February 19, 2022

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

The Chipola College Indians have always been a destination for Canadian players.

The likes of LHP-OF Adam Loewen (Surrey, BC), highest drafted Canadian at the time (fourth overall in North America, to the Baltimore Orioles in 2001), Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.), Canada’s best-ever catcher, INF Ivan Naccarata (Montreal, Que.), RHP Alain Patenaude (Laval, Que.), C Cole Armstrong (Surrey, BC), RP Jonathan Forest (Greenfield Park, Que.), OF Rene Tosoni (Coquitlam, BC), LHP Jake Eliopoulos (Newmarket, Ont.) and others.

Of course, there are a few others names you might remember ... names like OF Jose Bautista, manager-OF Buck Showalter, OF Adam Duvall, C Steve Clevenger, INF Eric Yelding, INF Mat Gamel, OF Hosken Powell and manager/scout Tom Kotchman to mention a few.

Now, it appears as if Bautista’s talented former skipper Jeff Johnson may have another candidate for the July draft in RHP Drew Howard (Whitby, Ont.), the former Toronto Met.

Although it is early, as the scouts say no less than 13 Canadians are ranked on Perfect Game’s top 500 JUCO players for the draft. Howard is the top Canuck listed at No. 50 ... two slots ahead of RHP Evan O’Toole (Bridgewater, N.S.) of the Iowa Western Reivers and four ahead of his Chipola teammate RHP Cedric De Grandpre (Saint-Simon, Que.).

Howard has had three outings to date as he pitched:

_ In a 6-6 tie against Eastern Florida State where he worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings. He allowed two hits and struck out four.

_ Gained the win in a 2-1 Wabash Valley victory, working 4 2/3 innings and allowing a run on three hits and two walks. He fanned seven.

_ Gained the victory in a 6-4 decision over San Jacinto-North as he pitched 2 2/3 innings allowing one run on two hits and he walks, while fanning four.

On the season to date, he is 2-0 with 1.69 ERA. He has fanned 15 in 10 2/3 innings.

Ontario Terriers’ grad INF Austin Gomm (Mississauga, Ont.) is ranked 123rd on Perfect Game’s top 500

* * *

The 13 come from nine different teams, led by the Ontario Terriers.

Terriers (three): Austin Gomm (Mississauga, Ont.), Carter Seabrooke (Otonabee, Ont.) and Matt Brown (Oakville, Ont.).

Toronto Mets (2): Keegan Pulford-Thorpe (Newmarket, Ont.) and Howard.

Vauxhall Academy Jets (two): Jack Mount (Val Des Monts, Que.) and O’Toole.

Academie Baseball Canada (one): De Grandpre,

Coquitlam Reds (one): Giordano Mezzomo (Coquitlam, BC)

Edmonton Prospects (one): Brayden Cust (Edmonton, Alta.)

FieldHouse Pirates (one): James Dutton (Toronto, Ont.)

Fraser Valley Cardinals (one): Cooper Compton (Abbotsford, BC),

Red Deer Carstar Braves (one): Cleary Simpson (Red Deer, Alta.)

Rank Name Position, School, Hometown, State/Province Commitment

1. Cam Collier, 3B, Chipola, Austell, GA, Louisville

50. Drew Howard, RHP, Chipola, Whitby, Ont.

52. Evan O’Toole, RHP, Iowa Western, Bridgewater N.S., Oklahoma State

54. Cedric De Grandpre, RHP, Chipola, St.-Simon-De-Bagot, Que.

123. Austin Gomm, SS, Parkland, Mississauga, Ont.

162. Cooper Crompton, RHP, Iowa Western, Abbotsford, BC

210. Cleary Simpson, SS, Colby, Elnora, Alta.

266. Keegan Pulford-Thorpe, LHP, Georgia Highlands, Newmarket, Ont.

276. James Dutton, OF, Indian Hills, Toronto, Ont.

328. Carter Seabrooke, LHP, Howard, Otonabee, Ont.

380. Jack Mount, RHP, Cloud County. Val Des Monts, Que.

384. Brayden Cust, OF Colby, Edmonton, Alta.

419. Giordano Mezzomo, LHP, Cloud County, Coquitlam, BC

484. Matt Brown RHP Frontier Oakville, Ont.

-- Perfect Game rankings by Brian Sakowski.