BMOC Week 17

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

The competition is fierce. Canadians were back at it last week helping their teams. Some were recognized for their strong seasons. Below is what you need to know from the past seven days.

Sanford a star

Jake Sanford (Dartmouth, NS) finished up a remarkable regular season for Western Kentucky hitting.402 with 22 home runs and 65 RBIs. He won the Conference USA triple crown, leading the circuit in average, home runs and RBIs. Sanford is the first player to complete the feat in conference history. It shouldn't have came as a surprise when Sanford was named Conference USA Player of the Year. He was also among the semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy. The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association votes on the award, which is given to the national college player of the year, based on a players character, courage, leadership and performance. In the last week of the regular season Sanford went 5-for-18 with home run No. 22, three walks and a RBI.

Black brings strong play for Raiders, named best rookie

Freshman Tyler Black (Toronto, Ont.) ended the regular season on a strong note for Wright State. Black collected seven hits, walked four times and had five RBIs. In a 28-10 Raiders blow-out win over Oakland, Black went 3-for-4 with three walks, a RBI and five runs scored. The Raiders finished the regular season 41-15, 22-8 in Horizon League play, and bypass the first round of the tournament. After the conclusion of the season Black was named Horizon League Freshman of the Year. Black hit .348 with seven home runs and 39 RBIs. He also swiped eight bases in 49 games played.

Hicks catches attention

Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) picked up three honours this past week. He was named Region XVI Player of the Year after hitting .440 with 14 home runs, 56 RBIs, 59 runs scored and nine stolen bases in 49 games played for Mineral Area. That wasn't all, however, as he was also named a First Team All-Region selection and was a Missouri Community College Athletic Conference First Team pick.

Brash MAAC’s best arm

Matthew Brash (Kingston, Ont.) of the Niagara Purple Eagles was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Association Pitcher of the Year this week after completing a season that saw him go 4-5 with a 2.43 ERA. He tossed 85 1/3 innings and opposing hitters hit just .194 off of him. The big hurler struck out 121, walked 29 and tossed three complete games. The 121 strikeouts set a single season record at Niagara. He was also named to the All-MAAC First Team. Brash finished his season by going six innings in a 10-4 loss to Canisius last week. He allowed three hits, three runs (two earned), walked five and struck out nine.

Abram an All-Freshman Team selection

Oklahoma Sooner right handed pitcher Ben Abram (Georgetown, Ont.) was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team for his season that saw him make 13 starts, with three of those coming in conference play. Abram went 6-4 with a 4.24 ERA and a team low 16 walks over 63 2/3 innings pitched.

Wild year for Wildcat

RHP Griffin Hassall (Newmarket, Ont.) joined Ben Abram on the Big 12 All-Freshman team. Pitching for the Kansas State Wildcats, Hassell was 2-3 with a 4.25 ERA in 13 games, making 10 starts. He walked 24 and fanned 35 in 55 innings holding opposing hitters to a .228 batting average.

Vavaroutsos named Freshman of the Year

Anthony Vavaroutsos (Toronto, Ont.) was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year for hitting .336 with seven home runs and 38 RBIs. He also did not make an error in the field, recording a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage. Along with being named Freshman of the Year he was also named to the All-Conference Second Team.

Turino picks up a trio of honours

The recognition has come rolling in for Matt Turino (Scarborough, Ont.). Turino was named a Missouri Community College Athletic Conference First-Team selection, a Region XVI First Team pick and also recorded an All-Defence selection. Turino hit .356 in 56 games with four home runs and 50 RBIs. He also stole 30 bases and fielded .988.

Thunderbirds collect accolades

Niall Windeler (Toronto, Ont.) of the University of British Columbia went 5-4 with a 3.72 ERA and a .98 WHIP overall in 2019. Those numbers helped earn him National Association of Intercollegiate Athletic West Co-Pitcher of the Year. Tyler Burch of Lewis-Clark State shared the award with Windeler. The Canadian was also named to the All-NAIA West Team. Barry Caine (Surrey, BC) earned his way onto the All-NAIA West Team by posting a 5-2 record with a 3.00 ERA and four saves in 2019. Designated hitter Jordan Dray (White Rock, BC) was named to the team, as well. Dray hit .283 and swatted seven home runs. Brandon Hupe (Vancouver, BC) hit .254 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs to join his teammates on the All-NAIA West Team. Nolan Weger (Surrey, BC) was named to the team after hitting .279 with a .808 OPS. Chris Pritchett (Merced Calif.) was named NAIA West Co-Coach of the year after guiding the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds to a 27-18 record and a 22-9 record in NAIA West play. He shared the honour with Jake Taylor of Lewis-Clark State. Outfielder Austen Butler (Port Coquitlam, BC), second baseman Liam Vulcano (White Rock, BC) and third baseman Nolan Weger all earned Gold Gloves for their work in the field. Butler had a .981 fielding percentage, Vulcano fielded at a .974 pace and Weger also fielded .974.

Goodall recognized by conference and region

An 8-2 record with a 3.11 ERA over 84 innings pitched from Garrett Goodall (Nanaimo, BC) caught the eye of the Sunshine State Conference and the South Region. Goodall was named to the All-Sunshine State Conference First Team for his efforts in 2019. He was also recognized by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association, as he was named to the All-South Region Team. Last week he tossed two innings, allowed a hit, a run, a walk and struck out one as the Embry Riddle Eagles lost to Eckerd and were bounced from the South Regional.

Howie honoured

Eastern Kentucky is set for a date with Morehead State to open the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament after going 2-2 last week. Nick Howie (Oakville, Ont.) had seven hits, four walks, two RBIs and was hit by a pitch in the four games. He went 3-for-5 in a 9-6 midweek loss to Western Carolina. Howie led the team with a .361 average, was second with 11 home runs and was third with 43 RBIs in 2019. With those numbers the outfielder was named to the All-Ohio Valley Conference First Team.

Morello makes two teams

The University of Charleston Golden Eagles are off to the NCAA Division II Super Regional after winning the NCAA Atlantic Regional. The Golden Eagles have been led by Gianfranco Morello (Toronto, Ont.) who is hitting a team best .362. In 33 games, 32 starts, he has got on base at a .460 clip and owns a .533 slugging percentage. Those numbers earned him an All-Mountain East First Team selection and a spot on the Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-Atlantic Region Team. Charleston takes on Mercyhurst in the Super Regional.

Morro a standout for Griffs

Connor Morro (Cheltenham, Ont.) hit a triple and walked three times as the Canisius Golden Griffins downed Niagara 14-4 in Game 1 of their Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference series. The Griffs dropped Game 2, 3-2 in 12 innings but Morro went 2-for-4 with two walks and a stolen base. In the finale he had a hit, a walk and four RBIs. Canisius won the game 10-4 and the series. Upon completion of the regular season Morro was named to the All-MAAC Second Team. He hit .273 with five home runs and 21 RBIs, while stealing 11 bases in 13 attempts.

Webb makes Second Team

Kristian Webb (Whitby, Ont.) hit .254 with with five home runs and 35 RBIs for California University of Pennsylvania this season. Those numbers were good enough for him to earn Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West All Conference Second Team honours.

Malenfant noticed

Hayden Malenfant (Whitby, Ont.) of Southeastern Community College was named a Region XI honourable mention for his work this season. Malenfant tossed 62 1/3 innings, winning seven times and losing only once. He struck out just over a batter per inning pitched, while appearing in 12 games and making 11 starts.

Joseph an Honourable Mention

Right handed pitcher Peter Joseph (Toronto, Ont.) was named a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Honourable Mention after posting a 2-2 record with one save for the Northwood University Timberwolves. Joseph pitched to a 3.03 ERA over 32 2/3 innings in 2019.

Another Honourable Mention

Evan Webb (Whitby, Ont.) was also an All-Mountain East Conference Honourable Mention for Concord. He led his squad with a .397 average. In 49 games played, all starts, he hit eight home runs and drove in 54. He had a .508 on-base percentage to go along with a .667 slugging percentage. In the field he posted a .977 fielding percentage.

Whitbread named Pitcher of the Week

Tyler Whitbread (Camlachie, Ont.) was stellar last week for Indiana State. Whitbread took the ball in Game 3 of their series with Bradley and went eight innings. He surrendered four hits and two runs in the 10-2 win. The righty walked two and struck out eight to move to 7-2. The Missouri Valley Conference named him Pitcher of the Week for his performance. The Sycamores finish the regular season with a 36-15 record but went 2-4 in their last six. They take on Evansville in Game 1 of the conference tournament.

Mendham, Cowboys off to World Series

The last two weeks have been busy but successful for the Connors State Cowboys. David Mendham (Dorchester, Ont.) chipped in 12 hits, seven walks and six RBIs for the Connors State Cowboys during the Region II Tournament and District Tournament. Mendham hit a home run in a 14-12 win over Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. The tournament leaked into this past week with a championship showdown between Connors State and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, a game that saw Mendham go 4-for-5 with two solo shots. The Cowboys didn't have much time off, jumping right into the South Central District Tournament. In the opener against Delgado, a 15-0 win, Mendham went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Next up was a date with Crowder, which the Cowboys took 9-6, behind a hit, a walk and two RBIs from Mendham. His team, powered by a 3-for-5 game with a RBI from him, beat Delgado 16-14 to claim the second championship and earn their way to Grand Junction, Colorado for the National Junior College Athletic As-sociation Division I College World Series. In 59 games played thus far, Mendham is hitting .421 with 14 home runs and 84 RBIs.

Pasco, Monroe punch ticket to World Series

Ethan Pasco (Niagara Falls, Ont.) had a big two games for Monroe Community College and helped them seal a spot in the NJCAA Division II College World Series. The first of two games against Ulster County went the way of Monroe by a 20-11 score. Pascoe went 3-for-5 with a walk, three RBIs and two stolen bases. Monroe took the second game 6-0 and Pasco went 2-for-4 with a RBI and another stolen base. The Tribunes won the East District Championship.

UBC ousted in Opening Round

The season has come to a close for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds as they went 1-2 in the NAIA Opening Round. The week started off well when the Thunderbirds downed Huntington 7-5. Barry Caine (Surrey, BC) picked up his fourth save of the year by going 1 1/3 hitless, scoreless innings. Caine saw action again against NAIA No. 12 Middle Georgia State in their third game. Caine lasted 3 2/3 innings in that one, allowing three hits, two runs (one earned) with three walks and two strikeouts. Middle Georgia State scored five in the fifth and three in the ninth to secure a 8-0 win. Garrett Hawkins (Biggar, Sask.) got the start against Huntington and went five innings. He surrendered three hits, four runs (one earned) with two walks and seven strikeouts.

Savoie, Small play well in postseason

In the Region II Tournament Northeastern Oklahoma A&M leaned on two Canadians. Edouard Savoie (St. Eustache, Que.) and Tyler Small (Mississauga, Ont.) had a significant impact on their teams games. Before the postseason got started, however, Savoie had a hit and two walks, while Small went 4-for-5 with a walk, a RBI and a stolen base in a 10-4 win over Rose State to close the regular season. Their team upset Connors State 6-4 in Game 1 of the Region II Tour-nament. Savoie went 2-for-5 with a RBI and Small had a hit and two walks out of the leadoff spot. They carried that momentum over and dumped Seminole State (OK) 9-8 in their next game. In that one Savoie went 2-for-4 with a walk and a RBI. Small hit a home run and finished the game 3-for-5. They dropped the next game against Connors State, 14-12. Savoie went 2-for-4 with a walk and RBI. Small went 4-for-6 with four RBIs in the loss. Connors State ended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M’s season in the Region II Final in the next game by an 8-6 score.

Duncan goes deep

Arkansas State’s Tyler Duncan (Sooke, BC) had six hits, two walks and drove in four in the Red Wolves games last week. Three of those RBIs came from a three-run home run he hit in a 13-9 loss to Arkansas Little-Rock in Game 3 of their series.

Rogers State falls despite strong play from Follett

Nick Follett (Toronto, Ont.) was solid for Rogers State during the South Central Regional. The first game saw Rogers State down Division II No. 19 Lubbock Christian 9-5. Follett hit a solo home run, walked twice and drove in two in the win. They then beat No. 4 Angelo State and Follett went 2-for-5. Angelo State got the better of them in the rematch the next game. In that game Follett went 2-for-4 in the 13-6 loss. Rogers State, needing a win in their next game with Angelo State, went up 9-3 with the help of a three-run home run and grand slam from Follett but coughed up the lead. They went on to lose the game 19-10. Follett finished 3-for-4 with a walk and the seven RBIs.

New season for Youngstown State

It’s been an ugly season for Youngstown State as they stumbled to a 13-40 (7-20 Horizon League) record but the postseason is a time to turn the page. Last week Trevor Weirsma (Van-couver, BC) chipped in seven hits, two walks, two RBIs and a stolen base as his team went 1-3. They dropped two of three to Milwaukee. In Game 1, Weirsma went 3-for-4 with a walk and RBI. Youngstown State will get that same Milwaukee team to open the Horizon League Tournament.

Benson, Lake Michigan beat out

Owen Benson (Toronto, Ont.) played well for Lake Michigan during their time in the Region XII Tournament. During a 9-6 win over Sinclair to get things going he went 2-for-4. After a 9-0 loss to Cayuga, he went 4-for-5 with a RBI in a 13-12 loss to Kalamazoo Valley. Benson finishes the year hitting .386.

He has the Wright stuff

Indiana State junior Max Wright was recognized for his success on the field and in the class as he was named to the 2019 Google Cloud Academic All-District Team selected by CoSIDA. In the classroom, Wright holds a 3.70 grade point average in criminology and criminal justice. Wright becomes the first Sycamore to receive Academic All-District recognition since Koby Kraemer in 2011. Two other Missouri Valley Conference players were named to the list, including Bradley’s Luke Shadid and Valpo’s Blake Billinger.

What a great time of year. The games carry incredible intensity and Canadians are stepping up. Check back here next week to read about the top performers.

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