February 23, 2022

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

We’re back for Week 5 of the BMOC.

The Division I season got underway this past weekend and there were plenty of highlights. Plus, Canadians from other levels of college baseball continued to produce.

Let’s get to it.

Solid debut for Dykstra, named ROW

Freshman Connor Dykstra (Chilliwack, BC) was thrust into action for George Mason last week. Dykstra didn't disappoint, putting up five hits, driving in five, and being hit by two pitches. He was 3-for-3 with two home runs in a 15-3 Game 3 loss to Wofford. The Patriots lost the series 2-1.

For his performance Dykstra was named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week.

Consigli named Rookie of the Week

Peyton Consigli (Fonthill, Ont.) earned his first college win in Canisius College’s 15-7 Game 4 win over Pittsburgh. Consigli came on in the fourth inning and worked 3 2/3 innings. He held the Panthers to one run on two hits, while walking three and striking out two. His performance caught the attention of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference as he was named their Rookie of the Week.

Pringle lights out against Western Texas

The Cisco College Wranglers were looking to bounce back in the back half of their doubleheader with Western Texas after dropping the opener 12-6. To do so, the Wranglers gave the ball to Gavin Pringle (Duncan, BC) and he delivered in a big way. Pringle tossed a complete game, seven-inning shutout in a 7-0 victory. The sophomore right hander allowed three hits and fanned 12.

Sauve spectacular as Trojans go 6-0, Theoli goes the distance

Benji Sauve (Mascouche, Que.) had a monster week for the Trinidad State Trojans. He collected 12 hits, walked three times, drove in seven, and swiped a pair of bases as the Trojans ran the table, going 6-0. One of his hits was a home run in a 12-2, Game 3 win over CSU Fort Collins.

On the mound Dominic Theoli (Montreal, Que.) threw a complete game in a 15-3 victory in Game 4 against CSU Fort Collins. Over the shortened five-inning game, Theoli allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits with a walk and seven strikeouts.

Simpson and Colby off to fast start

Facing Cleary Simpson (Elnora, Alta.) was no easy task last week. The Trojan infielder had nine hits, a walk, and four RBIs as his team took all three of their games to improve to 5-0. Simpson hit a home run in a 15-14 victory over Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

Holyk homers four times

Keeping Miles Community College’s Tim Holyk (Nanaimo, BC) in the yard was tough for opposing pitchers last week. Holyk homered four times, including twice in Game 4 of their series with Northwestern. When the series came to an end he had seven hits and 10 RBIs.

Gardner gives great effort

There’s a Canadian putting together one of the better college seasons in Garden City, Kansas. Will Gardner (St. Albert, Alta.) is currently hitting .405 with a .542 on-base percentage and slugging .541. Last week he put together an 8-for-16 performance with three walks, four RBIs, and two RBIs.

Irvine impressive in loss

Lassen College may have lost their game against Skyline 6-3, but it wasn’t because of a poor performance from their starting pitcher. Connor Irvine (Victoria, BC) spun six innings, giving up three runs, all unearned, on five hits. He punched out six in the no-decision.

Markotic the man for Islanders

Leo Markotic (Mississauga, Ont.) didn't miss a beat on opening weekend for the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders. He came up with five hits, a walk, and five RBIs as his squad took two of three from UT Arlington. During a 6-2 win in Game 2, Markotic was 3-for-5 with a solo home run, a double, and two stolen bases.

Duffy delivers Griffs first win

Sophomore right hander Matt Duffy (Burlington, Ont.) got the start in the season opener for the Canisius Golden Griffins down in Port Charlotte, Fla. He held the University of Pittsburgh to two runs on four hits over six innings in an 11-3 win. The former Great Lake Canadian walked a pair and punched out eight.

Bucovetsky a bright spot for Highland

It’s been a tough go of late for the Highland Community College Scotties. Despite losing four straight last week to Eastern Oklahoma State, Jake Bucovetsky (Toronto, Ont.) managed five hits, walked twice and drove in two. He launched a solo home run in a 14-3, Game 4 loss. The Scotties have now lost eight in a row.

Boucher helps Salukis slip by ULM

The Southern Illinois Salukis may have lost an impact Canadian bat to the MLB Draft in the form of Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.) but they replaced him with another in Pier-Olivier Boucher (Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce, Que.). The newest Canadian Saluki had a pair of two-hit contests during opening weekend. He went 2-for-3 with two walks and a RBI in a 11-3 Game 2 win over Louisiana Monroe. For an encore he went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and four RBIs in a 10-9 Game 3 win. Southern Illinois won the series 2-1.

Columbus continues to hit

It should come as no surprise that catcher Ben Columbus (North Vancouver, BC) has been selected to take part in the MLB Draft League this summer. He’s hitting .333 in 15 games for Wharton County Community College. Last week he had eight hits, four walks, four RBIs, and two stolen bases in five games. He had multiple hits in three of the five games.

Buffs blast Cameron, move to 10-0

It’s been a dream start for the No. 5 West Texas A&M Buffs. With their four-game sweep of Cameron they moved to 10-0 to start 2022. Eddy Savoie (Sainte-Eustache, Que.) was in the leadoff spot in all four games and delivered seven hits, a pair of walks, and two RBIs. In the opener he launched a two-run home run in a 12-5 win.

Myers making the most of new scenery

So far, so good for the newest USC-Upstate Spartan Noah Myers (Tilbury, Ont.). Myers, an offseason transfer from South Carolina, sparked the Spartans with four hits, including a solo home run, three walks, a RBI, and a hit by pitch as his squad took a three-game series from Ohio two games to one.

Gernon opens season with six-hit weekend

Lower Columbia College swept away Bellevue in a four-game set thanks in part to six hits, two walks, four RBIs, a stolen base, and a hit by pitch from Daniel Gernon (Surrey, BC). Gernon’s best game came in an 11-5 victory in Game 2 when he went 3-for-5 with three RBIs.

Plaz playing well for Central Methodist

The Central Methodist Eagles improved to 10-2 after taking all four of their games last week and Victor Plaz (Montreal, Que.) had a lot to do with it. Plaz had four knocks, a walk, and two RBIs in total. His best showing came in a 7-2 win over Lyon when he went 3-for-3 with a RBI

Brown bashes four hits in three games

Former Ontario Blue Jay Jaden Brown (Mississauga, Ont.) went 3-for-4 with two RBIs in UT Arlington’s Game 2 loss to Texas A&M Corpus Christi. He finished the series with four hits and three RBIs.

Fitzsimmons a nice fit for UBC

Mike Fitzsimmons (Chilliwack, BC) was a model of consistency for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in their three-game series with the University of Antelope Valley. Fitzsimmons chipped in a 2-for-3 effort with a walk, four RBIs, and was hit by a pitch in a 13-12 loss in Game 1. He went 3-for-5 in Game 2 before going 2-for-4 with a RBI in the finale. Despite the strong showing from Fitzsimmons, the Thunderbirds dropped all three games.

Mezzomo moves to 2-0

The 12 runs Cloud County provided starter Giordano Mezzomo (Vancouver, BC) was more than enough as he worked five innings of one run ball. Mezzemo allowed just two hits, walked two, and punched out 10 in the 12-1 win over Seminole State.

Hazell evens record

Andrew Hazell (Brantford, Ont.) picked up his first win of the season by lasting six innings, and giving up two runs on seven hits. He walked four and struck out two in Mars Hill’s 8-2, Game 1 win over Augusta. His record now stands at 1-1.

Tough luck loss for Goodall

On most days surrendering one run over six innings is good enough to win the game. But that wasn’t the case for Garrett Goodall (Nanaimo, BC) as he did just that in Embry-Riddle’s 1-0 loss to Rollins. Goodall scattered five hits and struck out four but was handed the loss.

Murchison keeps Modesto at bay

Eric Murchison (Stouffville, Ont.) scattered seven hits and one run over six innings but it wasn’t enough as West Valley dropped a 4-3 decision to Modesto. Murchison walked four in the no-decision.

Maier makes Ducks debut

Former North Shore Twin Adam Maier (North Vancouver, BC) made his first appearance in a college game since 2020 when he took the ball for the Oregon Ducks in their season opener on the road at San Diego. Maier threw five innings and gave up three hits, four runs (two earned) and struck out nine in front of 1,143 fans at Fowler Park. The Ducks gave up seven in the bottom of the seventh and went on to lose the game 11-1.

Achen averaging 13.5 K/9

Cohen Achen (Calgary, Alta.) added another 12 strikeouts to his season total in Lindsey Wilson’s 18-2 thumping of Miami University-Hamilton. Achen worked six innings, allowing two runs on six hits to move his record to 2-0. On the season he is now 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA. He’s punched out 27 over 18 innings.

Lefebvre becoming a familiar name

Freshman Lucas Lefebvre is having no problems adjusting to the college game. This past week he collected another seven hits, a walk, and three RBIs for Barstow College. He saved his best for last when he went 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs in a 23-5 loss to Porterville.

Feuerstake catching fire

The Doane Tigers pitching staff had a terrible time trying to contain McPherson’s Caleb Feuerstake in their three-game set. Feuerstake started things off going 3-for-4 with a walk in a 5-4 win in Game 1. He pounded out three more hits, with a walk, two RBIs and a stolen base in a 15-7, Game 2 victory. For good measure, he chipped in two more hits, a RBI, and stole a base in a Game 3 loss.

Jones makes Division I debut

Ben Jones (Toronto, Ont.) got better as Dayton’s opening weekend series with North Carolina A&T went on. To start, he recorded a hit, a walk, a RBI, and was hit by a pitch as the Flyers opened with a 8-4 win. Next, he went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs in a 9-7 Game 2 victory. Not satisfied apparently, Jones had three hits and two RBIs as Dayton closed out the sweep with a 4-3 win.

Takamatsu makes the most of two games

A light week of only two games didn’t mean Garrett Takamatsu (Burlington, Ont.) was taking any time off. The one time Ontario Blue Jay struck for four hits, two walks, and two RBIs in a pair of Central Oklahoma wins. He left the yard in a 11-1 thrashing of Southern Nazarene.

Former Mets help Chipola to 4-1 week

It was a good week for a pair of Canadians at Chipola College.

Slick-fielding infielder Brando Leroux (Markham, Ont.) played in three games and hammered out four hits, a walk and two RBIs.

Right-handed hurler Drew Howard (Whitby, Ont.) held Columbia State to one unearned run over five innings of work in a 5-4, Game 4 win. He surrendered a pair of hits and punched out nine.

Thibodeau aids Tigers in getting back on track

Losing the first nine games of the season isn’t the ideal way to start the season. But if last week was any indication it appears the University of West Alabama Tigers may be turning a corner. The Tigers went 3-1, including a 2-1 Gulf South Conference series win over Mississippi College. Jonathan Thibodeau (Burlington, Ont.) aided in the winning week with four hits, a walk, three RBIs and a hit by pitch.

Salem secures first win behind strong outing from Lund

The Tigers of Salem University are in the win column. Jaryd Lund (London, Ont.) scattered five hits and conceded a pair of runs over five innings in a 3-2 victory over Fairmont State. The southpaw walked three and struck out nine. It was the Tigers first win of the season.

Diodati walks it off

Owen Diodati (Niagara Falls, Ont.) got the Alabama Crimson Tide’s season started in style with a two-run walk off home run to defeat Xavier 5-4 on Opening Day. The Tide scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to erase a 4-1 Musketeer lead. They would go on to sweep the series.

McCabe hits first home run of 2022

He had 14 last year as a freshman and last weekend David McCabe hit his first long ball of 2022. It was an impressive week for the Charlotte 49ers as they came away with a 2-1 record, beating UConn and South Florida, while dropping an 8-7 contest to Louisville. McCabe was a key factor all weekend long, collecting four hits, walking five times, and driving in three. His home run, a two-run shot, opened the scoring in an eventual 8-3 win over South Florida. The 49ers have another stiff test this weekend when they host West Virginia.

Marriott gets hot as Hendrix wins four

Zach Marriott (Oakville, Ont.) had a pair of multi-hit games, and six hits in all as Hendrix College won all four of their games to improve to 7-0 on the season. To go along with the hits, the Ontario Terriers grad walked twice, drove in six, stole a base and was hit by a pitch.

Jameson Hunt (Sarnia, Ont.) had six hits for William Penn. Photo: Willam Penn Athletics

Hunt with a four-hit game, George tosses shutout

In a game that lasted 13 innings and ended in a 11-4 William Penn win, Jameson Hunt (Sarnia, Ont.) was 4-for-6 with a pair of RBIs for the victors. On the week he had six hits, the two RBIs, and a walk for the Statesmen.

Nick George (Sarnia, Ont.) threw a complete game, seven inning shutout, in a 2-0 win over Briar Cliff. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound right-hander allowed five hits and struck out eight.

Weisner leaves the yard twice

Jonah Weisner (Mission, BC) homered in each of Ottawa University’s two games against Ecclesia. In the first, a 17-10 win, he hit a solo shot and finished with two hits, a walk, and three RBIs. Ottawa put up 18 runs en route to a victory in Game 2 and Weisner smashed a three-run home run to help his team. He again had two hits, with a walk and four RBIs in an 18-5 win.

Power Howse

Barton Community College put up 44 runs on their way to a four-game sweep of Western Nebraska. Dryden Howse (Okotoks, Alta.) was right in the middle of the action with five hits, a walk, and three RBIs. He recorded a two-hit game in Games 3 and 4.

Carinci, Mineral Area beat up on Bevill State

Justin Carinci (Toronto, Ont.) started his week with a hit and a stolen base in Mineral Area’s Game 1 win over Bevill State. The fun continued, for Carinci and the Cardinals anyway, in Game 2 when he went 3-for-3 in a 6-4 win. Looking for the sweep, the Canadian chipped in two hits in a 7-6 victory.

Griffin gives up one

Bossier Parish Community College couldn't capitalize on a strong start from Caden Griffin (Ottawa, Ont.). Griffin held Tyler to one run over five innings of work. He scattered four hits, walked one and struck out four in a 3-1 loss.

Benson bangs out four hits

Owen Benson (Toronto, Ont.) was another Canadian who took advantage of just two games on the schedule. Benson had a pair of hits in each of Indiana University South Bend’s games with Aquinas, going 2-for-4 in a 11-7 win and 2-for-4 with two walks and two RBIs in a 15-14, 10-inning loss.

Webber wins in relief

McCook Community College got five innings of scoreless relief out of Cade Webber in a 16-0, Game 1 win over Clarendon. The only real blemish for Webber was six walks, but he also punched out seven.

Zacharias zaps Asbury offence

Kaiden Zacharias (Lloydminster, Alta.) got on base six times by way of three hits, two walks and a hit by pitch in Asbury’s 21-7 win over Berea. The game before that he had a hit and a walk in a 4-3 win over Grove City.

Central Ontario Reds alum Carson Barker (Alliston, Ont.) had five hits in four games for Lourdes University. Photo: Lourdes University Athletics

Barker, Hare flex muscle for Lourdes

Two Canadians had standout weekend for Lourdes University in their four-game set versus Tennessee Southern.

Carson Barker (Alliston, Ont.) stroked five hits, walked twice, and drove in two. He went 4-for-4 with a walk and a RBI in a 19-16 win in Game 3.

Josh Hare (Simcoe, Ont.) had four hits, worked five walks, drove in three and stole a base. In the 19-16 win, Hare hit a two-run home run.

Four hits for Farrell

Devon Farrell (Saskatoon, Sask.) accumulated four hits and a walk for Rockhurst. The Hawks closed the week with a 4-0 record.

Johnson jumpstarts Central Arizona

Four hits in three games is what Tyrese Johnson (Calgary, Alta.) provided Central Arizona last week. Johnson also walked, drove in four, and stole a base as the Vaqueros finished 2-1.

Espineli gets on for Notre Dame

Notre Dame College may have been swept by the University of Indianapolis, but Kyle Espineli (Toronto, Ont.) provided some highlights. Espineli recorded four hits, a walk, two RBIs and was hit by a pitch.

Turner pulls double duty

Not only did Kole Turner (White Rock, BC) register eight hits in seven games for Three Rivers, he also threw a scoreless inning. Included with the eight hits, he walked four times, drove in five, and stole a base.

Virostek a vital part of Presentation’s lineup

Simon Virostek (Enchant, Alta.) produced four hits, two RBIs, and a stolen base for Presentation College in their three-game series with Mount Marty. A strong effort, but still not enough as Mount Marty would go on to sweep the series.

Tanner steers South Suburban offence

Infielder Dawson Tanner (Russell, Man.) was instrumental in South Suburban’s two games last week. During a 17-3 win over Ancilla, Tanner went 3-for-4 with a home run, a walk, and an RBI. He came double short of the cycle. That performance was no fluke as Tanner then put together a 2-for-5 game with an RBI in an 8-7 loss to Vincennes the very next game.

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With the start of the Division I season, the list of strong Canadian performances continues to grow. Don’t miss any of the action. Check back next week for all the news and notes from around college baseball.

Do you know of a player deserving of a mention in the weekly BMOC column? Email Matt Betts at mattbetts@canadianbaseballnetwork.com. Please note that our week runs Monday-Sunday.

Be sure to follow Matt Betts at @Bettsy41 for extensive college baseball coverage all season long.