Pan twins selected as T12 rosters expand
Twins Yi-An and Yi-Fan Pan of the Langley Blaze were on the latest list of high schoolers named to the third annual Tournament 12. Photo: Dan Ferguson/Langley Times.
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
They have played in front of shoulder-to-shoulder crowds jammed into Howard J. Lamade Stadium in South Williamsport, Penn.
And now twin brothers Yi-An and Yi-Fan Pan of the Langley Blaze, who helped the Langley All-Star reach the Little League World Series four years ago, are headed to the third annual Tournament 12 at the Rogers Centre in September. They’ll suit up with the British Columbia Orange team.
The twins were two of the 30 players named to the third annual Tournament 12 ever-expanding rosters Ontario Green, Ontario Black, Futures Navy, Alberta Red, Maritimes Grey and BC roster which all now have 10 players on each roster.
The Prairies Purple and Quebec Blue rosters will expand from five to 10 players when three provincial tryouts are held later in the month in their respective provinces.
The final roster spots will be determined for each team around Aug. 27.
This season with Jamie Bodoly and Doug Mathieson’s Blaze, Yi-An hit .395 with five doubles, a triple and 14 RBIs. On the mound, Yi-An was 1-0 with a 2.73 ERA in five games, striking out 10 in 7 2/3 innings.
Yi-Fan batted .308 with four doubles and 17 RBIs in 41 games.
Three years ago, the twins -- each 5-foot-10 and 115 pounds -- helped Langley advance to the Little League World Series in Williamsport as the Canadian champs. At the start of this spring, Yi-An was listed 6-foot-1, 180 pounds and Yi-Fan is six-foot, 175 pounds.
Last year in the BC Premier Junior league, Yi-Fan was the ace of the Blaze going 8-0 with five complete games and an 0.78 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings. At the plate, he is hit .337 with 13 RBIs.
Yi-An played infield hitting .314 with 24 RBIs, going 1-0 2.00 ERA and nine strikeouts in 14 innings in two starts.
Tournament 12 II was better organized than the original T12 in 2013 and organizers are hoping the graph continues upwards. Excitement is growing among high schoolers from coast to coast.
The Ontario Blue Jays had five players selected: LHP Jack Berczi, RHP Noah Skirrow, INF Ryan Kula, OF Kurt Dawkins and 1B Malik Williams.
The Okotoks Dawgs had four players added: OF Justin King, P-INF Nick Cardinal, C Luke Lepine and INF Soren Graverson.
Three Great Lake Canadians were added RHP Tyler Whalen, OF Jake Wilson and C Max Wright.
And the Toronto Mets had three players added LHP Niall Windeler, INF Luke Torino and INF Daniel Carinci.
Rob Jack, T.J. Burton, Jon Cram and Jake Paddle of the Blue Jays Baseball Academy put together tryout dates … with two remaining, one at Optimist Baseball Park in Regina, Sask. on Aug. 11, in Brandon on Aug. 12 and the other at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Park in Montreal, Que. on Aug. 14.
Over 200 players registered for the five Rogers Centre auditions and the roughly 45 Ontario spots on the two Ontario teams and the Future team.
Players are evaluated at the T12 camp by Toronto Blue Jays and MLB Scouting Bureau personnel. All final roster decisions will be determined by the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Academy.
Rather than picking the teams in one day the rosters will be selected in two more installments, eight roster spots on Aug. 18 and the final seven spots Aug. 27.
The Maritimes, led by Andrew Case, who Blue Jays scout Jamie Lehman signed, won the 2013 inaugural event, while Quebec, coached by Denis Boucher, was presented the 2014 T12 trophy by commissioner Robbie Alomar.
2015 Tournament 12 Top 5
Ontario Green Position Team Draft Year
1. Adam Hall SS Great Lake Canadians 2017
2. Cooper Davis CF Ontario Blue Jays 2017
3. Luke Van Rycheghem C Ontario Blue Jays 2016
4. Sam Turcotte RHP Ontario Terriers 2016
5. Matt Jones LHP Toronto Mets 2016
6. Jack Berczi LHP Ontario Blue Jays 2016
7. Tyler Whalen RHP Great Lake Canadians 2017
8. Jake Wilson OF Great Lake Canadians 2016
9. Niall Windeler LHP Toronto Mets 2016
10. Max Wright C Great Lake Canadians 2016
Ontario Black Position Team Draft Year
1. Andrew Yerzy C Toronto Mets 2016
2. Nick Virdo RHP Toronto Mets 2016
3. Brad Aldred 3B/OF Toronto Mets 2016
4. Jordan Balazovic RHP Ontario Blue Jays 2016
5. Elliott Curtis IF Ontario Terriers 2016
6. Noah Skirrow RHP Ontario Blue Jays 2016
7. Zach Fascia C Brampton Royals 2016
8. Mitchell Clark RHP Windsor Selects 2016
9. Ryan Kula IF Ontario Blue Jays 2017
10. Luke Torino IF Toronto Mets 2016
Futures Navy Position Team Draft Year
1. Noah Naylor C/SS Ontario Blue Jays 2018
2. Rhys Cratty 3B Langley Blaze 2017
3. Conor Angel RHP Lac St Louis Tigres 2017
4. Jack DeCoomen LHP North Shore Twins 2017
5. Landon Leach RHP Toronto Mets 2017
6. Jason Willow SS Victoria Mariners 2017
7. Daniel Carinci IF Toronto Mets 2017
8. Kurt Dawkins OF Ontario Blue Jays 2017
9. Mike Ssemanda OF Oakville Royals 2017
10. Malik Williams 1B Ontario Blue Jays 2017
British Columbia Orange Position Team Draft Year
1. Josh Burgmann RHP Vauxhall Academy 2016
2. Tyler Duncan OF Victoria Eagles 2016
3. Jesse Unger C Langley Blaze 2016
4. Lenn Nakatsuka C/IF Victoria Eagles 2016
5. Tyler Hoefer IF/P North Delta Blue Jays 2016
6. Steven Moretto SS North Shore Twins 2017
7. Yi Fan Pan OF/P Langley Blaze 2016
8. Yi An Pan IF/P Langley Blaze 2016
9. Kobe Morris SS Victoria Eagles 2016
10. Indigo Diaz RHP Coquitlam Reds 2016
Alberta Red Position Team Draft Year
1. Kobe Hyland SS Prospects Academy 2016
2. Clayton Keyes CF Okotoks Dawgs 2016
3. Peter Hutzal 3B Okotoks Dawgs 2016
4. Dylan Gates LHP St.Albert 2017
5. Aidan Huggins 2B Prospect Academy 2016
6. Justin King OF Okotoks Dawgs 2016
7. Nick Cardinal P/IF Okotoks Dawgs 2016
8. Luke Lepine C Okotoks Dawgs 2016
9. Shawn Grandmont IF Lethbridge Elks 2016
10. Soren Graverson IF Okotoks Dawgs 2016
Prairies Purple Position Team Draft Year
1. Brett Esau 3B Nortwest Prairie Prospects 2016
2. Brandon Hatley LHP Vauxhall Academy 2016
3. Carson Perkins RHP Vauxhall Academy 2016
4. Brett Resch IF/OF Vauxhall Academy 2016
5. Victor Cerny C Team Manitoba 2017
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Quebec Blue Position Team Draft Year
1. Isaac Deveaux CF Montreal Orioles 2016
2. Mathew Denault-Gauthier RHP Patriote Rive Sud 2016
3. Ben Pelletier OF Patriote de Mortagne 2016
4. Pierre Oliver Avoine IF L’Attak de Gatineau 2016
5. William Sierra IF Montreal Orioles 2016
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Maritimes Grey Position Team Draft Year
1. Jake Lonar P Team Nova Scotia 2016
2. Nicholas LeBlanc C Team New Brunswick 2016
3. Nathan Livingston IF Team Nova Scotia 2016
4. Dominick Tardiff OF Metro Mudcats 2016
5. Declan Buckle IF Metro Mudcats 2016
6. Kyle Pinksen IF/P Team Prince Edward Island 2016
7. Jaden Griffin P Team Nova Scotia 2017
8. Blake Flinn P Team New Brunswick 2016
9. Jake Sanford IF Team Nova Scotia 2016
10. Brett Mercier C Bulletproof Prospects 2016
Tournament 12 Coaching Staff
ATLANTIC – GREY
Ken Lenihan — Bedford, NS
Mark Noel — Miramichi, NB
Stephen Donahue — Mount Pearl, NL
Dave MacIsaac — Charlottetown, PE
Jason Dickson — Miramichi, NB
QUEBEC – BLUE
Denis Boucher — Montreal, QC
Yannick Desjardins — Repentigny, QC
Alex Agostino — St. Bruno, QC
Jasmin Roy — Longueuil, QC
ONTARIO – GREEN
Nigel Wilson — Ajax, ON
Greg O’Halloran — Toronto, ON
Mike Lumley — London, ON
JG Larocque — Sudbury, ON
Chris Kemlo — Oshawa, ON
ONTARIO – BLACK
Rick Johnston — Peterborough, ON
Scott Bullett — Niagara Falls, ON
Rob Butler — East York, ON
John Picco — Windsor, ON
Stubby Clapp — Windsor, ON
PRAIRIES – PURPLE
Jim Baba — Ottawa, ON
Greg Brons — Saskatoon, SK
Andy Boehm — Brandon, MB
Jason Miller — Winnipeg, MB
ALBERTA – RED
Mike Johnson — Edmonton, AB
Les McTavish — Stettler, AB
Allen Cox — Okotoks, AB
Greg Morrison — Medicine Hat, AB
BC – ORANGE
Corey Eckstein — Abbotsford, BC
Shawn Bowman — New Westminster, BC
Brooks McNevin — Terrace, BC
Paul Spoljaric — Lisle, ON
FUTURES – NAVY
Adam Stern — London, ON
Chris Robinson — Dorchester, ON
Tanner Watson — Arnprior, ON
Hyung Cho — Toronto, ON