of hits but the Ontario Blue Jays fell 2-0 to BPA, thanks to a pair of runs in the third.
 
Andrew Wilkinson (Oakville, Ont.) didn’t allow a base hit but he was charged with a pair of runs on five walks in 2 1/3 innings. He struck out three in his 57-pitch outing (24 strikes). His fastball was clocked at 90.7 mph. Jack Liddell (Mississauga, Ont.) worked 3 2/3 scoreless allowing one hit and a walk, as he fanned six. 

Rashad Collymore (Mississauga, Ont.) and Kurt Dawkins (Ajax, Ont.) had the other hits for the Ontario Blue Jays. 

 

* * *
Trei Cruz (Houston, Tex.) son of former Blue Jays OF Jose Cruz knocked in a run for the Royals Scout Team
in an 8-0 win over the Orlando Scorpions.

Cruz was hitless in a 4-0 loss to the Houston Heat. 

* * *

Leaders from Day II ...

Leaders
Hits
Rk    Player    H    AB    AVG    1B    2B    3B    HR    RBI    R    Grad    Hometown

1    Mariano Ricciardi    4    4    1.000    4    0    0    0    0    2    2017    West Boylston, MA
15    Noah Naylor    2    3    0.667    1    1    0    0    0    0    2018    Mississauga, ON
15    Andres Gonzalez    2    3    0.667    2    0    0    0    1    1    2017    Toronto, ON
15    Danny Berg    2    4    0.500    1    1    0    0    1    1    2017    Saskatoon, SK
15    Dante Jakupovski    2    4    0.500    2    0    0    0    1    0    2017    Mississauga, ON
15    Danny Berg    2    4    0.500    2    0    0    0    0    1    2017    Saskatoon, SK

Strikeouts
Rk    Player    SO    BF    Grad    Hometown

1    Will Shirah    10    16    2018    Blue Ridge, GA
3    Zack Brockman    7    15    2017    Savannah, GA
10    Jack Liddell    6    13    2017    Mississauga, ON

SandlotsBob Elliott