BMOC Week 6
By Matt Betts
Canadian Baseball Network
Another busy week of college ball is in the books. There were plenty of Canadians who stood out for their teams. Let’s get to it, here are the players that stole the spotlight this past week.

Acostia-Tapia hits for cycle
Christopher Acosta-Tapia (Deaauville Laval, Que.) had arguably the best performance in all of college baseball for the Oklahoma Wesleyan University Eagles. In their first game, Tapia hit for the cycle in a 22-14 win over St. Gregory’s. He drove in five runs, as well. Sterling College was next to feel the wrath. Acosta-Tapia went 3-for-5 with all three hits being home runs in the 8-7 win. Oklahoma Wesleyan again put up double digits in Game 2, a 20-10 win. Acosta-Tapia launched another two home runs in a 3-for-4 game with five RBIs. In the finale, he went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. The Eagles are currently 18-3 and sit in the No. 5 spot in the NAIA national polls.

Stevenson spins complete game shutout
The Canisius College Golden Griffins are getting ace like starts from J.P. Stevenson (New Glasgow, PEI). He took to the mound in Game 3 of the Griffs series with Fordham and threw a complete game shutout. He allowed just three hits with three strikeouts and a pair of walks. The southpaw Maritimer improved to 3-0 on the season with a sparkling 0.93 ERA. His next start will likely come this weekend when Canisius travels to Rock Hill, S.C. to take on Winthrop.

Dressler starts twice, loses once
All things considered, it was a pretty good week for Steven Dressler (Burlington, Ont.). Dressler made two starts for the University of Texas San Antonio. In his first against Texas A&M Corpus Christi he tossed four innings allowing just a single hit. He didn’t allow a run and struck out three in the 7-3 win. He was dealt the loss later in the week as the No. 24 Utah Utes scored four runs (two earned) off Dressler over 4 2/3 innings. He gave up six hits with three punchouts and three walks. The Roadrunners path doesn’t get any easier as they head to Texas State for a midweek contest before continuing their travels to No. 9 Texas Tech for a three-game set.

Osborne Conference POW for second time
Game 1 was the only game of the weekend that No. 17 Flagler pitchers could get J.D. Osborne (Whitby, Ont.) out. He was still able to hit a solo shot and work a walk in No. 2 Tampa’s 4-2 loss. Osborne went 5-for-5 in Game 2 with a pair of doubles and another home run. He finished the game with five RBIs in the 11-4 win. He again was perfect at the dish in Game 3, a 16-3 Spartan victory, as he went 3-for-3 with a walk, a double and his third home run of the series. Osborne was named Sunshine State Conference Player of the Week for the second time this season. He finished the week going 9-for-11, good for an .818 average, .786 OBP and 1.909 SLG. In 15 games so far in 2017 he is hitting .467 with seven home runs and 28 RBIs.

Markland, Sauve earn wins for Bryan
Brandon Marklund (North Vancouver, BC) and Chris Sauve (Mascouche, Que.) both had stellar performances on the bump for Bryan College as they swept St. Andrew’s University. Marklund threw six scoreless innings, giving up six hits with five strikeouts and a walk in a 9-0 triumph. He is now 2-0 this season. Sauve improved to 4-1 on the campaign by tossing six innings of four hit baseball, surrendering two runs with eight strikeouts and a walk in the 13-3 thumping.

Two appearances, zero earned runs for Alvernaz
Jordan Alvernaz (Mississauga, Ont.) appeared in two games this past week and totaled four innings without allow an earned run for Trinity International University. In a 10-1 loss to Bethal, Alvernaz tossed an inning, giving up a hit and an unearned run. In his second appearance against Penn State Brandywine he went three innings, giving up a hit, had a strikeout and two walk.

Clarke leads way for Privateers
The University of New Orleans claimed three wins in four tries thanks in large part to Tristan Clarke (Brampton, Ont.). In the Privateers only loss, a 10-7 defeat at the hands of South Alabama, Clarke stroked a double and knocked in three runs. In a three-game series with Alcorn State, Clarke knocked two hits in Game 1, three hits in Game 2 and was a perfect 4-for-4 in Game 3. In Game 2 he was a single short of the cycle as he had a double, triple and a two-run home run with seven RBIs.

Bondarchuk pounds out 13 hits
Matt Bondarchuk (Edmonton, Alta.) made the most of Cloud County Community College’s seven game stretch. He had 13 hits in the seven games with nine RBIs, a walk and a stolen base. He had two hits in each of the first four games and went 3-for-6 in the final game. Bondarchuk is hitting .373 over 18 games.

Cappe collects first college win
It was an exciting week for Brady Cappe (Brantford, Ont.) as he earned his first collegiate win for Lake Land College in their 2-0 victory over Southeastern. Cappe threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits with four strikeouts and three walks.

King with two, two home run games
The power was on display for Justin King (Okotoks, Alta.) of Indian Hills Community College. King had a two home run game in a 20-10 win over Eastern Oklahoma State and repeated that feat in Game 3, a 9-0 win. He finished the four-game series with six hits, nine RBIs and a walk.

McVeigh with multi-hit games
Former Ontario Blue Jay Sean McVeigh (Mississauga, Ont.) helped power the offence for Frank Phillips College. McVeigh had two-hits in all three games for his team. His best game came in the first against Seward County when he went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a stolen base. One of the three hits was a home run.

Diewert dynamic for Polk State
Zach Diewert (Chemainus, BC) was back at it for the Polk State Eagles. In Game 1 against St. Petersburg he crushed a solo home run while working a pair of walks. Polk State won the game by a 12-6 margin. In Game 2, a 10-0 win, it was a performance of two’s. He had two hits, two walks, two RBIs and two stolen bases. After walking and stealing a base to sweep the series, Diewert pounded out a hit, walked and knocked in a run in a 4-2 loss to Hillsborough.

Lane’s a tough luck loser
It was a tough loss to swallow for Jalen Lane (Burdett, Alta.) as his Dickinson State Blue Hawks fell 6-1 to Minnesota-Crookston. Lane tossed seven solid innings, giving up just three hits and a pair of runs. He struck out six and walked only one but was dealt the loss.

Kunkel continues strong campaign
Union College only scored one run in their game versus Point University, lucky for them that was all Dolan Kunkel (Saskatoon, Sask.) needed. Kunkel spun a gem, throwing complete game shutout. The opposition managed just two hits, he struck out seven and walked one. Kunkel is 1-0 in 2017 with a miniscule 1.08 ERA.

Niagara with a big weekend
The Purple Eagles of Niagara University had themselves a very good weekend that included handing the No. 4 Virginia Cavaliers their first loss of the season. Three Canadians made difference in the teams four game, three of which were victories.
Tanner Kirwer (Sherwood Park, Alta.) was a sparkplug for the offence. He got things rolling in Game 1 of their week against La Salle. He went 2-for-4 with a walk, a RBI and two stolen bases. Niagara dropped the Explorers by an 8-5 score. Kirwer walked twice in a 5-3 loss to Virginia. The Purple Eagles wouldn’t have to wait long to get some revenge as they took on Virginia again in their next game. Revenge was exactly what they got by beating the Cavs 8-5. Kirwer went 2-for-3 in the upset with a double and two walks. He rounded out his weekend with a double, two walks and a RBI in a 9-0 win over La Salle.

Daniel Procopio (Toronto, Ont.) pitched Niagara to their 8-5 win over La Salle. He threw six innings and gave up a single run on one hit. He had an impressive 12 strikeouts in the game. He now sits with a 2-1 record this season. Procopio was named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week for his work.

Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) took care of La Salle in the other meeting. He threw six scoreless innings, also giving up just one hit. He struck out seven and walked three enroute to the win. It was also his second win of the season against no losses. He was named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week thanks to his stellar start.

Freshman Gauthier gets start for NC State
Mathieu Gauthier (Candiac, Que.) was rewarded for his strong start to the year with his second start of his college career this past week in a game against Charlotte. Gauthier lasted 4 2/3 innings and struck out five. He gave up two runs (one earned) on four hits with five strikeouts and a walk. The young right hander is 1-1 with a 3.75 ERA over four appearances this season.

Oulton gets outs
Hutchinson Community College is off to a red-hot start to 2017 with a 13-2 record. Taron Oulton (St. Albert, Alta.) contributed to that by picking up a win against Seward County. In Game 2 he pitched five scoreless innings allowing three hits and he struck out six. 

Baker relieves in marathon game
It was a heartbreaking end to what ended up being the length of two games for the St. Bonaventure Bonnies. T.J. Baker (Acton, Ont.) threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts but it wasn’t enough as the University of Maine topped the Bonnies 6-5 in 18 innings. What made the loss even worse was Maine upended St. Bonaventure the game before in 10 innings.

Shaw picks up third win
Jake Shaw (Fredricton, NB) improved his record to 3-0 with five scoreless innings against Oakland City. Shaw owns a 1.15 ERA in five games this year.

Another tough loss on the mound
It was a quality start for Blaine Farrell (Marysville, Ont.) but much like fellow Canadian Jalen Lane he was dealt the loss. Farrell worked eight innings, giving up four runs (two earned) on four hits with seven strikeouts. It wasn’t enough, however, as North Greenville picked up a 4-0 win over Mars Hill.

Duncan, MacDonald crush for Crowder
Tyler Duncan (Sooke, BC) and Kyle MacDonald (Mississauga, Ont.) lead Crowder College to five victories over the last week. Duncan got things rolling against Neosho County, going 3-for-5 with a home run. MacDonald reached four times via two hits, one of which was also a home run, two walks and drove in two.

Next up was a four-game set with State Fair. Duncan had five hits, four walks, nine RBIs and two stolen bases in the four games. MacDonald chipped in with five hits as well, a walk and four RBIs. He also launched his second home run of the week in Game 3.

Hewitt hits at the top
The Connors State Cowboys rely on Max Hewitt (Midhurst, Ont.) to stir the offensive drink. Hewitt has been leading off for the Cowboys and it has been no surprise as to why. In their first game this week against TCS Postgrad he stroked a double and knocked in a pair in an 8-0 win. He started to get comfortable in Game 2, also against TCS Postgrad, going 4-for-4 with a walk and a RBI in a 4-3 loss. In a 14-4 victory over Carl Albert to close the week he went an impressive 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a stolen base.

Keller killin’ it for NOE
Griffin Keller finished his week with three straight multi-hit games. He had eight hits in total for Northern Oklahoma Enid despite his team going 2-3.

Warken doing work for Polk State
Get excited Louisiana Tech baseball fans, Cole Warken (Regina, Sask.) is coming. He did a little bit of everything last week for the Polk State Eagles. He stroked five hits, drove in five and even stole a base. The sophomore is set to arrive in the Pelican State next fall.

Lacroix living up to expectations
There were big shoes to fill at Seminole State (OK) when Abraham Toro-Hernandez (Longueuil, Que.), Louis-Philippe Pelletier (Montreal, Que.) and Phil Berthiaume (Quebec City, Que) left after last season. Jonathan Lacroix (Montreal, Que.), however, has stepped in to fill the gap. That was on full display this past week when he went 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs in a Seminole State (OK) 17-7 win over Redlands. His week got better the next game as he was 4-for-6 at the dish with two home runs and five RBIs in a 12-3 drubbing of Western Oklahoma State. He closed his week with a hit, a walk and a RBI in a Seminole State (OK) loss.

Quick update: Toro is currently in the Houston Astros system after being drafted in the fifth round last June. He hit .254 in the Rookie Appalachian League in his first pro season.
Pelletier suited up for the Astros Gulf Coast League team in 2016. He was drafted in the 20th round last June. He hit .192 in his first taste of pro ball.
Berthiaume is currently a Maverick at the University of Texas-Arlington and is hitting .317.

Graff-Rowe goes deep, has six hits total
The Central Missouri Mules are having a stellar season as expected, so is Justin Graff-Rowe (Waterloo, Ont.). Graff-Rowe contributed six hits including a home run, four RBIs, a walk, a hit by pitch and stole two bases for the Mules as they took 2-of-3 from Pittsburg State. Central Missouri is off to a 13-3 start.

Handley heating up
The Stonybrook Seawolves headed south to Orlando, FL for a weekend series with the Central Florida Knights over the weekend. Toby Handley (Whitby, Ont.) had a hit and walked twice in a 7-3 Game 1 loss. In the Game 2, 8-4 loss, he hit his first home run of the season and went 2-for-4 in the game. In the finale, another loss, he went 3-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base. The Seawolves are off to a rocky start at 2-8 but will have plenty of games coming up to turn it around. They have their first home games set for this week with midweek games with NYIT and Yale before hosting LIU Brooklyn for three games.

Yates does what he can do
It was four more games and four more losses for the Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Dawson Yates (Kelowna, BC) must be wondering what more he can do. He is currently second on the team in average, hitting a blistering .394. He had another five hits in his teams four games. The Islanders are a woeful 2-10.

Lock Haven leaning on Lahn
Matt Lahn (Georgetown, Ont.) went 5-for-11 as Lock Haven swept Fairmont State. He delivered a home run and seven RBIs, as well.

Keys strong, dealt tough loss
Travis Keys (London, Ont.) threw six innings, allowing just a single run but was tagged with the loss for Lake Michigan College. He allowed four hits, struck out six and walked one against South Georgia College in the 1-0 defeat. It has been a start to forget for Lake Michigan as they are 0-6 after their opening weekend.

Caschera helps lead Goshen to six straight W’s
The season appears to be turning around for Goshen College. Vincent Caschera (Sarnia, Ont.) had 14 hits and six RBIs in six wins last week. His best performance came in the first game when he went 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs. The six-game win streak has pushed Goshen to a 7-8 record.

Horvath picks up win
The Wayne State Warriors exploded for 10 runs in the bottom of the second inning against Missouri St. Louis and Chris Horvath (Lakeshore, Ont.) cruised from there. Horvath picked up the win to improve to 2-0 by going six scoreless innings, scattering three hits with seven punchies and a walk. Horvath has a 3.07 ERA in three starts.

Wilcox evens record
Zach Wilcox (London, Ont.) is 1-1 for Illinois Central College after he threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings in a 6-4 win over Mississippi Gulf Coast. He gave up five hits, struck out two and walked four along the way.

McAffer magnificent for Vaqueros
Will McAffer (North Vancouver, BC) is now a perfect 3-0 for the Central Arizona Vaqueros. He picked up his third win with six innings of one run work against Eastern Arizona. He allowed five hits, struck out nine and walked two.

Harvey slams the door
Three appearances and two saves qualifies as a good week. Dalton Harvey (Cambridge, Ont.) collected his second save of the season for Dodge City Community College in their win over Wayland Baptist. He threw two innings and struck out three for the victors. He got into action again against Cloud County and tossed an inning with a pair of strikeouts and walks. He earned his third save against that same Cloud County team. He only needed 1/3 of an inning to do it and struck out his lone out.

It was another long list of great performances by Canadians in college baseball. Keep tabs on the weekly standouts right here with the BMOC. Check back next week for more.

If you know of someone who is deserving of a mention in the weekly BMOC column. please contact Matt Betts at mattbetts41@gmail.com