Chip off the Whitey block: Kyle Breitner inducted into OCAA HOF

April 15, 2023

KYLE BREITNER

Category: Athlete

Sport: Men’s Baseball

Institution: St. Clair College

Inducted: 2023

Kyle Breitner (Etobicoke, Ont.), son of former Leaside Maple Leafs ace and Etobicoke Rangers coach Whitey Breitner, compiled an astounding 37-3 overall record on the mound with a sparkling 1.52 ERA in over 280 innings pitched for St. Clair College. In his final pitching appearance at the 2017 Nationals, an 11th and final strikeout resulted in a semi-final win over Holland College, and a 300th career strikeout as a Saint. His overall playoff record in five seasons was a splendid 8-1 with only loss being a 2-1 defeat in a game at the 2014 OUA/OCAA championship against Brock University. But true to form he came back in the championship game for the Saints to earn a save in the final inning.

Individual OCAA honours for him include four All-Star team selections, three Pitcher of the Year awards as well as one Player of the Year award. He was selected to the OCAA championship all-star team in 2016 and named to the National championship all-star team as the top right-hander in each of last two years. Breitner was also named the OUA/OCAA championship top pitcher in 2013. St. Clair honoured him four times as the top arm on the Saints team to go with a pair of MVP awards.

He has helped the Saints program win almost every major championship set in front of them over the past five seasons with the only blemish being a runner-up finish at the National Championship in 2016. Since the inception of the OCAA men’s baseball league in 2013, Breitner was a major force in allowing St. Clair to be league’s only champion in both the regular season as well as the playoffs amassing a remarkable 97-10 overall record. This included a perfect 15-0 record in the OCAA championship tournament. In addition, St. Clair won two consecutive OUA/OCAA championships in 2013 and 2014 besting the finest the Ontario Universities offered.

Breitner graduated from St. Clair’s sport and recreation management program and was named the Mason MacDonald Athlete of the Year in 2017-18. This award goes to graduating male and female student-athletes who have displayed outstanding athletic abilities while maintaining exemplary academic performance and school involvement during their years at St. Clair College. He went on to serve as a pitching coach for St. Clair in addition to coaching with the Tecumseh Thunder U16 and U18 programs.

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Medals

5x OCAA Men’s Baseball Champion (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017)

2x OUA/OCAA Champion (2013, 2014)

2017 National College Baseball Champion

2016 National College Baseball Championship Silver Medal

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Accolades

2013 OCAA Men’s Player of the Year

3x OCAA Men’s Pitcher of the Year (2013, 2014, 2016)

4x OCAA Men’s League All-Star (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)

2016 OCAA Men’s Championship All-Star

2016 National College Championship Top Pitcher

2x National College Championship All-Star (2017, 2016)

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Kyle Breitner Ocaa Career Statistics

Season APP GS W-L SV CG IP H R ER BB K K/7 HR ERA

2017 5 2 3-2 0 1 34.1 30 17 10 13 33 6.73 0 2.04

2016 6 2 5-0 0 2 32.0 20 9 7 5 41 8.97 0 1.53

2015 6 3 6-0 0 2 39.0 23 10 8 8 33 5.92 0 1.44

2014 5 3 5-0 0 2 33.0 24 7 7 11 28 5.94 0 1.48

2013 6 2 4-0 0 4 33.1 24 11 4 13 50 10.50 0 0.84

Totals 28 12 23-2 0 11 171.2 121 54 36 50 185 7.54 0 1.47

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Other inductees

Jim Buck

Category: Builder

Institution: Loyalist College

With over 30 years of OCAA knowledge and experience, Jim Buck is a reliable sounding board for members from across the province. Jim makes a point of reaching out to new Athletic Directors to welcome them to the Association and offer support, mentoring several as well as going above and beyond to ensure Buck’s own staff gain as much experience within the league as they can. Jim has served on countless OCAA and CCAA committees, including as the OCAA VP Finance during a particularly challenging time. Jim’s leadership and commitment to navigating the association back to a solid foundation was paramount. Buck is a passionate advocate for the student-athlete experience within the OCAA and is a champion of a quality student-athlete experience no matter the size of the institution.

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Nouri Ghazi

Category: Coach

Sport: Badminton

Institution: Seneca College

Nouri Ghazi left a legacy matched by few in the sport and is one of the most decorated coaches in the history of the OCAA. The 2014-15 OCAA and CCAA Coach of the Year guided the Sting to an astonishing 26 OCAA medals (seven gold, 10 silver, nine bronze) and nine CCAA medals (four gold, two silver, three bronze). After gaining conference recognition during Ghazi’s early years of coaching, the Sting gained national prominence over the second half of Ghazi’s career. Following three consecutive years of capturing a bronze medal (2012 to 2014), the Sting had six teams play for a national championship over Ghazi’s final three years. The 2016-17 season was Ghazi’s most decorated as the Sting captured two national championships and a silver medal on home court.

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Margaret Myjak

Category: Athlete

Sport: Cross Country/Badminton

Institution: Mohawk College

Margaret Myjak spent four seasons as a Mohawk Mountaineer (2003-04 to 2006-07) and was highly regarded as a student-athlete who embodied the true Mountaineer spirit. During the 2004-05 season, Myjak was the OCAA women’s singles silver medalist and the second-place finisher at the OCAA west regional cross country championships. The following season, Myjak was the OCAA gold medalist for women’s singles in badminton and capped off the season by capturing the bronze medal at the CCAA championships. Myjak was also selected as the OCAA Player of the Year and a CCAA Academic All-Canadian and was named Mohawk’s Most Valuable Player for badminton. Myjak’s lively personality and thirst to learn was a contagious combination.

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Jessica O’Quinn

Category: Athlete

Sport: Women’s Softball

Institution: Humber College

Jessica O’Quinn burst onto the OCAA scene in 2011 and quickly became the face and best player of the newly formed Humber Hawks squad. Over three seasons as the leader of the Humber team, O’Quinn was the top pitcher, batter and positional player. A natural outfielder, O’Quinn moved to shortstop and ultimately the circle, becoming one of the top pitchers in Humber history - despite not throwing an inning for years before joining the Hawks. A silver medal performance in the team’s first year was followed up with back-to-back OCAA championship titles. During Humber’s championship runs in 2012 and 2013, O’Quinn hit .435 with eight RBIs in eight games, earning three wins in the circle - including the 2012 championship final against Durham.

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Lorelle Weavers

Category: Athlete

Sport: Golf

Institution: Niagara College

Lorelle Weavers was a member of the Niagara Knights golf team from 2014 to 2016. Weavers paved the way for women’s golf at Niagara College, capturing a number of career milestones. In Lorelle’s first season on the course with the Knights, Lorelle captured three consecutive OCAA invitational championships en route to an OCAA silver medal and a berth to the CCAA championships, where she emerged as the gold medal national champion for 2014. The following season, Weavers won two of the three OCAA invitational events and took home the gold medal at the OCAA championships. Lorelle captured a second consecutive OCAA championship gold medal in one final season with the Knights in 2016.