By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
At least 31 Canadians are on the rosters of the top 50 JUCO teams as the season opened last week. 

Coach Jeff Johnson’s Chipola Indians are the No. 1 ranked team. Chipola is where Canadians Rene Tosoni (Coquitlam, BC) Adam Loewen (Surrey, BC) and Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.) went ... not to mention two-time major league home run champion Jose Bautista.  

Yet there are zero Canucks on the Chipola roster this spring.  

The Iowa Western Reivers are No. 4th ranked and have three Canadians RHP Indigo Diaz (Vancouver, BC), 2B Peter Hutzal (Calgary, Alta.) and INF Kobe Hyland (Spruce Grove, Alta.). 

2017 Perfect Game Top 50 Junior College Teams

Rank Team State ‘16 Record ‘16 Rk.*
1. Chipola FL 43-16 15

4. Iowa Western IA 52-15 4

The Reivers have three Canucks in RHP Indigo Diaz (Vancouver, BC), 2B Peter Hutzal (Calgary, Alta.) and INF Kobe Hyland (Spruce Grove, Alta.). Diaz pitched for the Coquitlam Reds, Hutzal the Okotoks Dawgs and Hyland with the Spruce Grove White Sox. 

10. Connors State OK 48-11 21

The Cowboys have a pair of former Ontario Blue Jays in SS Max Hewitt (Barrie, Ont.) and C Tony Hrynkiw (Brampton, Ont.).

13. Cowley County    KS    44-18    9

The Tigers have LHP Matt Krutsch (Essex, Ont.), who pitched for the Windsor Selects and St. Clair College.

16. Cypress CA  31-15  NR

The Chargers have OF Trevor Fonseca (West Vancouver, BC) a former North Shore Twin.

19. Grayson TX 42-15 NR.

The Vikings have RHP Jose Vazquez (Cambridge, Ont.) from the Cambridge Cubs.  

24. Central Arizona AZ 45-14 NR

The Vaqueros have RHP Nick Trogrlic-Iverson (Oakville, Ont.) and RHP Will McAffer (North Vancouver, BC). Trogrlic-Iverson pitched for the Langley Blaze/Arizona Diamond Backs Scout Team and before that the Field House Pirates, while McAffer pitched for the North Shore Twins and South Dakota State Jackrabbits. 

26. Howard TX 36-22 NR

The Hawks have former Ontario Blue Jay C Reese O’Farrell (Burlington, Ont.).

29. Western Oklahoma State OK 48-18 NR

The Pioneers have INF John Lantigua (Quebec City, Que.), LHP Breaden Toikka (North Vancouver, BC) and C Colton Wright (Surrey BC). Toikka pitched for North Shore, while Wright caught for Whalley Chiefs and Lantigua for the Castors of Charlesbourg.  

31. Mesa AZ 43-18 NR

The Thunderbirds have LHP Max Williams (Tsawwassen, BC) a former North Shore Twin pitching for assistant coach Dave Robb (Lac Le Biche, Alta.)

35. Midland TX 41-19 NR

The Chaparrals have six Canucks on the roster: OF Jordan Dray (Surrey, BC), RHP
Devlin Jovetic (Hamilton, Ont.), LHP Brandon Hatley (Morden, Man.), RHP Nick Virdo (Brampton, Ont.) INF Nolan Rattai (Medicine Hat, Alta.) and OF Eric Senior (Toronto, Ont.). Dray, Hatley and Rattai played for the Vauxhall Jets, while Vidro and Senior were with the Toronto Mets, and Jovetic the Ontario Nationals.   

38. Tyler TX 42-16 24

The Apaches have LHP Austin Tambellini (Nelson, BC) a grad of the Trail Orioles.

40. Polk State FL 39-17 NR

The Eagles have a pair of Canadians in OF Zach Diewert (Chemainus, BC) and C Cole Warken (Regina, Sask.). Diewert played for the Nanaimo Pirates and the Diamondbacks BC Scout Team, while Warken was with the Moose Jaw Miller Express, Nanimao Pirates and Team IP Prospects          

41. North Iowa Area IA 47-16 NR

The Trojans have three Canucks in C-1B Ben Komonosky (Saskatoon, Sask.), RHP Chase Stewart (Abbotsford, BC) and RHP Christian Vogler (Berwick, NS). Komonosky was with the Vauxhall Academy Jets, Team Saskatchewan Selects and Team IP Prospects, Stewart was with the Victoria Mariners and Vogler was with the Kentville midgets AAA, the Nova Scotia Youth Selects, the Tri-County junior Rangers and the Kentville senior Wildcats.  

43. Northern Oklahoma-Enid OK 43-16 NR

The Jets have OF Keller Griffin (Pilot Butte, Sask.) and SS Tyler Wood (Winnipeg, Man.). Griffin played for the Regina Athletics while Wood was with the Elmwood Giants.  

46. Chattanooga State TN 34-15 NR

The Tigers have 1B Matt Carscadden (Mississauga, Ont.) and INF Ethan Cummings (Mississauga, Ont.). Both played for the Ontario Blue Jays.