Elliott: Best Canuck JUCOs Trogrlic-Iverson, Diaz, Angel, Fascia, Greer, King
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
Perfect Game's ranking of the top Junior College players sees RHP Nick Trogrlic-Iverson continue to climb.
Trogrlic-Iverson (Oakville, Ont.) of the Central Arizona Vaqueros is now ranked the No. 2 prospect on the latest list of the top 250 JUCO players south of the border. Scouts say his fastball has been clocked at 96 MPH.
In December, he was the fifth best prospect in the nation and before the season began in January he had moved to No. 3 overall.
Trogrlic-Iverson, the former Langley Blaze and Field House Pirates ace, dominated. He pitched for Doug Mathieson and Jamie Bodaly in BC and Matt Baird in Oakville.
In the season opener, Trogrlic-Iverson pitched four scoreless and hitless innings against the College of Southern Nevada Coyotes -- Bryce Harper’s school -- while walking four and striking out seven.
And in his second outing, he pitched five scoreless in a 5-0 win over the Gateway Geckos, as he walked two and fanned six.
In five starts, Trogrlic-Iverson is 3-1 in five starts with an 0.98 ERA. He has walked 10 and struck out 37 in 27 2/3 innings.
As a reliever last year, Trogrlic-Iverson was 4-3 with two saves and a 3.04 ERA. He walked 14 and struck out 40 in 47 1/3 innings in 24 games. He has signed a Letter of Intent to attend Bing Crosby’s school, Gonzaga University.
Trogrlic-Iverson is one of five Canucks on the top 150 list
Another former Langley Blaze Indigo Diaz (North Vancouver, BC).
Ranked No. 14, down a spot from the January ranking is Indigo Diaz (North Vancouver, BC).
Diaz, who played for the Cotquilam Reds, won his first start for the Reivers, finishing up with a 2.84 ERA. He walked two and struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings.
Last year Diaz was 3-1 with a 5.93 ERA. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder walked 21 and struck out 39 in 16 games making two starts. Diaz is headed for Michigan State next fall.
Former ABC RHP RHP Connor Angel (Lachine, Que.)
At No. 74 is RHP Connor Angel (Lachine, Que.), a freshman with the Northwest Florida State Raiders, a climb of 10 positions.
Angel has showed strong velocity going 1-0 with an 8.38 ERA in four games. He has walked six and struck out 10 in 9 2/3 innings.
The 6-foot-4, 180-pounder played last year for coach Robbie Fatal and the Academy Baseball Canada.
Listed 99th, falling 11 spots, is Zach Fascia (Brampton, Ont.) a sophomore with the Indian Hills Indians, who is headed to be a Purdue Boilermaker. Fascia, at 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, is a two-way player who played for his father Frank Fascia’s Brampton Royals.
Fascia has appeared in two games, allowing two runs, while walking four and fanning three. He has been hitless at the plate.
At the plate last year, he had 10 doubles, two homers, 37 RBIs, while hitting .277 with a .709 OPS in 58 games. On the mound, he earned honourable mention honours on the 2017 Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian team. Out of the bullpen he was 1-1 with five saves and an ERA of 0.66. He walked five and struck out 18 in 13 hitting, holding opposing hitters to a .143 average.
And finally ranked No. 146, is Isaac Greer (Vancouver BC) of the North Iowa Area Trojans, down 15 spots. Greer did not pitch in the spring of 2017, but last fall scouts saw him light up guns at 97 MPH. This spring he has only appeared in one game.
Justin King (Okotoks, Alta.) is a graduate of Jeff Duda and Allen Cox’s Okotoks Dawgs. He is ranked No. 240.
Through the first four games he owns a .400 average (6-for-15) with a double, four homers, six RBIs and a 1.267 OPS.
Perfect Game Scouting Service
Top 250 Junior College prospects
Rk. Name Pos. Class B-T HT WT School Hometown Prov Commitment
1. Josh Breaux C/RHP/OF SO R-R 6-2 200 McLennan Tomball TX Arkansas
2. Nick Iverson RHP SO R-R 6-1 170 Central Arizona College Oakville ON Gonzaga
14. Indigo Diaz RHP SO R-R 6-5 250 Iowa Western Vancouver BC Michigan State
74. Connor Angel RHP FR R-R 6-4 180 Northwest Florida State Lachine QC
99. Zach Fascia C SO L-R 6-2 230 Indian Hills Brampton ON Purdue
146. Isaac Greer RHP SO R-R 6-1 190 North Iowa Area Vancouver BC
240. Justin King 1B/LHP SO L-L 6-1 200 Indian Hills Okotoks AB Alabama