Blaze set for March trip to Arizona to play collegians and minor leaguers

RHP Theo Millas (Burnaby, BC) hugs Trudy Norton after the second annual Wayne Norton Memorial game in Peoria, Az. The Blaze lined up and everyone gave Trudy a congratulatory hug.

February 15, 2022

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

If March is near, that means the Langley Blaze are marching toward a bus, then a plane, another bus and then a bunch of ball fields on a 12-day trip to Arizona.

The first of the Blaze’s 21-to-23 games will be against Seattle Mariners’ first and second-year pros on March 16.

The Blaze will play the third Wayne Norton memorial game, named after the former Mariners scout from Port Moody B.C., who was inducted in the Canadian Hall of Fame in St. Marys, Ont., in 2016.

COVID-19 wiped out the last two springs, but in the past James (No-Hit) Paxton (Ladner, B.C.), Ichiro Suzuki and a few others have dropped by to talk to the Blaze after the game. Wayne’s widow Trudith was at the last event.

It is a chance for grade 11s and grade 12s to strut their stuff outdoors for the first time ... as well give them an opportunity to impress evaluators and college recruiters (for those who don’t have a school already).

Milwaukee Brewers scout Doug Mathieson (Aldergove, B.C.) put together the 56-man roster -- 24 from his own organization -- as well as nine other teams: the Toronto Mets, Great Lake Canadians, Okotoks Dawgs, Victoria Eagles, Watson Elite, Ontario Terriers,, UBC Thunder, Vauxhall Jets and the Victoria Mariners. The players come from four different provinces.

Mathieson has probably the best three high school arms heading into the July draft: RHP Matthew Grabmann (Dartmouth, N.S.), Turner Spoljaric (Lisle, Ont.) and Anson McGorman (Parksville, B.C.).

Where does the roster come from and from what teams?

Trudy Norton is congratulated by Jacob McDermott, a member of the Langley Blaze.

Roster Make up

Langley Blaze (25): LHP Cassian Bartholomew (Surrey BC), INF Emmanuel Birch (Surrey BC), CF Noah Brooks (Surrey BC), Jacob Canuel (Langley BC), INF Noah Cassie (Surrey BC), LHP INF-OF Ashton Compton (Surrey BC), Cade Eiri (Maple Ridge BC), OF-RHP Grayson Frers (Surrey BC), 1B-OF Joe Gagnon (Calgary Alta.), INF Austin Goesen (North Vancouver BC), C-1B Ayden Hadley (Langley BC), C Asher Herbert (Burnaby BC), INF Ian Huang (Surrey BC), INF Nathan Kirkpatrick (Surrey BC), OF-RHP James Lawson (Surrey BC), C-INF Matthew MacDonald (Kamloops BC), RHP Shimboku Matsudo (Surrey BC), OF Elijah Olaybal (Langley BC), RHP Payton Robinson (Aldergrove BC), RHP Jacob Sedun (Langley BC), OF Javee Tagudar (Burnaby BC), C Taiyo Uchigaki (Surrey BC), LHP Reece Usselman (Langley BC), 1B Seth Watt (Langley BC) and RHP-OF Jacob Zibin (Langley BC).

LHP James Paxton (Ladner, BC) of the Mariners speaks to the Langley Blaze in 2019.

Great Lake Canadians (four): RHP Liam Adamson (London, Ont.), LHP Caleb Clark (Orillia, Ont.), C-3B Rees Kozar (Amherstburg, Ont.) and INF Dylan O’Rae (Sarnia, Ont.).

Toronto Mets (four): RHP Parker Burgess (Douro-Dummer Ont.), RHP Jack Pineau (Thunder Bay Ont.), RHP Turner Spoljaric (Lisle, Ont.) and RHP Jonah Tong (Markham, Ont.).

Okotoks Dawgs (two): RHP Matthew Grabmann (Dartmouth NS) and RHP Boston Warkentin (Ladner, BC).

Victoria Eagles (two): Tyrus Hall (Victoria, BC) and Oliver Mabee (Victoria, BC).

Watson Elite (two): 1B Tyler Bono (Ottawa, Ont.) and OF-LHP Ty Hamilton (Orleans, Ont.)

Ontario Terriers (one): OF Cameron Chee-Aloy (Scarborough, Ont.)

UBC Thunder (one): LHP Callum Young (Vancouver, BC).

Vauxhall Jets (one): RHP Anson McGorman (Parksville, BC).

Victoria Mariners (one): INF Sam Shaw (Victoria, BC).



Schedule (21-23 games)

March 16

-10am vs Seattle Mariners @ Peoria (Game time subject to change)

-1pm vs Kansas City Royals @ Suprise

-6pm vs Western Nevada College @ Snedigar, Chandler



March 17

-12pm vs Pima College @ Pima College, Tuscon

-3pm vs Pima College @ Pima College, Tuscon



March 18

-11am Scout Day @ Central Arizona College

-2pm vs Central Arizona College @ Coolidge, Az.

-630PM vs PGS Academy @ Golden Eagle Complex



March 19

-12pm vs Yavapai College @ Yavapai College

-3pm vs Yavapai College @ Yavapai College



March 20

-10am vs Los Angeles Dodgers @ Camelback



March 21

-3pm vs Gateway College @ Gene Autry, Mesa

-630pm vs Pgs Academy @ Golden Eagle Complex



March 22

-3pm vs Arizona Christian @ Dream City Christian High School



March 23

-12pm vs Arizona Western Jc @ Yuma, Az @Walt Kammann Field

-3pm vs Arizona Western Jc @ Yuma, Az @Walt Kammann Field

-4pm vs Benedictine Jc @ Gene Autry, Mesa



March 24

-3pm vs Arizona Christian University @Dream City Christian High

-6pm vs Chandler-Gilbert Jc @ Chandler-Gilbert (9 Innings)



March 25

-1pm vs Chicago Cubs @ Mesa

-11am vs Grand Canyon @Dream City Christian High School

-1pm vs Grand Canyon @ Dream City Christian High School

(Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres games may possibly be added.)

First NameLast NameBirthdateCityST/PRPOSHTWTDraft Year
  PITCHERS      
LiamAdamson2004-08-19LondonONP6-01902022
CassianBartholomew2004-01-20SurreyBCP6-01752022/2023
BrockBlater2003-07-10BillingsMTRHP6-62152022
OliverBrown2003-11-06AnchorageAKP/IF6-11852022
ParkerBurgess2004-09-28Douro-DummerONRHP6-41952022
JacobCanuel2004-10-26LangleyBCLHP6-02002023
CalebClark2003-09-20OrilliaONLHP/1B6-21902022
CarlColavecchio2005-04-14AnchorageAKP/CF6-11802023
CadeEiri2004-10-03Maple RidgeBCP6-11862023
MathewGrabmann2003-05-23DartmouthNSRHP6-11992022
LukeIvanoff2003-12-09AnchorageAKP6-61852023
IsaacJohnson2001-04-17AnchorageAKRHP6-41852023
OliverMabee2004-01-09VictoriaBCP/DH6-62052022
ShimbokuMatsudo2004-06-11SurreyBCP5-81652023
AnsonMcGorman2003-09-09ParksvilleBCP6-32102022
JackPineau2004-08-29Thunder BayONP6-21752022
PaytonRobinson2005-02-21AldergroveBCP6-01502022
JacobSedun2003-05-08LangleyBCRHP6-52002022
TurnerSpoljaric2003-05-05LisleONRHP6-21902022
ZaneStreet2005-06-12Wesley ChapelFLP6-62002022
ColeSyversen2004-03-28Land O LakesFLLHP6-22852022
JonahTong2003-06-19MarkhamONP6-11802024
ReeceUsselman2004-07-06LangleyBCLHP6-31902022
BostonWarkentn2003-04-09LadnerBCRHP6-22052022
CallumYoung2005-05-12VancouverBCLHP6-21852022
JacobZibin2005-01-30LangleyBCRHP/U6-42152022
  CATCHERS      
AydenHadley2004-09-08LangleyBCC/1B6-02152023
AsherHerbert2005-07-06BurnabyBCC5-71622023
ReesKozar2004-09-26AmherstburgONC/3B/OF6-02002022
MathewMacDonald2005-03-25KamloopsBCC/IF5-101842023
TaiyoUchigaki2003-06-03SurreyBCC5-91802022/2023
  INFIELDERS      
EmmanuelBirch2004-01-18SurreyBCIF5-101502023
TylerBono2004-06-20OtawaON1B6-52152022
NoahCassie2004-08-12SurreyBCIF/P6-2200GRAD
AshtonCompton2005-07-26SurreyBC2B/OF5-81752023
JoeGagnon2004-05-07CalgaryAB1B/OF6-42202023
AustinGoesen2005-01-18North VancouverBCSS/2B6-01652022
TyrusHall2004-09-22VictoriaBCSS6-11852023
CurtisHebert III2003-08-22AnchorageAKIF/C/P6-11852022
IanHuang2005-05-15SurreyBCSS/2B5-101702022
NathanKirkpatrick2003-10-18SurreyBCSS/2B5-111782023
HaydenMiller2003-12-25Sandy HookCTU5-112002022
DylanO'Rae2004-02-14SarniaONSS/2B5-91652022
SamShaw2005-02-26VictoriaBCSS/2B5-101752022
SethWatt2004-11-09LangleyBC1B6-12052022
  OUTFIELDERS      
NoahBrooks2004-09-24SurreyBCCF6-11902023
CameronChee-Aloy2004-12-11ScarboroughONCF6-01752022/2023
GraysonFrers2005-08-24SurreyBCOF/RHP5-111652022
TyHamilton2004-01-14OtawaONCF/LHP6-32052023
JamesLawson2005-05-21SurreyBCOF/RHP6-01602023
ElijahOlaybal2005-06-09LangleyBCOF5-81752023
JaveeTagudar2005-06-06BurnabyBCCF5-21302023