July 7, 2020

Official University of Waterloo Athletics Press Release

When the Warriors Baseball Team next takes the field, they'll have another shut-down arm to rely on.

A graduate of the Great Lake Canadians developmental program, Jacob English (London, Ont.) will join the Warriors after spending a couple years studying and playing Division 1 Junior College baseball south of the border and representing Canada with the Junior National Team.

"Jacob will immediately be one of the top starting pitchers in the OUA. His baseball resume is extensive, and he's really going to help us," states Warriors Head Coach, Ben Norris (Waterloo). "After battling injuries down south for a couple seasons, he proved this spring that he's healthy and ready to make an impact in our program", Norris added.

On the mound, English shows good command of a high spin fastball that sits from 86-89 mph, topping out at 90 mph this spring. He'll mix in a hard slider with sharp, late break, a nasty curveball with "11-to-5" break in the mid 70s, and a changeup in the high 70s with tail.

That repertoire and an ultra-competitive mentality on the mound helped English set himself apart as one of the top Canadian arms while with the Great Lake program.

English was twice chosen to participate in Tournament 12, representing the "Futures Team" as an underage player, and then with Team Ontario the following year. Tournament 12 or "T12" is a prestigious annual showcase tournament hosted at the Rogers Center by the Toronto Blue Jays, and features top players from around the country.

Following successful showings at T12, English was named to the Canadian Junior National Team by Baseball Canada. English competed with the Juniors during the Fall Instructional League and MLB Spring Training components in 2017, holding his own against older professional players.

His time with the Junior National Team was highlighted by starts against minor leaguers with the Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers, and a relief outing against a team of Atlanta Braves top prospects where he struck out five batters in two scoreless, hitless innings. An excellent athlete and impressive offensive player as well, English will also look to help the Warriors at the plate when he's not pitching. 

"After studying and playing baseball down south the past few years, I'm beyond excited to be able to return to Canada to attend the University of Waterloo," English stated when asked about the move closer to home. "I'd like to give a shout out to my family and friends for supporting this decision. It's a great opportunity for me to focus on my academics at such a well-respected school. The future of Warriors Baseball looks promising and it's something I cannot wait to be a part of!"

It's safe to say, the Warriors are thrilled to have English joining the black and gold as well!