CBN POW Week XXII: Charles Leblanc
Former Pitt University Panther Charles Leblanc earned Canadian Baseball Network Player of the Week honours. Photo: Jeff Drouin.
By George Farelli
Canadian Baseball Network
How many hits could a Wood Duck knock.
If a Wood Duck could knock hits?
As many hits as a Wood Duck could knock,
If a Wood Duck could knock hits.
Well, Wood Duck Charles Leblanc of the class-A Down East Wood Ducks led all Canuck hitters with 11 knocks on the week hitting .478 (11-for-23) with a homer and two RBIs
Leblanc earned Canadian Baseball Network Canadian minor league Player of the Week honours for Week XXII. Only Bruce Yari (Waterloo, Ont.) had a higher average batting .500 (7-for-14). Yari also hit a solo homer.
How the week was went for Leblanc (Laval, Que.), drafted in the fourth round of the 2016 draft from the Pitt University Panthers by the Texas Rangers. At Pitt, he won the Atlantic Coast conference batting title. The Down East Wood Ducks play home games at historic Grainger Stadium in Kinston, NC, a former Toronto Blue Jays out post.
How the week that was went for Leblanc:
_ Batting fifth and playing second base, he had two hits and drove in a run facing Alec Bettinger in a 10-9 loss to the Carolina Mudcats before 949 fans at Five County Stadium. Leblanc had a run-scoring single to centre in the first and singled to right in the third. CF Demi Orimoloye (Orleans, Ont.) hit a game-winning two-run homer in the eighth against reliever Christian Torres.
_ Playing second and hitting fifth, he had three hits and knocked in three in a 10-4 loss to Carolina in front of 1,002 fans at Five County Stadium. Leblanc hit a two-run single to centre in the first and reached on an infield single in the sixth against Bowden Francis. He also had a run-scoring single to centre against Cody Beckman in the seventh. Orimoloye hit a solo homer facing Justin Topa, his seventh, and singled.
_ Batting fifth and playing second base, he had three hits, including a double and drove in a run, as Winston-Salem Dash knocked off Down East 7-4 in front of 2,066 fans at Grainger Stadium. Leblanc singled to right in the second, singled to right in the fourth and doubled to left in the fifth -- each time facing Kyle Kubat -- knocking in a run.
_ Playing second and hitting fifth, he was hitless in a 3-0 loss to Winston-Salem in front of 1,663 fans at Grainger Stadium.
_ Batting third and playing second, he had a pair of hits in a 6-2 win over Winston-Salem in front of 1,485 at Grainger Stadium. Leblanc singled in the first against Alec Hansen and singled to left in the seventh facing Hunter Schryver.
_ DHing and batting third, he singled in a 5-3 loss to Winston-Salem in front of 1,611 at Grainger Stadium. Leblanc singled to right in the first against John Parke.
That game ended the season for Down East, managed by former Montreal Expo Spike Owen, who finished 59-81, 26 games behind the Winston-Salem. Leblanc finishhed the season with a .274 average with 27 doubles, four triples, 10 homers and 72 RBIs in 131 games. He had a .761 OPS, 13th in the class-A Carolina League.
Highlights of the Week _ Manager Stubby Clapp, Windsor, ON - Named Manager of the triple A Pacific Coast League 2018 Postseason All Star Team.
OF Tyler O’Neill, Maple Ridge, BC - Named to the Triple A Pacific Coast League 2018 Postseason All Star Team.
1B Josh Naylor, Mississauga, ON - Named to the Double A Texas League 2018 Postseason All Star Team.
OF Otto Lopez, Montreal, QC - Named to Single A Northwest League 2018 Postseason All Star Team.
DH Andy Yerzy, Toronto, ON - Named to Single A Northwest League 2018 Postseason All Star Team.
LHP Ethan Elias, Entwhistle, AB - Named IND Can Am League Pitcher of the Week (Aug. 27th - Sept. 3rd).
DH Sebastien Boucher, Ottawa, ON - Named to the IND Can Am League 2018 Postseason All Star Team.
Top offensive performances
Player Class Team AB R H HR RBI AVG
Bruce Yari - A Daytona 14 1 7 1 1 .500
Charles Leblanc - A Down East 23 4 11 1 2 .478
Eric Wood - AAA Indianapolis 19 5 9 - 2 .474
J.D. Osborne - A Greensboro 14 2 5 - 2 .357
Ben Pelletier - A Williamsport 17 2 6 - 4 .353
Tanner Kirwer - A Vancouver 17 3 6 - - .353
Jacob Robson - AAA Toledo 18 2 6 1 2 .333
Louis Boyd - A Modesto 18 1 6 - - .333
Demi Orimoloye - A Carolina 13 4 4 2 4 .308
J.D. Williams - A Dayton 13 2 4 - 2 .308
Vladimir Guerrero - AAA Buffalo 21 2 6 1 2 .286
Sebastien Boucher - IND Ottawa 24 5 10 1 4 .417
Larry Balkwill - IND Windy City 11 1 4 - - .364
(Minimum 10 ABs)
Best pitching performances
EVAN GRILLS LHP - HARTFORD YARD GOATS
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
1 6-0 2 - - 1 6 1-0 - 0.50 0.00
Evan Grills continues to make progress in his comeback from a complete season lost due to injury in 2017, and this week made another excellent start for the Yard Goats. On Aug. 31 in a 3-1 win over New Hampshire Fisher Cats he threw six scoreless innings and surrendered two base hits while striking out six Fisher Cats hitters, to earn his fourth win of the year. His record with Double A Hartford in 16 Eastern League appearances, improved to 4-5 with a 3.90 ERA.
CAL QUANTRILL RHP - AAA EL PASO CHIHUAHUAS
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
1 5.0 6 1 1 - 3 1-0 - 1.80 1.80
Cal Quantrill has shown in recent weeks that that his promotion by the Padres to the Triple A level with El Paso was justified, and this week he made another excellent start for the Chihuahuas. On Sept. 2nd in a 9-4 victory over Tacoma Rainiers he pitched five innings, scattered six base hits and allowed one earned run while striking out three Tacoma batters, to earn the win. His record with Triple A El Paso in six Pacific Coast League starts, stands at 3-1 with a 3.48 ERA.
BROCK DYKXHOORN RHP - AAA FRESNO GRIZZLIES
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
1 5.0 2 2 2 2 11 1-0 - 0.80 3.60
Brock Dykxhoorn made an outstanding relief appearance for the Grizzlies on Sept. 3, in a 10-inning 7-6 win over the Salt Lake Bees. He entered in the sixth and pitched five strong innings, gave up two base hits and two earned runs while striking out eleven Salt Lake batters, to earn the win. This result improved his record with Triple A Fresno in 14 Pacific Coast League appearances, to 6-3 with a 4.60 ERA.
ETHAN ELIAS LHP - IND TROIS RIVIERES AIGLES
APP IP H R ER BB K W-L SV WHIP WK ERA
2 9.1 5 1 1 2 11 1-0 - 0.77 0.99
As expected when he was signed, Ethan Elias has proven to be a reliable veteran member of the Trois Rivieres pitching staff, and has been used this season both as a starter and a reliever. This week he had two excellent outings, the first of which was on Aug. 30 in a 5-1 win over Rockland Boulders, he pitched 7 1/3 innings, gave up five base hits and one earned run while striking out 11 Rockland batters, to earn his fourth win of the season. He followed that up on Sept. 2 in a 5-4 win over Sussex County Miners when he threw two scoreless, hitless innings in relief, but was not involved in the decision. These two outings improved his IND Can Am League record in 29 appearances for Trois Rivieres Aigles, to 4-9 with one save and a 4.02 ERA. In recognition of this week’s excellent performances, Ethan Elias was named the IND Can Am League’s Pitcher of the Week for Aug. 27-Sept. 3.
Canadian Baseeball Network
Minor League Players of the Week
Week 1 _ OF Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC) Memphis (Cards) and Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) San Antonio (Padres).
Week II _ RHP Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) New Hampshire (Blue Jays).
Week III _ RHP Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) Gwinett (Braves).
Week IV _ RHP Brock Dykxhoorn (Goderich, Ont.) Corpus Christi (Astros).
Week V _ 3B Vladimir Guerrero (Montreal, Que.) New Hampshire (Jays).
Week VI _ RP Phillippe Aumont (Hull, Que.) Toledo (Tigers)
Week VII _ 3B Vladimir Guerrero (Montreal, Que.) New Hampshire (Jays).
Week VIII _ RHP Curtis Taylor (Coquitlam, BC) Montgomery (Rays)
Week IX _ RHP Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) San Antonio (Padres)
Week X _ 3B Abraham Toro-Hernandez (Longueuil, Que,) Buise Creek (Astros) and 2B Charles Leblanc (Lavall, Que.) Down East (Rangers).
Week XI _ C Andrew Yerzy (Toronto, Ont.) Hillsboro (Diamondbacks).
Week XII _ LHP Evan Grills (Whitby, Ont.) Hartford (Rockies).
Week XIII _ OF Ben Pelletier (Varennes, Que.) Williamsport (Philies)
Week XIV _ OF Tanner Kirwer (Sherwood Park, Alta.) Vancouver (Blue Jays)
Week XV _ INF Daniel Pinero (Toronto, Ont.) Lakeland (Tigers)
Week XVI _ OF Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC) Memphis (Cards)
Week XVII _ OF Tristan Pompey (Mississauga, Ont.) Greensboro (Marlins)
Week XVIII _ RHP RJ Freure (Burlington, Ont.) Tri Cities (Astros)
Week XIX _ 3B Abraham Toro (Longueuil, Que,) Corpus Christi (Astros).
Week XX _ INF Adam Hall (London, Ont.) Abderdeen (Orioles).
Week XXI _ INF Adam Hall (London, Ont.) Abderdeen (Orioles).
Week XXII _ INF Charles Leblanc (Laval, Que.) Down East (Rangers).