Okotoks top Dawgs at Best of West

DAWGS WIN BEST OF WEST
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
Out in the wild, wild, west they don’t have snow storms in the second week of April.

Out in the wild, wild, west they play ball outside.

And out in the wild, wild, west they stage tournaments where they throw strike threes at the knees and hit for extra bases.  

The Okotoks Dawgs Academy edged the Langley Blaze 2-0 in the championship final to win the 10-team Best of the West Showcase in Kamloops, BC on Sunday at Canada Games Field. Okotoks ran the table going through pool play and the playoffs undefeated. Roughly 16 scouts were on hand watching Dawgs and Junior National team outfielder Clayton Keyes and other prospects.

Hosted by former National Team coach, Marty Lehn of Big League Experience, the showcase featured programs from Western Canada including the Vauxhall Jets, North Shore Twins, North Delta Blue Jays, Victoria Mariners, White Rock Tritons, Edmonton Prospects, Badlands Academy, the Big League Experience Selects and the two finalists.

A total of 14 teams competed in the bantam division with the Richmond Chuckers winning.

Four Dawgs combined on a the four-hit shutout. New Zealand’s finest, Ben Thompson started and allowed two singles in 3 1/3 innings. Next Zach Rabe worked 2 1/3 innings. Quentin Kopjar and Zach Demchenko each recorded two outs each to wrap things up. The four Dawgs arms combined to strike out seven, while not walking a man.

Jake Bouzide led off for the Dawgs and led the way going a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, while Keyes delivered an RBI double and walked twice. Joe Woods and Justin King, who knocked in a run, also had hits.

It was the second impressive outing of the spring for the Dawgs Midget Blacks, coached by Jeff Duda and Val Helldobler. Earlier at the Perfect Game Academies Showcase in Emmerson, Ga. they earned the runner-up trophy, losing to Faith Baptish, a Georgia Academy.

The Dawgs opened the tourney with a 10-3 win over the Big League Selects, whose roster included members of the Canadian Junior National Team. Dawgs lefty ace, Jared Spearing, pitched four scoreless while Will Undershute pitched two innings to preserve a dominant performance by the Dawgs. Bouzide was 3-for-4, Peter Hutzal had two hits, including an RBI triple, Brett Esau had two RBIs and catcher Luc Lepine who blasted a homer to right field.

In Game 2 the Dawgs pounded the White Rock Tritons of the BC Premier League 12-0 in a five-inning contest shortened by the mercy rule. Thompson threw five scoreless, didn’t walk a man and fanned seven, while allowing two hits. King went a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBIs and a homer. Ryan Humeniuk was 2-for-4, knocking in three runs. Nathan Doleman chipped in with triple and drove in three runs, while Lepine and Keyes had two hits apiece.

King drove in a pair of runs as the Dawgs edged North Delta 3-2 win a run in the top of the seventh to move to 3-0. Hutzal and Esau each had a pair of hits. Zach Demchenko pitched a complete game for the win, allowing two unearrned runs on six hits and two walks. He fanned three.

The Dawgs beat the Vauxhall Academy Jets 11-3 as both Bouzide and Keyes each doubled to each knock in three runs. 

Tyler McWillie pitched four innings allowing three runs on four hits and five walks, while fanning six. Kopjar finished up with two scoreless. 

Victor Cerny doubled in a run for Vauxhall.

In the semi-final the Dawgs beat the North Shore Twins 7-2 on the pitching performances by starter Nate Tovell who went five innings (two hits, one earned run) and lefty Ryan Morgan who pitched two scoreless (two hits).
 
King who had two hits, including a double and two RBIs. Lepine also had two hits while Joe Woods, Hutzal, Keyes and Bouzide also chipped in with base hits. 

Langley advanced to the final by shutting down Vauxhall 8-0.

Meanwhile, also in Kamloops, 14 bantam teams from British Columbia (Okanagan A’s, Richmond Chuckers, North Shore prep, Abbotsford Angels, Cloverdale Spurs, North Island Royals, White Rock, Nanaimo Pirates, Kamloops River Dogs and Coquitlam Reds prep) and Alberta (Spruce Grove White Sox, SFX Baseball Academy, Okotoks, Absolute Baseball Crimson, 

The four pool winners all went undefeated – Okotoks Dawgs, Richmond, the Crimson and Coquitlam. Richmond beat Okotoks 3–0 as Justin Thorsteinson threw a no- hitter, while Coquitlam scored a 7-3 win over the Absolute Baseball Academy.

Richmond took a 3-2 lead into the sixth and hen was able to tack on a couple more and come out with a 7-3 victory in the final.

The Dawgs Bantams paced by a long home run by youngest Tournament 12 invitee, Caesar Valero, took their first game 5-2. 

Okotoks Dawgs 18U 10, Big League Selects 3
            123 456         R  H E
DAWGS       520 021    --   10 9 1
BIG LEAFUE  000 030    ==    3 7 1

Dawgs
AB R H RBI BB SO LOB
J Bouzide 4 1 3 1 0 0 2
C Keyes 0 2 0 1 3 0 1
P Hutzal 4 2 2 1 0 1 3
B Esau 3 1 1 2 1 1 0
J King 3 0 0 0 1 1 3
L Lepine 3 2 1 2 0 1 2
S Graversen 3 1 1 1 1 0 4
G Student 2 1 0 0 2 1 1
R Humeniuk 3 0 1 2 0 0 2
Totals 25 10 9 10 8 5 6

1B: Bouzide 3, Hutzal, Esau, Graversen, Humeniuk 3B: Hutzal HR: Lepine TB: Bouzide 3, Hutzal 4, Esau, Lepine 4, Graversen, Humeniuk SF: Keyes SB: Bouzide 2 CS: Bouzide Team LOB: 6 

Selects
AB R H RBI BB SO LOB
K Morris 3 1 1 0 1 0 0
K Hyland 4 1 2 0 0 0 2
T Duncan 3 1 1 2 0 1 2
M James 3 0 2 0 0 0 2
L Muth 2 0 0 1 0 2 2
A Filmon 2 0 1 0 1 0 1
J Siniscachi 3 0 0 0 0 3 3
J Fisher 3 0 0 0 0 1 3
A Dondas 2 0 0 0 1 2 0
Totals 25 3 7 3 3 9 8

1B: Morris, Hyland 2, James 2, Filmon 2B: Duncan TB: Morris, Hyland 2, Duncan 2, James 2, Filmon SF: Muth SB: Morris Team LOB: 8

Dawgs
IP H R ER BB SO HR
J Spearing 4.0 4 0 0 1 6 0
W Undershute 2.0 3 3 1 2 3 0
Totals 6.0 7 3 1 3 9 0
WP: Spearing P-S: Spearing 73-46, Undershute 47-27 

BLE Selects IP H R ER BB SO HR
J Wilbur 3.0 7 7 7 6 1 0
B Jameus 2.0 1 2 0 1 2 0
J Pineau 1.0 1 1 1 1 2 1
Totals 6.0 9 10 8 8 5 1
LP: Wilbur HBP: Wilbur P-S: Wilbur 90-49, Jameus 30-18, Pineau 15-9

Okotoks Dawgs 18U 12, White Rock Tritons 0
                 123 45         R  H E
DAWGS      020 46    --  12 13 0
WHITE ROCK 000 00    --   0  2 1

Dawgs
AB R H RBI BB SO LOB
J Bouzide 4 1 0 1 0 2 2
C Keyes 2 1 2 1 1 0 0
R Humeniuk 4 1 2 3 0 0 1
P Hutzal 3 1 1 0 1 1 1
B Esau 3 0 0 1 1 0 3
J King 4 3 4 2 0 0 0
N Doleman 2 2 1 3 1 0 1
 D Fredland 1 0 1 1 0 0 0
L Lepine 3 1 2 0 0 0 1
S Graversen 3 1 0 0 1 1 6
CR: Z Rabe 0 1 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 29 12 13 12 5 4 7
1B: Humeniuk 2, Hutzal, King 3, Fredland, Lepine 2, Keyes 2 3B: Doleman HR: King TB: Humeniuk 2, Hutzal, King 7, Doleman 3, Fredland, Lepine 2, Keyes 2 SB: Bouzide, Keyes 2, Rabe 2 Team LOB: 7 

PITCHING
Dawgs IP H R ER BB SO HR
B Thompson 5.0 2 0 0 0 7 0
Totals 5.0 2 0 0 0 7 0

WP: Thompson HBP: Thompson P-S: Thompson 62-40 

White Rock
AB R H RBI BB SO LOB
Veeneman 2 0 0 0 0 2 0
Crossley 2 0 0 0 0 0 0
Hall 2 0 1 0 0 1 0
Gray 2 0 0 0 0 0 1
O’Toole 2 0 1 0 0 0 0
Rasmussen 2 0 0 0 0 1 1
Walcott 2 0 0 0 0 2 1
Carmont 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
Eaton 2 0 0 0 0 1 2
Totals 17 0 2 0 0 7 3

1B: Hall, O’Toole TB: Hall, O’Toole Team LOB: 3 

White Rock... IP H R ER BB SO HR
Leader 3.1 5 5 5 1 3 0
Hoggg 0.2 3 1 1 0 0 0
Nakamura 0.2 4 6 6 4 1 1
Klein 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 5.0 13 12 12 5 4 1

LP: Leader P-S: Leader 61-37, Hoggg 19-12, Nakamura 38-16, Klein 4-3.

Okotoks Dawgs 18U 3, North Delta Blue Jays 2
            123 456 7         R  H E
DAWGS       010 001 1    --   3 6 2
NORTH DELTA 000 002 0    --   2 6 1

Dawgs
AB R H RBI BB SO LOB
J Bouzide 3 0 0 0 0 1 1
C Keyes 2 0 0 0 1 1 0
P Hutzal 3 1 2 0 1 0 2
B Esau 3 1 2 0 1 0 2
J King 3 0 2 2 0 0 3
L Lepine 2 0 0 0 1 0 2
S Graversen 3 0 0 0 0 1 4
N Doleman 3 0 0 0 0 2 4
R Humeniuk 3 1 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 25 3 6 2 4 5 8

1B: Hutzal, Esau, King 2 2B: Hutzal, Esau TB: Hutzal 3, Esau 3, King 2 SAC: Bouzide SF: King SB: Hutzal, King, CS: Hutzal Team LOB: 8 1B: Marquis, Or, Evans, Hoefer, Poirer, Matsushita TB: 

North Delta
AB R H RBI BB SO LOB
Marquis 3 1 1 0 0 0 2
Or 2 0 1 1 1 1 0
Evans 3 0 1 1 0 1 1
Hoefer 3 0 1 0 0 0 3
Newman 3 0 0 0 0 0 1
Poirer 3 0 1 0 0 0 0
Cook 3 0 0 0 0 1 0
Ashford 3 0 0 0 0 0 1
Andrews 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
Matsushita 2 1 1 0 0 0 0
Totals 26 2 6 2 2 3 7 

1B: Marquis, Or, Evans, Hoefer, Poirer, Matsushita Team LOB: 7 

PITCHING
Dawgs IP H R ER BB SO HR
Z Demchenko 7.0 6 2 0 2 3 0
Totals 7.0 6 2 0 2 3 0
WP-Demchenko P-S: Demchenko 82-53 

North Delta IP H R ER BB SO HR
Flodin 5.1 5 2 2 2 3 0
Collet 1.2 1 1 0 2 2 0
Totals 7.0 6 3 2 4 5 0
LP: Collet HBP: Flodin P-S: Flodin 80-50, Collet 33-18.

Okotoks Dawgs 18U 11, Vauxhall Jets 3
         123 456           R  H E
DAWGS    001 532    --    11 3 1
VAUXHALL 003 000    --    3 4 3

Dawgs
AB R H RBI BB SO LOB
J Bouzide 2 0 1 3 2 1 4
C Keyes 4 0 1 3 1 1 4
P Hutzal 2 0 0 2 1 1 2
B Esau 3 0 0 0 1 2 5
J King 2 2 0 0 1 1 2
L Lepine 1 1 1 0 2 0 0
S Graversen 2 2 0 0 2 1 2
A Roy 2 1 0 1 1 2 2
 N Doleman 1 0 0 0 0 1 2
R Humeniuk 2 3 0 1 2 0 4
CR: G Stude... 0 2 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 21 11 3 10 13 10 9

1B: Lepine 2B: Bouzide, Keyes TB: Bouzide 2, Keyes 2, Lepine SAC: Bouzide SF: Hutzal SB: Bouzide 2, Humeniuk 2, Student CS: Student Team LOB: 9 

Vauxhall Jets
AB R H RBI BB SO LOB
M Rath 3 1 0 0 1 3 0
S Grandmont 3 0 0 0 1 1 1
J Dray 2 1 0 0 1 0 1
V Cerny 3 1 1 1 0 1 2
D Palmegiani 2 0 1 0 1 1 0
J Malainey 2 0 1 1 1 0 1
L Vulcano 3 0 1 1 0 2 2
J Binsfield 2 0 0 0 0 1 4
T Wood 2 0 0 0 0 0 2
 B Resch 1 0 0 0 0 0 3
Totals 23 3 4 3 5 9 8

1B: Palmegiani, Malainey, Vulcano 2B: Cerny TB: Cerny 2, Palmegiani, Malainey, Vulcano Team LOB: 8 

Dawgs
IP H R ER BB SO HR
T McWillie 4.0 4 3 3 5 6 0
Q Kopjar 2.0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Totals 6.0 4 3 3 5 9 0

WP: McWillie HBP: McWillie P-S: McWillie 86-52, Kopjar 30-19
Vauxhall Jets
IP H R ER BB SO HR
W Moore 3.0 0 5 4 6 4 0
B Erwin 2.0 2 4 0 4 4 0
G Nicholsom 1.0 1 2 2 3 2 0
Totals 6.0 3 11 6 13 10 0
LP: Moore HBP: Moore 2 P-S: Moore 66-27, Erwin 56-29, Nicholsom 31-14.

Okotoks Dawgs 18U 2, Langley Blaze 0
        123 456 7         R  H E
DAWGS   000 002 0    --   2 6 1
LANGLEY 000 000 0    --   0 4 0

Dawgs
AB R H RBI BB SO LOB
J Bouzide 3 1 3 0 1 0 0
C Keyes 2 1 1 1 2 1 1
P Hutzal 3 0 0 0 1 0 5
B Esau 4 0 0 0 0 3 6
J King 3 0 1 1 0 0 2
L Lepine 1 0 0 0 2 0 0
S Graversen 3 0 0 0 0 1 2
J Woods 3 0 1 0 0 1 0
R Humeniuk 2 0 0 0 0 2 1
CR: G Stude... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 24 2 6 2 6 8 8

1B: Bouzide 2, King, Woods 2B: Bouzide, Keyes TB: Bouzide 4, Keyes 2, King, Woods SAC: Humeniuk SB: Keyes CS: Bouzide, Student Team LOB: 8 

Langley
AB R H RBI BB SO LOB
Fan Pan 3 0 1 0 0 0 1
Horanski 2 0 0 0 0 0 1
Crassy 3 0 0 0 0 1 2
Stoveman 3 0 1 0 0 1 2
Gray 3 0 0 0 0 2 3
An Pan 3 0 0 0 0 2 1
Cantron 3 0 1 0 0 1 0
Unger 3 0 0 0 0 0 1
Berg 2 0 1 0 0 0 0
Totals 25 0 4 0 0 7 6

1B: Fan Pan, Stoveman, Cantron, Berg TB: Fan Pan, Stoveman, Cantron, Berg SB: Stoveman Team LOB: 6 

Dawgs IP H R ER BB SO HR
B Thompson 3.1 2 0 0 0 3 0
Z Rabe 2.1 1 0 0 0 2 0
Q Kopjar 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 0
Z Demchenko 0.2 1 0 0 0 1 0
Totals 7.0 4 0 0 0 7 0

WP: Rabe SV: Demchenko HBP: Thompson P-S: Thompson 42-29, Rabe 36-21, Kopjar 7-6, Demchenko 

Langley Blaze

IP H R ER BB SO HR
Gregson 1.0 0 0 0 4 1 0
Polancic 4.0 3 2 2 0 5 0
Kolb 1.1 3 0 0 2 1 0
Prather 0.2 0 0 0 0 1 0
Totals 7.0 6 2 2 6 8 0

LP: Polancic P-S: Gregson 31-11, Polancic 36-26, Kolb 31-18, Prather 5-4