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?

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.)