May 23, 2024

Official Thunder Bay Border Cats News Release

Thunder Bay, Ont. – The Thunder Bay Border Cats have set their 2024 roster and it will have the most Canadian born players in franchise history.

A total of 14 Canadians are officially signed to contracts ahead of the Border Cats’ Northwoods League season opener this Monday in Rochester, Minn. against the Honkers.

Some of the Canadian talent includes outfielder/pitcher Ty Hamilton (Orleans, Ont.), who just completed his freshman season at the University of Utah. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder hails is the son of longtime Canadian Junior Baseball Team head coach Greg Hamilton. Coach Hamilton is no stranger to Thunder Bay having led the national team at the 2010 and 2017 U-18 Baseball World Cup that was played at Port Arthur Stadium.

Greg LaChance (Whitby, Ont.) is a 5-foot-11, 190-pound infielder and is a sophomore at Jefferson College in Missouri, where he is teammates with Border Cats pitcher and fellow Canadian Griffin Catto (Whitby, Ont.). LaChance is also the brother-in-law of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner. LaChance led his team with a .403 batting average, hitting 14 doubles, seven homers and knocking in 43 runs with a 1.135 OPS in 43 games.

Catto was 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA and seven saves. He struck out 26 in 25 innings over 14 outings

Additional Canadians on the active roster include ...

_ 1B Cole Leclair (Toronto, Ont.) of St. John’s University.

_ C Josh McGuin (Toronto, Ont.) of South Dakota State University.

_ OF Kenneth Sugi (North Vancouver, BC) of Missouri Tech University. Sugi batted .311 with 12 doubles, two triples, eight homers and 45 RBIs. In 49 games, he had a .984 OPS.

_ RHP Julian Parson (Mississauga, Ont.) from the University of South Carolina-Upstate. This spring he had a 5.40 ERA and two saves with 25 strikeouts in 21 2/3 innnings while walking 14.

_ RHP Nick Veselinovic (Lasalle, Ont.,) of Niagara University. He was 2-0 with a 7.29 ERA, fanning 19 in 21 innings. His Purple Eagles play in the Metro Atlantic Conference championship on Saturday.

_ RHP Jack Pineau (Thunder Bay, Ont.) of Creighton University. He is scheduled to start his second consecutive home opener on Friday, May 31 when the Border Cats entertain the Minnesota Mud Puppies at 7:35 p.m. With Creighton this season, he was 0-1 with a 3.21 ERA in 12 games -- making six starts -- walking 15 and striking out 32 in 33 2/3 innings.

_ Also coming from the University of Utah LHP Carter Wall (Oakville, Ont.). The 6-foot-2, 190-pounder finished his freshman season with the Utes. He appeared in four games and had a 13.50 ERA, striking out a pair in four innings.