Former Coquitlam Reds Matthew Clay (Port Moody, BC) was the first Canadian to hit a home run for the College of Idaho Yotes.

BMOC Week 1

By: Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

Welcome back baseball fans. That’s right, it may not seem like it outside but the college baseball season kicked off last week. Canadians were all over the box score for their respective teams during the opening slate of games.

Clay kicks it off

Matthew Clay (Port Moody, BC) was the first Canadian to see action as his College of Idaho Yotes took on Benedictine Mesa. Clay launched a solo home run in the top of the first in Game 3 of a four-game series. The Yotes dropped the game 9-4 and the series 3-1.

Raiders call upon Canadian duo

In Game 2 of the Northwest Florida State Raiders season they relied on a pair of Canadians on the mound. Connor Angel (Lachine, Que.) and Jacob Kush (Guelph, Ont.) combined to throw every inning in a 4-3 loss to Lake-Sumter State College. Angel got the start and tossed three innings, surrendering a run on one hit and a pair of walks. He struck out four before giving way to Kush. Kush worked 3 1/3 innings, giving up five hits, three runs (one earned), with two walks and six strikeouts. Lake-Sumter State College scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to secure the walk off victory.

Magdic off to hot start

Former Ontario Royal Ryan Magdic (Beamsville, Ont.) went 4-for-4 in Cochise College’s season opening 8-0 win over New Mexico. Magdic also walked, drove in two and scored three runs in the win. He followed up his eye opening college debut with two more hits, another walk and an RBI in a 13-2 thumping of Utah State Eastern. After a hit and another RBI in a 11-8 win over Arizona Western he closed the week with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first in a 14-5 loss to San Jacinto-North. Magdic will try to replicate his magic this weekend in a four game set with Utah State Eastern.

Dearing gets Opening Day nod

Tate Dearing (Surrey, BC) was given the ball in the opener for the Polk State Eagles. Dearing scattered three hits over three innings and gave up a run. He walked one and struck out four in a 10-2 win over Lake-Sumter State College.

Wilkes opens campaign with .300 average

Robbie Wilkes (Regina, Sask.) went 3-for-10 with two walks as the Arizona Western Matadors went 3-1 on opening weekend.

Swift swats four hits

The William Jessup Warriors offence didn’t take long to heat up for the 2019 season. The Warriors walloped Corban, outscoring them 49-11 en route to a four game sweep. Austen Swift (Toronto, Ont.) had four hits in the series, including a solo home run in the bottom of the first in the opener.

Dominguez a bright spot on the bump

In a game full of offence it was Diego Dominguez (Vaughan, Ont.) who stood out on the mound. Dominguez hurled 3 2/3 innings and gave up just one in Paris Junior College’s 15-12 Game 3 loss to Ellsworth. The former Ontario Blue Jay didn’t allow a hit, walked three and punched out four in his college debut.

Ex-Okotok Dawgs OF Clayton Keyes (Calgary, Alta.) had a pair of triples and went 3-for-4 knocking in three runs on opening weekend.

Boom Boom

OF Clayton Keyes (Calgary, Alta.) didn’t start the Central Arizona Vaqueros first game of the season. However ... Keyes was all business in the final two games of tourney play. He hit a two-run single facing Gateway in a 14-6 victory. Then, he went 2-for-2 with a pair of triples and a run driven in as the Vaqueros beat Eastern Utah State 8-1.

Cummins supplies the only offence

Citrus College may have dropped a 14-2 contest to Pasadena City but if they are looking for a bright spot, look no further than Ethan Cummins (Toronto, Ont.). Cummins supplied all the offence in the loss by stroking a two-run home run.

It sure feels good to be back. Week one is only a snapshot of what is to come from Canadians during the 2019 college baseball season. Tune into the BMOC all season long for the highlights.

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