ABC alum Felix Chenier-Rondeau (Quebec City, Que.) had five hits and three stolen bases in four games for the Oklahoma City University Stars to help them win the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament. Photo: OCU Sports

May 11, 2022

BMOC Week 16

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

There’s a lot to catch up on from the past week in college baseball.

Conferences began giving out their yearly awards, the postseason is underway for some, and late season pushes are heating up for others. Let’s dive into the best performances from Canadians.

Canadians help Tennessee Wesleyan win conference

Three Canadians were instrumental in Tennessee Wesleyan’s Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament championship run.

Kyle Bloor (Lethbridge, Alta.) made two appearances, combining to go 5 1/3 scoreless innings. He allowed three hits and struck out three.

Evan Magill (Ajax, Ont.) had six hits, four walks, five RBIs and a stolen base. He went 4-for-5 with a solo home run and four RBIs in a 5-4 win over Milligan.

Chad Picton (Winnipeg, Man.) put together a 4-for-5 championship game with a two-run home run and three RBIs as the Bulldogs downed Bryan 11-4. He had four RBIs during the tournament.

Drouin drives Baruch offence to conference title

The City University of New York Athletic Conference championship belongs to Thomas Drouin (Quebec City, Que.) and the Baruch Bearcats. Drouin provided five hits, five walks, three RBIs, four stolen bases and was hit by a pitch. He went 2-for-6 with a walk and two stolen bases in the championship game, a 14-7 win over the City College of New York.

Chenier-Rondeau, OCU take home conference crown

When the dust settled on the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament, it was Felix Chenier-Rondeau (Quebec City, Que.) and the Oklahoma City University Stars that were the last team standing. Over the course of four tournament games, Chenier-Rondeau pounded out five hits, a walk, three RBIs and three stolen bases. His best contest came in a 9-4 win over Texas Wesleyan when he went 4-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and two stolen bases.

Holyk, Miles bring home Mon-Dak title

Tim Holyk (Nanaimo, BC) and the Miles Community College Pioneers won the Mon-Dak Conference championship with a 17-15 win over Williston State in the final. Holyk is currently hitting .439 with 11 home runs and 65 RBIs.

Neale, Olson win KCAC championship

After dropping the first game of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament, head Coach Bill Neale (Collingwood, Ont.) led Kansas Wesleyan to five straight wins to claim the title. Zach Olson (Red Deer, Alta.) got into three games and scored a run.

Columbus recognized twice

Wharton County Junior College catcher Ben Columbus (North Vancouver, BC) was named to the All-Region XIV South First Team and the Region XIV South Defensive Player of the Year. Columbus hit .363 with nine home runs, 57 RBIs, 65 runs and 18 stolen bases. He fielded at a .985 clip.

Weisner a KCAC First Team selection

Jonah Weisner (Mission, BC) had one of the best college baseball seasons of any Canadian. He led Ottawa University with a .432 average with 29 stolen bases and a 1.378 OPS. The junior infielder hit 16 home runs and drove in 55 in 48 games.

Those numbers earned him All-Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference First Team honours.

Feuerstake also a KCAC First Team pick

Weisner wasn’t the only Canadian to make All-KCAC team. Caleb Feuerstake (Waterdown, Ont.) came up with a .397 average with seven home runs, 43 RBIs and 24 stolen bases for McPherson College in 2022.

With those numbers, he was named to the All-KCAC First Team.

Four UBC Thunderbirds pick up conference accolades, team takes home sportsmanship award

Three players on the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds were named to the All-Cascade Collegiate Conference First team, and another earned a Gold Glove.

Brandon Hupe (Vancouver, BC), Noah Or (Richmond, BC), and Ty Penner (Lethbridge, Alta.) all made the First Team.

Hupe hit .275 with 10 long balls and 35 RBIs.

Or batted .324 with a .428 on-base percentage.

Penner hit .354 with 10 home runs, 45 RBIs and a 1.110 OPS.

Catcher/outfielder Nathan Shute (Oakville, Ont.) won a Gold Glove thanks to a .981 fielding percentage.

As a team the Thunderbirds took home the Cascade Collegiate Conference Les Schwab Team Sportsmanship Award.

Cavs with a first-teamer, two second-teamers

Alejandro Cazorla (Okotoks, Alta.) hit .392 and swiped 23 bases for Bossier Parish. He was named to the All-Region XIV First Team for his efforts.

Connor Crowson (Okotoks, Alta.) and Seth Gurr (Coaldale, Alta.) picked up Second Team honours.

Crowson had a .323 average with 45 RBIs and 45 runs.

Gurr was 9-3 with one save and a 4.59 ERA over 64 2/3 innings.

Sub 3.00 ERA earns Cory conference recognition

Right-handed pitcher Connor Cory (Wawanesa, Man.) hurled 42 2/3 innings and posted a 2.74 ERA for Mayville State University to pick up All-North Star Athletic Association First Team honours.

Three Sullivan County Generals named to All-Region Team

Not one, not two, but three Canadian Sullivan County Generals made an All-Region XV team.

Tanner MacLean (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) pitched his way to a 6-2 record, a 3.00 ERA and 63 strikeouts over 54 innings in 10 appearances.

Layton Cuvilier (Hantsport, N.S.) hit to the tune of a .330 batting average, with 37 runs and 11 stolen bases.

Alex Ouellette (Middle Sackville, N.S.) was named to the Region XV Sportsmanship Team.

Reinhardt outfielder Zdunich makes First Team

Tucker Zdunich (High River, Alta.) put up a .370 average, with 15 home runs, a 59 RBI, a .502 on-base percentage, a .740 slugging percentage for Reinhardt University.

His strong played put him on the All-Appalachian Athletic Conference First Team.

In the past week, he came through with six hits, three walks, six RBIs and a stolen base for Reinhardt in the Appalachian Athletic Conference Tournament. He went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and four RBIs in a 7-6 loss to Bryan.

Stovman makes Second Team

After a regular season that saw Michael Stovman (Maple Ridge, BC) go 3-2 with a 4.19 ERA with 42 punch outs in 43 innings pitched for Galveston College, he was named to the All-Region XIV South Second Team.

Sirois selected to Second Team

Mathieu Sirois (Quebec City, Que.) hit .304 with 11 home runs, 44 RBIs and a .594 slugging percentage for the No. 7 Bellevue University Bruins.

The freshman was named to the All-North Star Athletic Association Second Team for his play.

Nicoll a choice for All-GAC Team

Former Galveston College Whitecap Brandon Nicoll (Coombs, BC) was named to the All-Great American Conference Second Team after hitting .332 with 11 home runs, 62 RBIs and a 1.007 OPS for Southern Arkansas University.

Chaput one of conference’s best

Sam Chaput (Boisbriand, Que.) can put All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association Third Team selection on his resume. Chapati hit .335 with 14 stolen bases in 50 games for the Emporia State Hornets.

De La Salle College alum and Mid American Christian infielder Andres Gonzalez (Toronto, Ont.) earned a Sooner Athletic Conference Gold Glove. Photo: Mid America Christian Athletics

Gonzalez a Gold Glover

For the first time in program history, Mid America Christian had a Sooner Athletic Conference Gold Glove winner. Andres Gonzalez (Toronto, Ont.) fielded a perfect 1.000 with 52 putouts and 49 assists.

Hlady, Nixon Honourable Mentions

Two Valley City State University Vikings were All-North Star Athletic Association Honourable Mentions.

William Hlady (Dauphin, Man.) made 17 appearances, went 4-4 and threw 57 1/3 innings.

Team Ontario Astros graduate Drew Nixon (Toronto, Ont.) played in 38 games and hit .323 with a .413 on-base percentage and a .481 slugging percentage.

Hurford is Cougars MVP

When it was time for the Western Nebraska Community College Cougars to pick an MVP, they went with right-hander Dawson Hurford (Victoria, BC). The hurler was 3-6 with a 4.76 ERA in 2022. He fanned 43 over 62 1/3 innings.

Hare a Champion of Character

Josh Hare (Simcoe, Ont.) was named to the Champions of Character for displaying the five core values of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Those values are: integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.

Cuvilier, MacLean earn All-Tournament honours

Two Canadians were named to the Region XV All-Tournament Team.

Layton Cuvilier (Hantsport, N.S.) made his first appearance on the mound in a 7-2 win over Ulster to open the Region XV Tournament. He threw 1 1/3 innings and allowed a hit, a walk, and struck out one. The lefty then started and tossed 7 2/3 innings against Rockland the next game. He gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits with a walk and six strikeouts in a 4-2 win. In the batter’s box, he chipped in six hits, a walk, four RBIs and a stolen base in five games on the week.

Tanner MacLean (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) got the start in the 7-1 victory over Ulster and delivered 7 2/3 innings. MacLean surrendered two runs on eight hits, while walking two and striking out five to pick up the win.

Ouellette wins his second game of the year

Cuvilier and MacLean weren’t the only Sullivan County Generals to have a good week. Alex Ouellette (Middle Sackville, NS) threw six innings and conceded three unearned runs on five hits in a 12-3 win over Westchester to close the regular season. He walked three and punched out seven to move his record to 2-0.

Campbell the A10 Pitcher of the Week

Southpaw Campbell Ellis (Georgetown, Ont.) threw four scoreless innings to pick up the win in Virginia Commonwealth University’s 5-1 win over George Mason. Ellis allowed three hits, walked two, and struck out five to open the series.

For his strong start he was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Pitcher of the Week.

Farrell the Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Week

Devon Farrell (Saskatoon, Sask.) was named the Great Lakes Valley Player of the Week thanks to 11 hits, four RBIs, three stolen bases and a hit by pitch in five games for Rockhurst. He saved his best for last when he went 4-for-4 with two stolen bases in a 4-1 Game 4 victory over Southwest Baptist.

Leishman tabbed Great Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Week

Making just his second start of the season, lefty Marshall Leishman (Huntsville, Ont.) turned in seven scoreless innings of work in a 4-1 win over Kentucky Wesleyan. Leishman yielded four hits, walked one and struck out five.

The performance garnered him Great Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Week honours.

Gollert tops 200 K’s

Left-handed hurler Harley Gollert (Toronto, Ont.) threw six innings and surrendered four runs (three earned) on six hits in Austin Peay’s 7-0 loss to the Racers of Murray State. Gollert walked one and struck out nine. He now has 203 career college strikeouts and became the ninth pitcher in program history to reach 200.

Lepard improves record to 4-0

Taylor Lepard (Toronto, Ont.) spun 6 2/3 scoreless innings for No. 9 Southern New Hampshire. Lepard conceded six hits, walked one and struck out five in the 5-0 blanking of Assumption. The Penman close the regular season with a 37-8 record

De Grandpre wins in relief

In Game 1 of the South Atlantic District Tournament three-game series with St. Johns River State College, Chipola right hander Cedric De Grandpre (St. Simon, Que.) delivered 6 1/3 innings of relief to pick up the win. De Grandpre allowed two runs on three hits and struck out 11. Chipola would go on to win Game 2 to move on.

Irvine wins for seventh time, Schure steps up in the box

Connor Irvine (Victoria, BC) tossed seven innings and gave up one run on five hits in Lassen College’s 5-1 Game 1 win over Fresno State College. He walked two and struck out five to improve to 7-2.

Matt Schure (Salt Springs Island, BC) collected seven hits, a walk, three RBIs, and two stolen bases. He had three hits in games 2 and 3. One of his hits was a home run, coming in the 12-11 Game 3 loss.

Duffy strong in Griffs loss

The Bridge Series between Niagara and Canisius took place this past weekend. Matt Duffy (Burlington, Ont.) got the start in Game 1 for the Golden Griffins and lasted six innings. He surrendered two runs on two hits with seven walks and three strikeouts.

Adams goes five

Angus Adams (Ottawa, Ont.) pitched five innings for Elmira and yielded two runs on six hits in a 6-5 Game 1 victory over St. John Fisher in their Empire 8 Conference Tournament series. He walked two and punched out two. The Eagles would drop the next two games and were eliminated.

Hassall holds Kansas to two runs

It was a showdown between in-state foes when Kansas State welcomed the Kansas Jayhawks to Tointon Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kan. Griffin Hassall (Newmarket, Ont.) started Game 1 and threw six innings. He conceded two runs on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts, in a 5-3 loss.

Patrick pitches well for Northampton

Tylar Patrick (Barrie, Ont.) took the loss in Northampton’s 5-1 defeat at the hands of Union County. But the loss wasn’t indicative of how he pitched. The freshman right hander hurled seven innings and allowed five runs (three earned) on seven hits. He walked three and struck out five. The loss drops his record to 4-1.

Howse hammers out five hits

Barton’s Dryden Howse (Okotoks, Alta.) did all his damage in games 1 and 2 against Colby Community College. Howse was 3-for-3 with an RBI in a 6-5 Game 1 win, before going 2-for-5 with a walk and two RBIs in an 18-10 Game 2 victory. Three of his five hits were doubles. Barton took three of four.

Gallagher gets it done on the mound and in the box

Blake Gallagher (Fredericton, N.B.) made the start for Minot State in their 5-3 win over Bemidji State. The dual man allowed one run on two hits over five innings. He walked two and struck out four. During a three-game set with St. Cloud State, he had a hit in Game 1, two hits and an RBI in Game 2, and three hits with a solo home run, walk, and a stolen base in Game 3. Despite his strong play, the Beavers were swept.

Hunt has five hits as Aggies are eliminated

The season has come to an end for Ethan Hunt (Elginburg, Ont.) and the Oklahoma Panhandle State University Aggies in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament. Hunt went 2-for-4 with an RBI in a 16-4 loss to Oklahoma City University in Game 1. He then put together a 3-for-5 game with a three-run home run and four RBIs in a 25-14 season-ending loss to Mid-America Christian.

The senior led the team in average (.441), home runs (13), RBIs (55), and OPS (1.284) during his final college campaign.

Ferris, Arbuthnot combine for 13 hits for NCCC

A pair of Canadians were offensive spark plugs for the Niagara County Community College Thunderwolves.

Matthew Ferris (Toronto, Ont.) collected five hits, walked three times and drove in four.

Carter Arbuthnot (Oshawa, Ont.) stroked eight hits, worked a walk, drove in five, and stole a base. He went 3-for-4 with an RBI in an 11-1 win over Genesee to open the week.

The T-Wolves were 6-0.

Karosas, Nantau a dynamic pair for streaking Kats

Erie Community College got a lot of offence out of AJ Karosas (Mississauga, Ont.) and Andrew Nantau (Windsor, Ont.).

Karosas had eight hits, four walks, 12 RBIs and a stolen base in six games. In an 11-1 thumping of Tompkins Cortland to close the week, Karosas had three hits and a pair of RBI.

Nantau meanwhile chipped in six hits, three walks, and five RBIs. He was 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs in a 14-1 Game 1 win over Tompkins Cortland.

The Kats won all six games and are currently on an 18-game winning streak.

Coutney continues to dominate

There’s been no slowing Old Dominion first baseman Matt Coutney (Wetaskawin, Alta.) lately, and last week was no different. Coutney went 3-for-5 in a Game 1 win over No. 7 Southern Mississippi. Game 2 saw him go 2-for-4 in a 4-3 win. He walked three times in a 5-4, 10-inning loss in the finale.

Lewis goes 2-for-3

Jordan Lewis (Brampton, Ont.) went 2-for-3 not once, but three times for Herkimer in their three-game set with RCSJ Gloucester. In Game 1, he had an RBI and then added two RBIs in Game 3. He also swiped a base in all three games as his team took two of three.

Tremblay with five hits in two games

The Cardinals of Mineral Area swept a two-game set from Metropolitan in the Region 16 Tournament. Antoine Tremblay (Trois-Rivieres, Que.) had two hits and a walk in an 8-3 Game 1 win and was 3-for-3 with a walk and four RBIs in a 10-7 Game 2 victory.

Mackenzie has three-hit games

Steven Mackenzie (Calgary, Alta.) went 3-for-4 in both of Shoreline’s games with Edmonds. He hit a solo home run and two doubles in a 7-2 loss in Game 2.

Brown, Wojtarowicz provide consistency for Bobcats

A pair of Oakville natives pitched well for Frontier Community College this past week.

Matt Brown (Oakville, Ont.) tossed seven innings and gave up three runs (one earned) on five hits. He walked two and struck out five in a 7-5 loss to John A. Logan.

Andre Wojtarowicz (Oakville, Ont.) picked up the save in a 5-4 midweek win over Southeastern Illinois with two scoreless innings of work. The former Ontario Terrier allowed a hit and struck out two. Back on the mound against Olney Central later in the week, he started and gave the Bobcats 5 1/3 innings. The lefty surrendered three runs (one earned) on seven hits with six strikeouts in a 3-0 loss.

Eifler pitches seven innings

Jared Eifler (Calgary, Alta.) worked seven innings for Shoreline and scattered five runs (three earned) on nine hits. He walked three and struck out five in a 7-2 loss.

Torres takes on opposing pitchers

In five games, Evan Torres (Whitby, Ont.) produced six hits for SUNY Adirondack. He added three walks, an RBI and a stolen base. He twice went 2-for-3, the first in a 10-6 win over Jefferson, and the second in a 4-1 loss to Hudson Valley.

Mitcham mashes baseballs for Muskegon

Sam Mitcham (Whitby, Ont.) chipped in seven hits, four walks, an RBI and a stolen base in five games for Muskegon. His team would go on to win four of them.

Two games, four hits for Mather

SUNY Canton’s Mackenzie Mather (Kemptville, Ont.) went 4-for-8 with two RBIs in a pair of losses.

Maves with multiple hits, multiple times

Kyle Maves (Burlington, Ont.) had a multi-hit game in all three of Quinnipac’s contests. He finished with seven hits, two RBIs and three stolen bases.

Bucovetsky ends season hitting .361

The Highland Community College Scotties regular season has come to an end with a 3-1 series loss to Labette. Jake Bucovetsky (Toronto, Ont.) went 3-for-4 with a walk and three RBI in the opener. He followed that up with a hit, two walks, and a RBI in Game 2. Game 3 saw him go 2-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk. In the season finale he was 2-for-3 with another home run, two walks, and two RBI. On the season he hit .361 with nine home runs and 39 RBI.

Turino tacks on six hits in three games

With each passing game last week, Matt Turino (Toronto, Ont.) got better. Turino had a hit, an RBI and two stolen bases in St. Louis’ 13-8 win over Rockhurst. He then went 2-for-6 with a stolen base in a 12-10 Game 1 win over Saint Joseph’s. To close out the series, he went 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

Williams homers twice

Malik Williams (Toronto, Ont.) launched two home runs and collected five hits total in Lipscomb’s 2-1 series win over Bellarmine. Williams was 3-for-5 with a three-run home run and five RBIs in a 17-4 Game 1 win. During a Game 3 loss, he was 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk, and two RBI.

Goodall helps Eagles edge Barry

On the mound for Embry-Riddle in Game 1 of their series with Barry, Garrett Goodall (Nanaimo, BC) threw six innings and allowed four runs (two earned) on four hits. He walked four and struck out five in a 5-4 victory.

Ross rattles off four hits

Four hits, an RBI, and a hit by pitch was what Spencer Ross (Stouffville, Ont.) came up with in two games for Lawrence. His side took both games against the University of Chicago.

Loranger lights up pitching

Clayton Loranger (Edmonton, Alta.) had seven hits, a walk, two RBIs and was hit by a pitch in four games for Stephen F. Austin. The Lumberjacks finished 0-4.

Markotic has three multi-hit games

Eight hits in all from Leo Markotic (Mississauga, Ont.) aided Texas A&M Corpus Christi to a 4-0 record. One of his hits was a solo home run in a 7-6 Game 1 win over Nicholls. Markotic also drove in six and was hit by a pitch.

Sirois supplies five hits for No. 7 Bruins

Mathieu Sirois (Quebec City, Que.) had five hits, a walk, and three RBIs for No. 7 Bellevue.

Forgione, Watson launch long balls

Catcher Cristian Forgione (Toronto, Ont.) put together a 3-for-5 game with two RBIs in St. Lawrence’s 20-5 Game 1 win over Vassar. The back half of the doubleheader saw him hit a solo home run to open the scoring, while walking twice.

Chris Watson (Claremont, Ont.) collected four hits, as well. He went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run, a walk and three RBIs in the Game 1 win over Vassar. In the second game, he had a hit, a walk, an RBI and two stolen bases.

Warkentin tears up pitching

Logan Warkentin (Winnipeg, Man.) supplied nine hits, a walk and five RBIs in the Mon-Dak Conference Tournament for Williston State. The championship game pitted the Teton against Miles Community College and Warkentin went 4-for-4 with a walk. It wasn’t enough though as his squad dropped the game 17-15.

Tremblay triples three times

The production Nick Tremblay (Saint-Hilaire, Que.) put together for Trinidad State would’ve been good for four or five games, but he did it in two. Tremblay had five hits, including a home run in a 13-6 Game 1 win over Western Nebraska in the Region 9 First Round. He added three triples and nine RBI as the Trojans won the series 2-0.

Gernon gives good effort

Daniel Gernon (Surrey, BC) accumulated four hits, two walks, six RBIs and a stolen base for Lower Columbia. He was 3-for-4 with three RBIs in a Game 1 win over Grays Harbor. The Red Devils swept the four-game set.

Austin slaps six hits for NEO

Look at the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M box scores from last week and you’ll notice Nolan Austin was a prominent player. Austin had three-straight, two-hit games and closed out the four games with four walks and two RBIs to go along with it.

Fujie figures out opposition

Yosuke Fujie (Mission, BC) went 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBIs in Otero’s 9-7 Game 1 win over Northeaster. Game 2 went the way of the Rattlers as well. Fujie had a hit, a walk and two RBIs in the 10-5 victory.

Myers hits two solo shots

As he has plenty of times this season, Noah Myers (Tilbury, Ont.) is back in the BMOC. Myers amassed eight hits, including a pair of solo shots, three walks, five RBIs and a stolen base for USC Upstate. His first home run came in a 15-6 Game 2 win over Longwood in which he also finished with four hits. The other solo shot came in an 11-1 Game 3 win.

Caskenette and Cochise win Region I Semifinal

Connor Caskenette (Duncan, BC) went 3-for-6 with a home run and five RBIs to help Cochise take Game 1 of their Region 1 Semifinal by an 11-8 score against Arizona Western. Despite losing Game 2 by a 5-4 score, Caskenette had two hits and four RBIs. The next game was a winner-take-all. The Canadian catcher was 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI in an 8-3 win. Cochise will now take on Central Arizona in the Region I Final.

Mahoney mashes pair of homers

Two home runs came off the bat of Lake Michigan’s Jacob Mahoney (Toronto, Ont.) this past week. Mahoney concluded the Redhawks six games with eight hits, a walk and four RBIs. He hit a solo home run and went 3-for-4 in a 16-0 win over Muskegon. His next home run came in a 13-2 Game 1 win over Kalamazoo Valley.

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It was a busy week but there’s more to come. Don’t miss any of the action as the season continues. Check back here each week for all the Canadian college baseball highlights.

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 Canadian baseball coverage all season long.