June 1, 2023

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

Division I conference tournaments are in the books and the 64 teams participating in the NCAA Tournament are set.

On those teams are 29 Canadians. That’s down from 32 in 2022 but up from 27 in 2021. Nobody, Canadian, American or anyone from anywhere else took part in 2020 due to that pesky pandemic.

This year’s Canucks vying for the College World Series are spread across 21 teams.

Let’s break it all down by regional.

Stillwater Regional

A Canadian is guaranteed to make it through to the Super Regionals out of Stillwater, Okla. as all four teams have a player from north of the border.

No. 11 Oklahoma State Cowboys (41-18)

How they got here:

The Cowboys have been one of the best teams all season long and consistently ranked in the Top 25. They dropped the Big 12 title game to Texas Christian University, but it didn’t matter as they earned the No. 11 national seed and the right to host.

Canadian content:

Offensively, the Cowboys relied heavily on David Mendham (Dorchester, Ont.) throughout the season and in conference tournament play. He’s hitting .310 with 14 home runs, 61 RBIs and a .931 OPS in 59 games. His 11 hits in the Big 12 Tournament garnered him All-Tournament honours.

Big Ben Abram (Georgetown, Ont.), as he’s come to be known, has enjoyed success since jumping ship from Oklahoma, whom he went all the way to the College World Series final with in 2022. Abram owns an 8-3 record with a 5.96 ERA in 17 appearances, 14 of which were starts.

Right-hander Evan O’Toole (Bridgewater, N.S.) rounds out the Canadian Cowboys. He’s 6-1 with a 4.30 ERA in 21 appearances, all out of the bullpen.

First game: Friday, June 2 vs. Oral Roberts

Dallas Baptist Patriots (45-14)

How they got here:

Dallas Baptist is no joke, racking up a 45-win campaign but the Conference USA Tournament crown slipped through their fingertips in a 5-2 loss to Charlotte in the championship game. The regular season was still enough to nab them an at-large bid and the No. 2 seed.

Canadian content:

The Patriots pried Tom Poole (Calgary, Alta.) out of Cloud County Community College after just one season when he hit 23 home runs for the Thunderbirds. The power numbers were down in 2023, but who can blame him. He hit nine home runs to go along with a .252 batting average, nine stolen bases and a .949 OPS.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. Washington

Washington Huskies (34-18)

How they got here:

Sweeps of tourney team Oregon, along with bubble team USC in two of the final four weekends of the Pac-12 regular season made up for a lacklustre 1-2 conference tournament.

Canadian content:

Former Okotoks Dawg Boston Warkentin (Ladner, BC) has made four appearances for the Huskies as a freshman.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. Dallas Baptist

Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (46-11)

How they got here:

There may not be a hotter team coming into the tournament than Oral Roberts. Winners of their last 18, they swept their way to the Summit League crown.

Canadian content:

They only have one Canadian on their roster, but he’s been a key contributor. Left-hander Harley Gollert (Toronto, Ont.) is 10-1 with a 3.27 ERA this season after transferring from Austin Peay. He won Game 1 of the Summit League tournament with seven strong innings and was named to the All-Tournament Team. Does he get the start in Game 1 versus Oklahoma State? That’s yet to be decided but a Canadian baseball fan can hope.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. Oklahoma State

Nashville Regional

The winner of the Nashville Regional matches up with the winner of the Stillwater Regional in the supers. With Canadians on three of the four teams in the Music City, there’s a good chance a Canuck makes their way to Omaha.

Oregon Ducks (37-20)

How they got here:

The Ducks flew through the Pac-12 Tournament with four straight wins, capped by a 5-4 thriller over Arizona in the championship game.

Canadian content:

That championship game I was just talking about? It was started by freshman Turner Spoljaric (Lisle, Ont.) who picked up the win. Spoljaric is 6-0 with a 6.32 ERA in 15 appearances, six of which have been starts.

Fellow freshman Matthew Grabmann (Dartmouth, N.S.) has pitched to a 1-3 record and a 4.60 ERA over 47 innings in 17 appearances and 10 starts.

Outfielder Owen Diodati (Niagara Falls, Ont.), who transferred from Alabama in the offseason, has hit .145 with a home run and five RBIs.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. Xavier

Xavier Musketeers (37-23)

How they got here:

Despite a bumpy start, which included a four-game sweep at the hands of their first regional opponent in Oregon, the Musketeers marched their way to the Big East championship.

Canadian content:

Luis Pimental-Guerrero (Burlington, Ont.) has seven at bats in nine games this season.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. Oregon

Eastern Illinois Panthers (38-19)

How they got here:

It took the Panthers six games, and three straight wins, to claim the Missouri Valley Conference championship.

Canadian content:

Senior infielder Lucas DiLuca (Lasalle, Ont.) is looking to make the most of his final college season. He owns a .244 batting average and has fielded at a. .979 clip in 49 games played.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. Vanderbilt.

Baton Rouge Regional

Three Canadians will play in Baton Rouge, including one on the host team.

No. 5 LSU Tigers (43-15)

How they got here:

A perennial powerhouse, the Tigers went 28-7 at Alex Box Stadium this season but they’re coming off a disappointing 1-2 showing at the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

Canadian content:

Another freshman makes it to a regional in Micah Bucknam (Abbotsford, BC). The former Abbotsford Cardinal and Langley Blaze hurler has appeared in eight games, throwing seven innings.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. Tulane

Oregon State Beavers (39-18)

How they got here:

Speaking of perennial powers, it’s hard to leave Oregon State out of that conversation. They didn’t win the Pac-12 tournament, but they didn’t need to with 39 wins in a Power 5 conference.

Canadian content:

The Beavers possess both a position player and a pitcher. Let’s start with Micah McDowell (Halifax, N.S.) who is second on the team with a .343 batting average. He’s also stolen 15 bases and has a .942 OPS in 52 games.

Southpaw Justin Thorsteinson (Langley, BC) has pitched in 10 games and made four starts to the tune of a 1-0 record and a 4.11 ERA.

Lexington Regional

The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the Lexington Regional have Canadians that are significant contributors.

No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats (36-18)

How they got here:

The Wildcats will be out to prove their loss to Alabama in the opening round of the SEC Tournament was a one-off. They went 16-13 against teams currently in the tournament, including a three-game sweep of South Carolina, which speaks to their strong schedule.

Canadian content:

Emilien Pitre (Repentigny, Que.) has been critical to the Cats offence, hitting .337 and posting a .910 OPS. His average is the second-best on the team as a sophomore.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. Ball State

West Virginia Mountaineers (39-18)

How they got here:

Led by Big 12 Coach of the Year Randy Mazey, the Mountaineers came just shy of the 40-win mark. An 0-2 performance at the Big 12 Tournament isn’t exactly the way they hoped to head into the regionals, but they’ll be dangerous nonetheless as the No. 2 seed.

Canadian content:

Sam White (Aurora, Ont.) burst onto the scene in his first college season. He owns a .256 batting average to go along with four home runs and 23 RBIs in 47 games.

Righty Will Watson (Brampton, Ont.) has made three appearances and possesses a 4.50 ERA.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. Indiana

Terre Haute Regional

Indiana State may be the most surprising name among the regional hosts but they earned the right following a strong 42-win season. Three Canadians will make their way Bob Warn Field.

No. 14 Indiana State Sycamores (42-15)

How they got here:

A Missouri Valley Conference title and 42 wins secured the Sycamores the opportunity to host a regional.

Canadian content:

Getting into 17 games and making six starts so far, Connor Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) owns a .200 average.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. Wright State

Iowa Hawkeyes (42-12)

How they got here:

Dropping the Big Ten championship game to Maryland didn’t hurt the Hawkeyes as they posted 42 wins and were an impressive 22-3 at home. They were much more pedestrian on the road, going 9-9. They’ll need be better than that this weekend.

Canadian content:

Right-hander Chas Wheatley (Edmonton, Alta.) has held hitters to a .205 batting average against and owns a very respectable 3.48 ERA in 13 appearances.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. North Carolina

Wright State Raiders (39-21)

How they got here:

Teams around the nation should know not to sleep on the Raiders. They won their third straight Horizon League title and have played teams tough in the regionals in that time.

Canadian content:

While infielder Tyler Black (Toronto, Ont.) and catcher Konner Piotto (Abbotsford, BC) have graduated to the professional ranks, catcher Lucas Johnson (Hamilton, Ont.) is looking to make a name for himself. He played in 10 games this season as a redshirt freshman. A fun Toronto Blue Jays side note, Raiders head coach Alex Sogard is the brother of former infielder Eric.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. Indiana State

Coral Gables Regional

A pair of Canadian Black Bears will head to the Sunshine State for their regional.

Maine Black Bears (32-19)

How they got here:

Maine punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament by going 3-0 in the America East Tournament.

Canadian content:

Right-handed pitcher Ryan Scott (Quispamsis, N.B.) made 17 appearances for the Black Bears, going 1-3 with a 9.68 ERA in 17 2/3 innings.

Utility man Cam Rendell (Halifax, NS) appeared in three games and threw 2 2/3 innings.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. No. 9 Miami

Stanford Regional

The only regional on the west coast features two Canadians, one each on the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds.

Cal State Fullerton (31-22)

How they got here:

The Titans may have the most interesting story of how they ended up in a regional of any team taking part. They finished the regular season in second place in The Big West Conference behind the University of California San Diego but were given the regional bid by default due to the fact UCSD is ineligible for postseason play while they serve their NCAA mandated reclassification period after coming up from Division II. The conference doesn’t have a postseason tournament.

Canadian content:

Right-hander Fynn Chester (Victoria, BC) is 7-3 with one save and a 4.21 ERA in 17 appearances, including seven starts. He’s thrown 57.2 innings.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. Texas A&M

San Jose State Spartans (31-25)

How they got here:

The Spartans of San Jose State will stay in California for their regional after locking down the Mountain West championship by beating Air Force in back-to-back games.

Canadian content:

Catcher Andrew Johnston (Toronto, Ont.) didn’t get into a game during the 2023 regular season.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. No. 8 Stanford

Tuscaloosa Regional

Some were surprised that Indiana State ranked ahead of Alabama in the national rankings, but the Crimson Tide will still host. Two Canadian pitchers are on the rosters of teams in this regional.

Alabama Crimson Tide (40-19)

How they got here:

The final of eight SEC host teams, Alabama went 16-14 in conference play and were 2-2 in the SEC Tournament, of which all their games were against Top 25 opponents.

Canadian content:

Lefty Antoine Jean (Montreal, Que.) has been sidelined all season by an injury.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. Nicholls

Troy Trojans (39-20)

How they got here:

Another team that just missed the 40-win mark, Troy played just three games in the Sun Belt Tournament before being eliminated. The bulk of their work in the regular season was enough to put them through to the NCAA Tournament.

Canadian content:

Former Toronto Mets right-hander Zak Szabo (Whitby, Ont.) made his way into four games and threw 2 2/3 innings.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. Boston College

Winston-Salem Regional

The No. 1 seed Wake Forest Deacons have been one of the best teams all season long.

George Mason Patriots (34-25)

How they got here:

For the first time since 2014 the Patriots are headed to a regional after winning the Atlantic 10 title. The team is led by head coach and former Toronto Blue Jays reliever Shawn Camp.

Canadian content:

Catcher Connor Dykstra (Chilliwack, BC) was an All-Atlantic 10 Conference First Team selection and has a .293 batting average with eight home runs, 43 RBI and a .949 OPS in 55 games.

On the mound, right-handed pitcher Logan Rumberg (Okotoks, Alta.) has appeared in 15 games and made four starts. He’s 4-1 with a 2.42 ERA in 26 innings.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. Wake Forest

Columbia Regional

There may not be a more grumpy team heading into the regionals than the Campbell Camels. After winning 44 games and the Big South Tournament many thought they were set to host. It wasn’t meant to be as Auburn, the team with the No. 19 RPI received that honour over the Camels who had the 14th best RPI. Regardless, the Camels qualified for their fifth straight regional.

Campbell Camels (44-13)

How they got here:

The Camels won the Big South Conference for the second year in a row. They likely make the tournament without doing so, but a ring never hurts things.

Canadian content:

If there was a Canadian Comeback Player of the Year, the honour would likely go to infielder Bryce Arnold (Grimsby, Ont.). Missing much of the 2022 season with an ankle injury, he’s bounced back with a .323 batting average, 16 home runs, 60 RBIs and a 1.073 OPS. He’s a finalist for the Dick Howser Trophy as Collegiate Player of the Year.

Game 1: Friday, June 2 vs. NC State

Regional rundown:

Auburn Regional: No. 13 Auburn, Southern Mississippi, Samford and Pennsylvania

Baton Rouge Regional: No. 5 LSU, Oregon State, Sam Houston State and Tulane

Charlottesville Regional: No. 7 Virginia, East Carolina, Oklahoma and Army West Point

Clemson Regional: No. 4 Clemson, Tennessee, Charlotte and Lipscomb

Columbia Regional: No. 15 South Caroline, Campbell, NC State and Central Connecticut State

Conway Regional: No. 10 Coastal Carolina, Duke, University of North Carolina Wilmington and Rider

Coral Gables Regional: No. 9 Miami, Texas, Louisiana and Maine

Fayetteville Regional: No. 3 Arkansas, TCU, Arizona and Santa Clara

Gainesville Regional: No. 2 Florida, Connecticut, Texas Tech and Florida A&M

Lexington Regional: No 12 Kentucky, West Virginia, Indiana, Ball State

Nashville Regional: No. 6 Vanderbilt, Oregon, Xavier and Eastern Illinois

Stanford Regional: No. 8 Stanford, Texas A&M, Cal St. Fullerton and San Jose St.

Stillwater Regional: No. 11 Oklahoma State, Dallas Baptist, Washington and Oral Roberts

Terre Haute Regional: No. 14 Indiana State, Iowa, North Caroline and Wright State

Tuscaloosa Regional: No. 16 Alabama, Boston College, Troy and Nicholls

Winston-Salem Regional: No. 1 Wake Forest, Maryland, Northeastern and George Mason