BMOC Wk 1: Diewert, Follett, Potter, Reilly, Sierra, Van Every

Fieldhouse Pirates alum Drew Reilly (Cambridge, Ont.) blasted a grand slam to help lead Keiser University to a convincing 11-1 season opening win over Florida National University. Photo: Keiser University Athletics

BMOC Week 1

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

College baseball is back. It didn’t take long for Canadians to get involved in their teams results. Below is the first recap of the 2020 college baseball season.

Potter wins opener

Southeastern Oklahoma handed the ball to Jacob Potter (Victoria, BC) for their season opener against Northwest Missouri State and he didn't disappoint. Potter worked five innings, allowing just one run in an 8-1 victory. He scattered four hits, walked three and struck out six in the outing.

Reilly homers twice

Drew Reilly (Cambridge, Ont.) blasted a grand slam to help lead Keiser University to a convincing 11-1 season opening win over Florida National University. He went 2-for-5 in the game with 5 total RBIs and a stolen base. Reilly was right back at it in a 13-3 win over Ava Maria University the following game. He launched a solo shot, walked twice and drove in three runs.

After four games, Etobicoke Rangers alum Nick Follett (Toronto, Ont.) is hitting .625 with nine RBIs for Rogers State. Photo: Rogers State Athletics

Follett starts off hot

Rogers State Senior Nick Follett (Toronto, Ont.) got his final college campaign off to a good start. In Game 1 of four on the week he went 2-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs in a 5-0 win over the University of Mary. Game 2 against Southern Nazarene saw the Canadian go 3-for-4 with a RBI in a 14-3 drubbing. Follett again went 3-for-4 in Game 3 of the week, a 7-3 loss to Colorado Christian. He hit a two-run home run, walked twice and drove in all three Hillcats runs in the loss. In the final game of the week, a 12-3 loss to Newman, he went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs. After four games, Follett is hitting .625 with nine RBIs.

Diewert helps Mocs sweep Argos

It was a battle of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II ranked Florida foes over the weekend. Zach Diewart (Chemainus, BC) and the No. 30 Florida Southern Mocs made a statement by sweeping the No. 22 West Florida Argonauts in a three-game set. In Game 1, a 5-0 win, Diewert hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to put the game out of reach. He also walked in the contest. Game 2 went to extra innings tied at five. In the bottom of the 10th, Diewert stepped to the dish and blasted a walk-off solo home run to seal a 6-5 win. He went 2-for-4 in the game with a walk. The Mocs would secure the sweep with a 15-6 win in Game 3.

Okanagan A’s alum Cole Van Every (West Kelowna, B.C.), right, allowed just four hits and an unearned run to lead the Southwest Baptist Bearcats to a 7-1 in over Christian Brothers. Photo: Twitter

Van Every slams door on a sweep

Cole Van Every (West Kelowna, BC) was tasked with finishing off a three-game sweep for Southwest Baptist University. He did just that with seven strong innings in a 7-1 win over Christian Brothers. Van Every allowed four hits and an unearned run. The righty walked just one and punched out nine to pick up his first win on the season.

Sierra key in Yavapai season opening sweep

In Game 2 of Yavapai’s three-game series with Glendale they turned to William Sierra (Montreal, Que.) on the mound. Sierra supplied four innings, surrendering four hits and one run. He struck out eight in a 7-1 win.

Schindel stand out against ranked opponent

Tyler Schindel (Victoria, BC) collected three hits, walked three times and drove in two runs on the week for San Diego Christian. Unfortunately his squad dropped three of four to National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics No. 25 Benedictine at Mesa.

It’s nice to have college baseball back. The schedule will only heat up from here. Keep your eyes locked on the BMOC each week to see the top Canadian performers.

If you know someone who is deserving of a mention in the weekly BMOC column please email Matt Betts at mattbetts41@gmail.com. Please note our week runs Monday-Sunday.