Terriers alum Austin Gomm (Georgetown, Ont.) had eight hits for LSU Shreveport last week. Photo: LSU Shreveport Athletics

BMOC Week 9

March 24, 2025

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

It’s a great time to be a baseball fan.

Major League Baseball Opening day is right around the corner and the college slate is in full swing.

Let’s take a look at the top Canadian performers from the latter before the former hit the field on Thursday.

Gomm named RRAC Player of the Week

Austin Gomm (Georgetown, Ont.) earned Red River Athletic Conference Player of the Week honours after stroking eight hits, walking once, driving in nine and stealing a base for No. 1 LSU Shreveport. To begin the week, he went 4-for-4 with two triples and three RBIs in a win over Texas Wesleyan. He also homered, a solo shot, in a Game 2 victory over LSU Alexandria. The Pilots are now 29-0 on the season.

Grinberg Named Sun Conference Player of the Week.

No. 17 Keiser University took three of four from Florida Memorial on the back of eight hits, four walks, five RBIs and a stolen base from Simon Grinberg (Kitchener, Ont.). He hit a two-run home run in Game 2 and was also hit by a pitch in the series. The Seahawks are now 22-3. For his play, Grinberg was named Sun Conference Player of the Week.

Gardner hits grand slam

The biggest hit of the week for Will Gardner (St. Albert, Alta.) came when he swatted a grand slam during Mount Marty’s 17-11 win over Waldorf. He finished with four hits, five RBIs and a stolen base in the game. In the three games that followed, he had two hits and was hit by a pitch.

Battye uses his bat for Waldorf

Sticking with Waldorf, Dylan Battye (Duncan, BC) put together eight hits, drove in seven and stole two bases in five games for the Warriors. His best performance came in Game 2 against Mount Marty when he went 4-for-4 with five RBIs and a stolen base.

Ontario Blue Jays alum Ryan Pelton (Caledon, Ont.) hit for the cycle in a game for SUNY Poly. Photo: SUNY Poly Athletics

Pelton hits for the cycle

Ryan Pelton (Caledon, Ont.) capped the cycle with a solo home run for SUNY Poly to help them beat SUNY Canton. He finished the game 4-for-5 with two RBIs. During his team’s other two games, he had two hits, a walk and was hit by a pitch.

Groves supplies five-hit game

Roane State received five hits, two RBIs and a stolen base from Jackson Groves (Belmont, Ont.) to help them beat Sewanee 23-11. Groves played in two more games and worked a walk.

UBC takes three from Corban

It was the offence that helped the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds take flight in three wins over Corban.

David Draayers (Abbotsford, BC) had six hits, including a two-run home run, a walk and three RBIs in two games.

Trent Lenihan (White Rock, BC) chipped in seven hits, two walks and three RBIs. He hit a solo home run during a 17-4 Game 3 victory.

Aaron Marsh (Nanaimo, BC) collected six hits, a walk and five RBIs. He hit a two-run home run in Game 3 and finished a single shy of the cycle. Four of his six hits on the week were doubles.

Mitchell Middlemiss (Chilliwack, BC) had eight hits, two walks, seven RBIs and a stolen base. Like Marsh, he hit a two-run home run in Game 3.

Last week’s Canadian Baseball Network College Player of the Week, Kyle Yip, was back at it with four hits, a walk and two RBIs.

ABC alum Antoine Jean (Montreal, Que.) earned a rare five-inning save for the University of Houston. Photo: University of Houston Athletics

Jean earns five-inning save

Antoine Jean (Montreal, Que.) threw five scoreless innings out of the University of Houston bullpen to help them to a 7-5 win over the University of Central Florida. Jean allowed three hits and struck out 11.

Thompson tosses complete game

Matthew Thompson (Winnipeg, Man.) threw a seven-inning complete game, allowing one run on four hits as Williston State beat Bismarck State 2-1 in Game 3 of their four-game series. He struck out eight.

Silvera with eight knocks

Anthony Silvera (Alliston, Ont.) put together an eight-hit, two-walk, three-RBI week for Defiance College.

Morrison makes the most of busy schedule

Some guys just like to be busy. Ben Morrison (Denfield, Ont.) appears to be one of them. Over seven games for Indiana Tech, Morrison collected 13 hits, nine walks, 11 RBIs, two stolen bases and was hit by a pitch. He homered twice in a win over Michigan-Dearborn, a solo home run and a grand slam, and added solo shot in a loss to Indiana Wesleyan.

Warrillow homers twice

Calvin Warrillow (Toronto, Ont.) homered twice, had three hits and drove in six in Dodge City’s 15-5 victory over Otero.

Michael Clark (Cranbrook, BC) had 13 hits and 19 RBIs for Northeastern Junior College last week. Photo: NJC Baseball Facebook

Clark and Hoy power Plainsmen

Michael Clark (Cranbrook, BC) and Hudson Hoy (Spruce Grove, Alta.) had big weeks for Northeastern Junior College.

Let’s start with Clark, who had 13 hits, six walks, 19 RBIs and seven stolen bases. He went 5-for-6 with two home runs, a walk and nine RBIs to open the week against the Hasting College JV team.

Hoy, on the other hand, produced 12 hits, two walks, 10 RBIs and five stolen bases.

Walker throws eight

A name that keeps popping up in this column is Taft College’s Ryden Walker (White City, Sask.). This past week, Walker worked eight innings and surrendered two runs on seven hits as his team beat LA Mission 3-2. He walked two and struck out two in the outing.

Pare moves record above .500

Matteo Pare (Windsor, Ont.) lasted eight innings and gave up one run on four hits for Pensacola State in their win over Tallahassee State. He walked one and fanned seven.

Grant homers three times

Logan Grant (Chestermere, Alta.) hit a two-run home run in Game 2 of Bellevue’s series with Peru State before hitting solo shots in games 3 and 4. Over the five games the Bruins played on the week, Grant amassed eight hits, two walks, six RBIs and two stolen bases.

Windsor Selects alum Alec Boucher (Harrow, Ont.) had an eight-hit week for D’Youville. Photo: D’Youville Athletics

Boucher blasts solo shot

Alec Boucher (Harrow, Ont.) hit a solo home run as part of an eight-hit week for D’Youville. He added four walks, two more RBIs and two stolen bases.

Grainger with four-hit game

Panola’s Brock Grainger (Coboconk, Ont.) went 4-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs to help his team to an 11-5 Game 1 win over Northeast Texas Community College. He then collected a hit in a Game 3 loss.

Newell goes the distance

Blake Newell (Yarmouth, N.S.) tossed a seven-inning complete game to aid Montgomery College to a 7-4 victory over County College of Morris. The right-hander gave up four runs (one earned) on four hits and two walks. He punched out a pair.

Ernst shuts down opposing hitters

Southpaw Wyatt Ernst (Saskatoon, Sask.) threw a seven-inning complete game to lead Keuka College to a 9-2 victory over Framingham State. He allowed the two runs on six hits and three walks, while striking out two.

Ernst was’t done there, however, as the made a start later in the week when he faced SUNY Brockport and threw another seven innings. He surrendered three runs on eight hits and three walks with three strikeouts in an eventual 7-1 loss.

Lawson plays well for Gators

During a three-game series against No. 4 Georgia over the weekend, Brendan Lawson (Toronto, Ont.) had two hits, one of which was a solo shot in Game 3, three walks, two RBIs and a stolen base. It wasn’t enough, though, as the No. 13 Florida Gators lost all three to fall to 0-6 in Southeastern Conference play. In two midweek games, Lawson put together four hits, two walks and seven RBI. He hit a three-run home run in a win over Jacksonville.

Ontario Nationals alum Blake Gillespie (Lucan, Ont.) struck out 13 in eight innings in his start for the University of North Carolina Charlotte. Photo: UNC Charlotte Athletics

Gillespie, Gunderson shine for Charlotte

Blake Gillespie (Lucan, Ont.) and Cody Gunderson (St. Malo, Man.) have played well all season for the University of North Carolina Charlotte.

Last week, Gillespie struck out 13 over eight innings of work to help the 49ers beat the University of Texas at San Antonio 3-2. He allowed two runs on five hits.

In four games, Gunderson had seven hits, two walks, three RBIs and was hit by a pitch. He hit a two-run home run against Appalachian State and a solo shot to give his team the lead for good in Game 1 against UTSA.

Jackson continues to hit

Core Jackson (Wyoming, Ont.) of the University of Utah has been one of the top Canadian hitters in Division I baseball and it continued last week. Jackson had six hits, a walk, five RBIs and a stolen base as the University of Utah took two of three from Oklahoma State. He hit a three-run home run in a Game 3 victory to secure the series.

Green goes deep three times

Jason Green (Georgetown, Ont.) hit a two-run home run in Niagara’s 11-6 midweek win over Canisius and followed it up with a two-run home run and solo shot as the Purple Eagles won Game 1 of their series against Mount St. Mary’s 14-11. He walked twice in Game 2 and recorded a hit, a walk and an RBI in Game 3. Niagara would end up dropping the series.

Alberti with four-hit game and two-homer game

Outfielder Lucas Alberti (Toronto, Ont.) started the week with a walk and by being hit by a pitch as George Mason beat Towson 5-4. He then went 4-for-5 with a walk and an RBI as the Patriots took Game 1 from St. Bonaventure 21-2. Game 2 saw him hit a two-run home run and a solo shot en route to collecting three hits, a walk and three RBIs in a 14-5 Game 2 victory. His team couldn’t complete the sweep, though, as they fell in Game 3, 7-3.

Vauxhall Jets grad Shaye McTavish (Lethbridge, Alta.) didn’t allow an earned run in the seven-inning complete game he tossed for the University of Pikeville. Photo: University of Pikeville Athletics

McTavish throws complete game in loss

Three unearned runs cost the University of Pikeville Game 3 of their series with Bluefield as they fell 3-2. Shaye McTavish (Lethbridge, Alta.) threw a seven-inning complete game, allowing the three unearned runs on five hits and four walks. He struck out seven.

McCrossin drives in seven

Nolan McCrossin (London, Ont.) had six hits, walked three times and drove in seven as Kankakee Community College went 6-0. One of his hits was a home run in a 12-4 victory over Prairie State.

MacLean picks up second win

Tanner MacLean (Charlottetown, PEI) worked around eight hits over seven innings to earn the win for Dominican University. He allowed three runs (two earned) and struck out two Chestnut Hill hitters in the 12-4 victory.

Laurie launches three-run home run

A three-run home run was the biggest hit of the week for Glenville State’s Zach Laurie (Peterborough, Ont.). When the seven days were over, he had six hits and five RBIs.

Leroux laces four hits

Brando Leroux (Markham, Ont.) went 4-for-4 with a two-run home run and four RBIs in Florida Atlantic’s Game 1 win over Rice. In a Game 3 win, he had a hit and was hit by a pitch. He also walked in a midweek game against Miami.

Toronto Mets alum Owen Thomson (Campbellford, Ont.) picked up two wins in relief for Southeastern Community College. Photo: Southeastern Athletics

Thomson wins twice in relief

Owen Thomson (Campbellford, Ont.) appeared in two games for Southeastern Community College out of the bullpen and picked up a pair of wins. He totalled 2 2/3 scoreless innings, while allowing three hits and striking out three.

Thorsteinson pitches Minnesota to series win

With the series on the line, left-hander Justin Thorsteinson (Richmond, BC) supplied five scoreless innings to help the University of Minnesota beat High Point 8-2. He allowed one hit, walked three and punched out 11.

Varney homers twice

Jack Varney (Coquitlam, BC) had three hits, five walks, three RBIs and two stolen bases in Westcliff University’s 2-1 series loss to La Sierra. He hit a solo home run in Game 2 and a two-run homer in Game 3.

Smith named The Summit League Player of the Week

Outfielder Dante Smith (Ajax, Ont.) had eight hits, a walk, three RBIs and two stolen as North Dakota State took two of three from Northern Colorado. He went 4-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and two stolen bases to lead the Bison to the series win in Game 3. Smith’s play earned him the Summitt League Player of the Week.

Back-to-back complete games for Bucknam

What did right-hander Micah Bucknam (Abbotsford, BC) do to follow up his seven-inning complete game a week ago for No. 17 Dallas Baptist? He threw another one. Bucknam spun a shutout, allowing three hits and a walk in a 10-0 win over Middle Tennessee State. He struck out 14 of the 21 outs he recorded.

Just because big league baseball is back doesn’t mean fans should forget about the stars of tomorrow.

Check back in one week for all the Canadian college baseball highlights.