CBN POW, Week XV - Alex Nolan
By George Farelli
Canadian Baseball Network
The list of all-time great Brock University Badgers would include the likes of Dan Baribeau, Mike Walker, Stefan Strecker, Fabio Del Rio and Raul Borjas.
To that list -- or any other list -- you can now add RHP Alex Nolan of class-A Vancouver Canadians.
Toronto Blue Jays assistant general manager Andrew Tinnish (Ottawa, Ont.) another Brock grad who would fit on most lists, worked out Nolan at Rogers Centre and post draft Tinnish signed the undrafted Nolan as a free agent. Nolan was one of two Canadian free agents signed this summer. The Detroit Tigers signed C Cole MacLaren (Morel, PEI).
Nolan (Burlington, Ont.) may have dominated against USports teams in Ontario, yet he also impressed with the Fort McMurray Giants in the Western Major Baseball League in 2017.
In 2018, he pitched for the Thunder Bay Border Cats of the Northwoods League, a summer league and earned all-star honours thanks to a 4-1 record with a 2.36 ERA whiffing 21 in 38 innings at the time of selection. This summer he was set to play for the Kalamazoo Growlers also of the Northwoods loop.
And this week, Nolan becomes the first Brock alumni to earn Canadian Baseball Network minor-league Player of the week honours. Pitching for the class-A Vancouver Canadians worked five innings allowing one run -- unearned -- in a 2-1 win over the Tri City Dust Devils in front of 6,413 fans at Nat Bailey Stadium.
Nolan took over in the fourth when the game was scoreless. He allowed four base runners -- three singles and one walk. Nolan fanned three. Nolan had a 59-pitch outing -- throwing 42 strikes -- as he recorded four ground ball outs and five fly balls.
Highlights of the Week - RHP Jared Mortensen, Abbotsford, BC - Active with the Ottawa Champions is named IND Can Am League Pitcher of the Week, for the period July 8-14, 2019.
.INF T.J. Bennett, Lethbridge, AB - Active with Fargo-Morehead RedHawks named to IND American Association (North Division) All Star Team, game to be played July 23rd at Chase Field in St. Paul, MN.
SS Wes Darvill, Richmond, BC - Active with the Winnipeg Goldeyes named to IND American Association (North Division) All Star Team, game to be played July 23rd at Chase Field in St. Paul, MN.
Top offensive weeks
Player / Class / Team AB R H HR RBI AVG
J.D. Osborne - A Clinton 11 4 5 1 4 .455
Francisco Hernandez - Rkie Gulf Coast 21 3 9 - 3 .429
Jim Adduci - AAA Iowa 21 3 8 1 4 .381
Adam Hall - A Delmarva 24 4 9 1 4 .375
Jacob Robson - AAA Toledo 22 1 8 2 8 .364
Tristan Graham - A Aberdeen 14 2 5 1 2 .357
Daniel Pinero - AA Erie 19 2 6 1 4 .316
Raphael Gladu - IND Trois Rivieres 19 5 8 1 7 .421
Wes Darvill - IND Winnipeg 25 8 10 2 4 .400
Mike Crouse - IND Somerset 16 2 6 - 3 .375
T.J. Bennett - IND Fargo-Morehead 20 8 6 3 8 .300
(Minimum 10 ABs)
Best pitching outings
ALEX NOLAN RHP - A VANCOUVER CANADIANS
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
1 5.0 3 1 - 1 3 1-0 - 0.80 0.00
Alex Nolan is a 23 year old native of Burlington, Ont. and was signed in 2019 by the Toronto Blue Jays as an undrafted free agent, after completing his studies at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont. Since being assigned to Vancouver in the class-A Northwest League he has pitched very well, and this week on July 14 in a 2-1 win over Tri City Dust Devils he threw five scoreless innings, giving up three base hits while striking out three Tri City batters, to earn his first win as a pro. His record with the Canadians in five outings is now 1-1 with a 2.82 ERA.
JORDAN BALAZOVIC RHP - A FT. MYERS MIRACLE
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
1 4.0 1 - - - 6 1-0 - 0.25 0.00
Making his first appearance with the Miracle since returning from a successful one inning stint with the American League team in the recent Futures Game, he had another solid outing. On July 12 in an 8-4 win over the Bradenton Marauders he made a relief appearance and pitched four scoreless innings, gave up one hit while striking out six Bradenton hitters, to earn his fifth win of the season. His record in ten Florida State League outings for Ft. Wayne, is now 5-2 with a 2.76 ERA.
PHILLIPPE AUMONT RHP - IND OTTAWA CHAMPIONS
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
2 15.0 10 3 - 3 27 1-1 - 0.87 0.00
Phillippe Aumont had an excellent week for Ottawa in making two starts and, although the results were mixed, his overall performance was outstanding. On July 12 in a 1-0 loss to the Sussex County Miners, he pitched six scoreless giving up four base hits while striking out nine Sussex batters, but was saddled with the loss. He followed that up on July 16 in a 5-2 win over Rockland Boulders with an even better game when threw nine innings, surrendered six base hits and one earn run while striking out 18 Rockland batters, to earn his sixth win of the season.
The 18strikeouts in a nine inning game established a IND Can Am League record. His overall record with the Champions in 12 Can Am League appearances, now stands at 6-3 with a 2.05 ERA. As well, his 2.05 ERA and a total of101 Strikeouts both rank as the league’s best.
Previous Players of the Week
Week 1 _ INF Charles Leblanc (Laval, Que.) Double A Frisco Roughriders (Rangers).
Week II _ RHP Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) Triple A El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres).
Week III _ RHP R.J. Freure (Burlington, Ont.) Class-A Quad Cities River Bandits (Astros).
Week IV _ INF Adam Hall (London, Ont.) Class-A Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles).
Week V _ RHP Jordan Balazovic (Mississauga, Ont.) Class-A Fort Myers Miracle (Twins).
Week VI _ RHP Curtis Taylor (Port Coquitlam, BC) double-A Montgomery Biscuits (Rays)
Week VII _ RHP Nick Pivetta (Victoria, BC) triple-A Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Phillies) and 3B Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que.) double-A Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros).
Week VIII _ 1B Jim Adduci (Burnaby, BC) triple-A Iowa Cubs (Cubs).
Week IX _ INF Adam Hall (London, Ont.) Class-A Delmarva Shorebirds (Orioles).
Week X _ RHP R. J. Freure (Burlington, Ont.) class-A Quad Cities River Bandits (Astros).
Week XI _ OF Gareth Morgan (North York, Ont.) class-A Inland Empire ‘66s (Angels).
Week XII _ OF Demi Orimoloye (Orleans, Ont.) class-A Dunedin Blue Jays (Jays).
Week XIII _ OF Jacob Sanford (Cole Harbour, NS) class-A Staten Island Yankees (Yankees).
Week XIV _ RHP Kyle Thomas (Mississauga, Ont.) class-A Connecticut Tigers (Tigers).
Wee XV _ RHP Alex Nolan (Burlington, Ont.) class-A Vancouver Canadians (Blue Jays).