Four Canadians help Bismarck State achieve success on the diamond

Saskatoon Cubs alum Devon Farrell (Saskatoon, Sask.), one of four Canadians on the Bismarck State College Mystics, is batting .415 through 22 games with the collegiate club this season.

*This story was originally published on the KXMB website on May 1. You can read the original story and watch the TV version here.

By Joey Lamar

KXMB Sports

The Bismarck State baseball team had another outstanding year under third-year coach Corby McGlauflin. BSC will go into this weekend's conference tournament with a 28-7 record and a lot of there success is aided from players north of the border.

Over the past two seasons, Bismarck State successfully recruited four players from Saskatchewan to play baseball.

"It's a mix of waiting until they came Stateside and checking them out and then just trusting a lot of people that you get to know throughout the years," McGlauflin said. "Trusting some referrals and online video. I couldn't be happier with those four."

Shortstop Devon Farrell is batting .415 this season in 22 games and has not committed an error in conference play. He's happy he took the journey south.

"Up in Canada," Farrell said, "there's like six or seven schools and they are all four-year schools to play baseball. So coming down to a JuCo where you can get playing time right away was really a big thing for me."

Outfielder Jared Binsfeld is hitting .395 and is third on the team with 35 RBIs and fifth with four home runs.

"I knew it would be a bit of a jump," Binsfeld said, "but I was ready for the challenge. I wasn't too worried about it."

Pitcher Tanner Huber has won both games he started and has struck out 15 batters in 19 and two-thirds innings, but that's not what stands out to Tanner.

"Our money is different," Huber said. "I organize my money more now because it's all green here in the States and it's colored in Canada and the Pop-Tart flavors. Lots of Pop-Tart flavors here compared to Canada."

Pitcher Jared Gudereit has five strikeouts in five and two-thirds innings of limited work. Jared says so far so good.

"The baseball is better down here -- I think -- than it is up there," Gudereit said. "I know it's college ball, but it's a big difference."

On Friday, BSC will play the winner of Williston State and Dakota College of Bottineau at 5:30 p.m.