Elliott: Connors' Canuck bopper Brady Cerkownyk among seven in Draft League
Ontario Blue Jays alum Brady Cerkownyk (Toronto, Ont.) is playing in the MLB Draft League with the Frederick Keys. Photo: Connors State Athletics
June 12, 2023
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
Brady Cerkownyk got off the plane and headed for the park.
It was his first game in the MLB Draft League with the Frederick Keys. He made his debut against the State College Spikes at Medlar Field on the campus of Penn State University.
Not many Canadians had better springs than C Cerkownyk (Toronto, Ont.) had with the Connors State Cowboys ... of the 201 Canadians in JUCO ball, he led in hits (with 95), batting average (.470), RBIs (107), on-base percentage (.556), slugging (.985) and OPS (1.540).
“I hit the ball hard in my first two at-bats,” Cerkownyk said. “Then I tried to hit a home run and I pulled me head off the ball and struck out on three pitches.”
The former High Park Brave, Ontario Blue Jay and Mississauga North Tiger has already attended two workout camps for clubs: the St. Louis Cardinals in Jupiter, Fla. and the Houston Astros at Minute Maid.
The Ontario Youth Team gold medalist at the Canada Summer Games hit four balls onto the train tracks atop the Crawford boxes in left field ... where Astros Alex Bregman, Jeremy Peña, Jake Meyers and Jose Altuve send balls to land.
Cerkownyk had been to a game in Houston once before with his father. But he was never given the chance to dent the 50,000-pound replica of an 1860 locomotive, which hauls a coal tender -- which contains oranges. When the Astros score at home, the train makes its way along 800 feet of track. The train was quiet on workout day.
“I played the first night I arrived, didn’t play the next two and start (Monday),” he said. “There’s some four-year college guys, a few JUCO and some high school guys.
“There are lot more fans than college, that is something I wasn’t used to.”
There were 2,469 at his first game on the Penn State campus.
Besides being the top JUCO Canuck in hits, batting average, RBIs, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS he was ...
_ Second in home runs (27) one behind Weatherford’s Robin Villeneuve (Gatineau, Que.), tied for second in runs scored (78), with McCook’s Ethan Murdoch and one behind teammate Luca Boscarino (Mississauga, Ont.)
_ Tied for third in doubles (23) with Murdoch; two behind Howard’s Aaron Manias (Uxbridge, Ont.) and one back of Villeneuve.
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The Canadians in the Draft League:
Frederick Keys
OF Bryce Arnold, Grimsby, Ont. Campbell University - Has not played. (At Campbell: Hit .321, 19 doubles, 4 triples, 17 homers, 65 RBIs, 1.050 OPS, 7-for-10 stealing in 60 games)
C Brady Cerkownyk, Toronto, Ont. Connors State .250, 0, 0, 1 game.
(At Connors: Hit .470, 23 doubles, 27 homers, 107 RBIs, .985 OPS in 55 games).
OF Ty Hamilton, Orleans, Ont., Watson Elite 0-for-12, 5 games.
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Williamsport Crosscutters
RHP Parker Burgess, Douro-Drummer, Ont., TXNL 0-0 2.70 ERA, 6.2 IP, 9 BB, 8 Ks, 2 games
C Tyler Herron, Grande Prairie, Alta., Parkland College .166, 0, 4, 8 games.
(At Parkland: Batted .298, 11 doubles, 3 triples, 8 homers, 44 RBIs, .896 OPS in 48 games).
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West Virginia Black Bears
RHP Louis-Phillippe Langevin, Quebec, Que., Wabash Valley College Has not pitched
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Trenton Thunder
C Noah Murciano, Toronto, Ont. Coppin State University .154, 0, 1, 3 games.
(At Coppin: Hit .200, two RBIs, .438 OPS in 11 games)
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A year ago Canucks selected from the Draft League included ...
_ Former FieldHouse Pirates INF Nate Ochoa (Burlington, Ont.) who went in the sixth round to Washington Nationals. He signed for $375,000 after playing for the Trenton Thunder, MLB Draft League
_ Toronto Mets grad RHP Jonah Tong (Markham, Ont.) a seventh rounder, who went to the New York Mets. He was given a $226,000 bonus after playing with the Frederick Keys.
_ ABC grad RHP Cedric De Grandpre (St-Simon, Que.) a 13th rounder chosen by the Atlanta Braves. He signed for $237,500 after pitching at Chipola College and with the West Virginia Black Bears.