By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Five Canucks showed on Baseball America’s pre-season top prospect list for NCAA Division I conferences for the 2019 …. and one for 2020..

We’ve travelled a few weeks down the road yet there is still a way to go until the three-day amateur draft of high schoolers and collegians starts June 3. Like:

_ Reliever Tanner Dalton (Lethbridge, Alta.) of the Sacramento State Hornets. The former Prairie Baseball Academy Dawgs ranks fifth in the Western Athletic Conference.

Dalton was 1-2 with a 3.02 ERA and a team-leading 10 saves. The 10 saves topped all Canucks. He threw 41 2/3 innings, striking out 43 and walking 15, while holding opponents to a .243 batting average. His efforts last spring earned him a spot on the 2019 Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian college team.

Former Langley Blaze and Fieldhouse Pirates RHP RHP Nick Trogrlic-Iverson (Oakville, Ont.) has impressed with the Gonzaga Bulldogs

_ RHP Nick Trogrlic-Iverson (Oakville, Ont.) of the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Last spring with the Central Arizona Vaqueros, Trogrlic-Iverson finished 8-3 record in 13 starts with a 2.35 ERA and that includes losing his final two outings when he allowed 12 runs -- eight earned in 10 1/3 innings. He fanned 91 in 76 innings.

Trogrlic-Iverson, who pitched for the Langley Blaze and the Fieldhouse Pirates is rannked ninth best in the West Coast conference.

_ Former Ontario Blue Jay SS Conner Morro (Cheltenham, Ont.) of the Canisius Golden Griffs was slotted ninth best in the Metro Atlantic League.

He had 63 hits to bat .342 with three triples, a homer, 30 RBIs and a .457 slugging percentage. He also went 11-for-14 stealing bases.

Was third on the team with 28 walks, reaching base at a .448 clip to finish fourth in the MAAC. He put together a 10-game hit streak that included 15 hits and 11 RBIs as he had 20 multi-hit games plus three games with three hits. Morro also had eight multi-RBI games, four that were three RBI performances.

Morro earned Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian Second Team honours in 2018 and honourable mention in 2017.

_ Okotoks Dawgs grad Matt Lloyd (Okotoks, Alta.) of the Indiana Hooisers. He’s ranked 13th in the Big 10. The question is ... do scouts like him as a reliever or as a hitter.

Lloyd was voted Canadian Baseball Network all-College Second Team honours as a reliever and was named to the Third Team as the DH in 2018. Lloyd was 4-2 with seven saves and a 1.54 ERA. He walked five and fanned 22 in 23 1/3 innings. At the plate Lloyd hit .275 with 15 doubles, a triple, nine homers and 41 RBIs with an .814 OPS in 59 games.

_ Langley Blaze grad Indigo Diaz (Vancouver, BC) of the Michigan State Spartans is listed 16th.

Last spring with the Iowa Western Reivers, Diaz gained Canadian Baseball Network all-College First Team honours as a reliever. He was also the selected Northern All-District, First Team all State and honorable mention All American. Diaz had the third best ERA of all NJCAA Div. 1 pitchers. His 11 wins last spring were second among Canadians, two less than Ohlone’s Ethan Skuija (Victoria, BC). He is a Coquitlam Reds alum.

_ And for the 2020 draft INF Jason Willow (Victoria, BC) of the Santa Barbara Gauchos is ranked ninth. A former Victoria Mariner, Willow was selected in the 24th round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Baltimore Orioles, after he hit .394 – the second-highest average in the entire league – as a graduating high school.

Willow hit .245 with six doubles, a homer and 17 RBIs. He had a .609 OPS in 46 games.

Baseball America also had good things to say about Canisius predicting a strong spring for them -- with their eight Canucks -- in the Metro Atlantic League.

Baseball America

Top 10 2019 Draft Prospects

Western Athletic

1. Quin Cotton, OF, Grand Canyon

5. Tanner Dalton, RHP, Sacramento State

West Coast

1. Chris Murphy, LHP, San Diego

9. Nick Trogrlic-Iverson, RHP, Gonzaga

Metro Atlantic League

1.Will Frank, RHP, Canisius

9. Conner Morro, SS, Canisius

Big 10

1.Matt Gorski, OF, Indiana

13. Matt Lloyd, RHP/INF, Indiana

16. Indigo Diaz, RHP, Michigan State

Former Victoria Mariiners’ INF Jason Willow (Victoria, BC) is a good looking player for 2020

Big West Conference

2020 Draft Prospects

1. Trenton Denholm, RHP, UCI

9. Jason Willow, 3B, UCSB

Baseball America capsules

By Teddy Cahill, Dave Serrano, Joe Healy, Carlos Collazo, Kegan Lowe

Metro Atlantic League

Team to Beat: Canisius.

The reigning MAAC Tournament champs, Canisius enters 2019 looking for back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in school history. The Golden Griffins will have to repeat its feat despite the loss of some important contributors from last year’s team, including 2018 MAAC pitcher of the year, J.P. Stevenson (New Glasgow, PEI ... 10-2, 2.73, 93 SO). Senior Jared Kennedy (Calgary, Alta. ... 2-1, 3.82) should be the Griffs’ top lefthanded relief option. Offensively, Canisius will lean on senior shortstop Conner Morro (Cheltenham, Ont. ... .342/.448/.457, 11 SB) and senior right fielder Mark McKenna (.333/.406/.418, 13 SB), both of whom build a majority of their offensive value around above-average contact ability and speed. Matt Mazurek’s club has to replace the only three players — Ryan Stekl, Liam Wilson (Ayr, Ont.) and Gage Lanning — who hit at least five home runs a season ago. The MAAC hasn’t had a repeat conference champion since Manhattan won back-to-back conference tournaments in 2011-12, but Canisius returns 27 lettermen from last year’s team and should once again be in contention for the league’s top spot.

Western Athletic Conference

Freshman of the Year: Connor Sparks, RHP, Sacarmento State

Sparks (Saskatoon, Sask.) is one of four players in Sacramento State’s freshman class who spent time with the Canadian Junior National Team. The others are RHP Zack McQuaid (Oshawa, Ont.), INF Dylan Ohlsen (Abbotsford, BC), C Martin Vincelli-Simard (Boisbriand, Que.) and Sparks.

Sparks was last year drafted in the 26th round by the Brewers and uses his 6-foot-5 frame to throw from a steep downhill angle and gets heavy sinking action on his upper-80s fastball. Sparks figures to quickly take on a significant role for the Hornets.

Horizon League

University of Chicago-Illinois has long been Wright State’s foil in the league and last season finished second to the Raiders in the standings and lost to them in the Horizon League Tournament championship game. The staff will still have strong veteran presence. Junior righthander Jacob Key (4-4, 3.77) will move to the front of the rotation and seniors Braeden Toikka (Vancouver, BC ... 1-2, 3.70), Nick Oliff, who was limited to seven innings last year as he recovered from Tommy John surgery, and Patrick Martin, a graduate transfer from Hawaii-Manoa, are options behind him. UIC wasn’t particularly offensive last year.

Big South

The Big South and Atlantic Sun conferences made a de facto “trade” this offseason, when Liberty left the Big South to join the Atlantic Sun, filling a void left by South Carolina-Upstate, which is the newest Big South member. The Spartans struggled last season in the A-Sun, finishing last in the eight-team league, but they return experienced pitchers Jordan Marks (Bright’s Grove, Ont. ... 2-6, 6.40) and Trey Van Der Weide (4-5, 4.50), as well as potential closer Grant Hoppock (4-1, 4.01).

Western Athletic Conference

Sacramento State is coming off a second-place finish in the WAC and fell just short against New Mexico State in the conference tournament championship game. The Hornets return a deep pitching staff fronted by Brahms. Righthander Scott Randall (7-3, 3.48) also returns in the rotation, and righthander Tanner Dalton (Lethbridge, Alta. ... 1-2, 3.02, 10 SV) is back to anchor the bullpen. Sacramento State lost some key hitters, outfielder Matt Smith (.310/.377/.452) and infielders Steven Moretto (.263/.331/.415, 8 HR) and Keith Torres (.268/.395/.379) lead the returners.

Colonial Conference

College of Charleston Cougars senior catcher Danny Wondrack (Windsor, Ont. ... .253/.367/.516, 12 HR) and junior first baseman Ari Sechopolous (.273/.370/.591, 9 HR) combined for 21 home runs a year ago, giving Charleston some much-needed power in the middle of its lineup.

Big 10

Indiana: Since their College World Series appearance in 2013, the Hoosiers have become a consistent regional team, missing the NCAA Tournament just once in the last six years. Jeff Mercer takes over the program inheriting a strong team, despite the loss of some big bats from last year’s team. Indiana brings back several key players, including junior outfielder Matt Gorski (.356/404/.554, 8 HR), its leading hitter, infielder/closer Matt Lloyd (Okotoks, Alta. ... .275/.356/.458, 9 HR; 4-2, 1.54, 7 SV) and senior righthander Pauly Milto (8-2, 2.03).

Pac-12

Washington (35-26) last season made a strong push down the stretch, staying in the Pac-12 title race until the final day of the regular season and then putting together an NCAA Tournament run that ended with the program’s first College World Series appearance. The Huskies have recruited at a high level under coach Lindsay Meggs. On the mound, righthanders Jordan Jones (6-4, 3.98) and Josh Burgmann (Nanaimo, BC ... 2-2, 3.19) will be asked to take on bigger roles.

Atlantic Sun

In addition to adding North Alabama, the Atlantic Sun essentially traded South Carolina-Upstate to the Big South Conference in exchange for Liberty. The Flames (32-26) were consistent contenders in the Big South, and they figure to improve the depth of the A-Sun. A rotation fronted by the duo of Garret Price (7-4, 3.99) and Noah Skirrow (Stoney Creek, Ont. ... 4-3, 4.57) will give the Flames a chance every weekend.

JUCO Teams

Wabash Valley

Wabash Valley (Ill.) JC has been a consistently talented team, but this may be the Warriors’ best group yet. Wabash Valley returns six members of the lineup and has a very deep pitching staff. Center fielder Noah Myers, a South Carolina signee, is coming off a freshman season in which he hit .318/.474/.482 and stole 20 bases in 20 attempts. He has power potential to go with excellent defense.