Elliott: CBN All-Canuck 2nd Team: De Grandpre, Ellis, Porcellato, Valero, Zdunich
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
We are leading up to our Canadian Baseball Network First Team and our Canadian Baseball Network Player of the Year.
This is the 23rd year of this process with the help of stats maven Peter Berryman and voters from across North America.
Up Now ... the Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian Second Team.
On Deck ... the 22nd annual Canadian Baseball Network Player of the Year
And finally ... the Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian First Team, players named to our Honourable Mention list and voting.
Already posted ... the Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian Third Team.
Most first-place votes on our Second Team: Ricardo Sanchez, Barton, 15, Cesar Valero, Sacramento State, 15, Tucker Zdunich, Reinhardt 15, Matteo Porcellato, Marian, 13, Campbell Ellis, Virginia Commonwealth 12, Cedric De Grandpre, Chipola 11, Tim Holyk, Miles, 11, Peyton Consigli, Canisius 10, Fynn Chester, Cal-State Fullerton 8.
Second team by province: British Columbia 5, Alberta 4, Ontario 2, Quebec, Saskatchewan.
Second team by graduating teams: Okotoks Dawgs 4, Abbotsford Cardinals, Academy Baseball Canada, Mid-Island Pirates, North Shore Twins, Ontario Blue Jays, Ontario Terriers, Parksville Royals, Saskatoon Diamondbacks, Victoria Mariners.
Second and third teams by province: British Columbia 6, Alberta 5, Ontario 5, Quebec 3, Saskatchewan 2, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia. .
Second and third teams by graduating teams: Okotoks Dawgs 6, Academy Baseball Canada 2, FieldHouse Pirates 2, Ontario Blue Jays 2, Abbotsford Cardinals, Alouettes de Charlesbourg, LaFleche Dragons, London Badgers, Mid-Island Pirates, Moncton Metro Mudcats, North Shore Twins, Ontario Terriers, Parksville Royals, Saskatoon Diamondbacks, Swift Current ‘57s, Victoria Eagles, Victoria Mariners.
And now the 2022 All-Canadian Second Team
Ontario Terriers alum Campbell Ellis (Georgetown, Ont.). Photo: VCU Athletics
Left-hander: Campbell Ellis (Georgetown, Ont.) Virginia Commonwealth Rams.
Ellis had a 5-4 record and a 3.27 ERA in 21 starts. He walked only 21 and struck out 62 in 74 1/3 innings. He gained wins against William & Mary (three scoreless, one whiff), George Washington (four scoreless, five strikeouts), Massachusetts (five innings, five strikeouts, one run), Fordham (four scoreless, four strikeouts) and No. 10th-ranked North Carolina in Chapel Hill Regional (four scoreless).
Ellis gained a berth on the Chapel Hill Regional All-Tournament Team and won an Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Week award. He led NCAA Division I Canadian pitchers in starts (21), after pitching for coach Scott VandeValk and the Ontario Terriers. Ellis earned a Canadian Baseball Network Honourable Mention in 2021.
Former ABC workhorse Cedric De Grandpre (St. Simon, Que.)
Right-hander: Cedric De Grandpre (St. Simon, Que.) Chipola Indians.
On the season, De Grandpre went 8-4 in 18 games -- making 12 starts -- with a 2.80 ERA. He fanned 89 in 70 2/3 innings. He had wins against College of Central Florida (four innings, one run, four strikeouts), Miami-Dade (four innings, one earned run, seven whiffs), Walters State (five innings, three runs, five strikeouts), Columbia State (5 2/3 scoreless, six strikeouts), Grand Rapids (five scoreless, nine Ks), Gulf Coast State (seven innings, one earned run, six strikeouts), Pensacola State (6 1/3 innings, two runs, 11 strikeouts) and St. Johns River (6 1/3 scoreless, 11 whiffs).
He was tied for second in wins among Canadian JUCO (Division 1) pitchers, one behind Seth Gurr (Coaldale, Alta.) and Jonathan Henry (Whitby, Ont.), who had nine wins each on the top Canuck list. De Grandpre, who pitched for the ABC and coach Maxime Hockhoussen, as well as the Guerriers de Granby and coach Denis Lamontagne, earned a berth on the 2021 Canadian Baseball Network First Team.
Ex-Ontario Blue Jays RP Peyton Consigli (Fonthill, Ont.)
Relievers (tie): Peyton Consigli (Fonthill, Ont.) Canisius Golden Griffins and Fynn Chester (Victoria, BC) Cal-State Fullerton Titans.
Consigli was asked to shut the door for the Griffs and seven times he did. Appearing in 22 games -- one start -- going 4-2 with a 3.15 ERA, walking 14 and striking out 53 in 40 innings. He had saves against Charleston Southern (three scoreless innings, three strikeouts), Quinnipiac (two scoreless, three whiffs), Marist (two scoreless, four strikeouts), Siena (two scoreless, allowing one walk, fanning four), Rider (2/3 scoreless), Monmouth (scoreless 1/3) and Rider (two innings, two runs). Consigli registered wins facing Pitt (3 1/3 innings, one run, two strikeouts), Iona (two scoreless, one hit, five strikeouts), St. Bonaventure (one scoreless, two strikeouts) and Niagara (1/3 of an inning scoreless).
He led all NCAA Div. 1 Canucks in saves. He earned Collegiate Baseball All-American and NCBWA Second Team All-American freshman honours. He was also named the Canisius Male Rookie of the Year, MAAC top Rookie, Relief Pitcher of the Year and to the All-Rookie Team. Consigli pitched for Mike Steed and Joey Ellison, of the Ontario Blue Jays,
Former Victoria Mariner Flynn Chester (Victoria, BC)
Chester was a workhorse for Fullerton, appearing in 23 games -- making six starts -- and pitching 62 2/3 innings. He was 3-1 with a 2.30 ERA, walking 12 and striking out 32. He had victories over San Jose State (1 1/3 innings, one run, one strikeout), Long Beach State (nine scoreless on 76 pitches, three hits, three strikeouts) and UC-Irvine (eight innings, one run, eight whiffs).
He gained Big West Pitcher of the Week after his performance against Long Beach and earned a Big West Honorable Mention. He pitched for the Victoria Mariners and coach Mike Chewpoy, earning Canadian Baseball Network Honourable Mention honours in 2020.
Former Mid-Island Pirates C Connor Caskenette (Duncan, BC)
Catcher: Connor Caskenette (Duncan, BC) Cochise Apache.
Caskenette finished with a .364 batting average with 23 doubles, a triple, six homers, 58 RBIs and a .967 OPS. His best outings were against Colorado Northwestern (two hits, three RBIs), Lamar (solo homer), New Mexico Jr. College (two hits, triple, RBI), Southern Idaho (two hits, RBI), Southern Idaho (3-for-4, with a double, RBI), Southern Idaho (two doubles, two RBIs), Utah State Eastern (3-for-3, double, homer, three RBIs) and Yavapai (two hits, solo homer). He also enjoyed strong performances against Southern Nevada (3-for-4, RBI), Southern Nevada (two hits, two RBIs), South Mountain (4-for-5, with three doubles, three RBIs), Glendale (two hits), GateWay (two hits, including a double, RBI), Eastern Arizona (two hits, double, RBI), Fraser Valley (4-for-6, including a double, homer, three RBIs) and Chandler-Gilbert (4-for-7, two doubles, two RBIs). He was also outstanding in contests against Mesa (4-for-5, two homers, four RBIs), Eastern Arizona (two hits, two RBIs), Eastern Arizona (two hits, double, RBI), Central Arizona (two hits, two RBIs), Yavapai College (three hits, double, homer, two RBIs), Pima (three hits, two RBIs), South Mountain (two hits including a double, RBI), Arizona Western (three hits, double, homer, five RBIs), Arizona Western (two hits with a double, four RBIs), Arizona Western (two doubles, RBI), Central Arizona (two hits, RBI) and Central Arizona (three hits).
He was third in doubles among Canadian JUCO players behind Barton’s Ricardo Sanchez and Southern Arkansas’ Brandon Nichol. After playing for the Mid-Island Pirates and coach Doug Rogers, Caskenette was a Canadian Baseball Network Honourable Mention in 2021.
Former Saskatoon Diamondbacks and Team Sask 1B Nolan Machibroda (Saskatoon, Sask.).
First base: Nolan Machibroda (Saskatoon, Sask.) Cumberland Phoenix.
After starting the season 2-for-9, Machibroda had some dandy outings against Brescia (3-for-4 with two doubles, a homer, five RBIs), Tennessee Wesleyan (two hits, including a double), Shawnee State (three hits, including two homers, seven RBIs), Cumberland (two hits, solo homer), Bryan (two hits, double), Campbellsville (two hits, home run, RBI) and Campbellsville (two hits, homer, three RBIs). Machibroda was also outstanding against Faulkner (3-for-3, double, four RBIs), Johnson (two hits, including a homer, three RBIs), Freed-Hardeman (two hits, double), Freed-Hardeman (two hits), Bethel (two hits, RBI), Bethel (three hits. two doubles, three RBIs), Lindsey Wilson (two hits, double, two RBIs), Lindsey Wilson (3-for-3, two doubles, homer, two RBIs) and Indiana Southeast (two hits, three RBIs). He also enjoyed strong performances against Tennessee Southern (3-for-4 with a homer, two RBIs), Tennessee Southern (two hits, home run, four RBIs), Tennessee Southern (two hits, homer, three RBIs), Thomas More (three hits, home run, seven RBIs), Thomas More (two hits, homer, four RBIs), Thomas More (two hits, a homer and two RBIs) and Georgetown (three hits, two homers, four RBIs).
Machibroda, who earned Canadian Baseball Network All-Canadian Third Team honours in 2020, played for the Saskatoon Diamondbacks and coach Matt Kosteniuk, as well as being with Team Saskatchewan, Canada Cup winners in 2016 with coaches Greg Brons, Neil Hogg and Kosteniuk.
Former Okotoks Dawg Ricardo Sanchez (Okotoks, Alta.) wearing pink in the annual Breast Cancer Awareness game
Second base: Ricardo Sanchez (Okotoks, Alta.) Barton Cougars.
Sanchez not only set program single-season records with 35 doubles and 90 RBIs, but he also led the conference and region in those categories. Facing Cloud County in an 11-6 win, he had three doubles, including his single-season record breaking 30th double of the year surpassing Brady Michel’s 29 in 2018. He ranked second on the team in batting average at .442 (11th best in the nation) and with his .551 on-base percentage (eighth best). He drew a team-high 49 walks and had five triples finishing second on the club with 91 hits, including nine homers. He also swiped 27 bases in 31 tries.
He led all Canucks in hits, doubles, RBIs, was third in stolen bases behind Niagara County’s Chris Tani and Ottawa’s Jonah Weisner. He earned NJCAA All-America Honorable Mention honors, plus All-KJCCC West and All-Region VI First Team honors, as well as Region VI Gold Glove. Sanchez, a former Okotoks Dawg, earned a pair of conference player of the week awards and national player of the week. With the Okotoks Dawgs he played for coaches Tyler Hollick, Val Heldobler and Jeff Duda.
Former Abbotsford Cardinals Liam Bushey (Mission, BC) is still a Cardinal at Mineral Area.
Third base: Liam Bushey (Mission, BC) Mineral Area Cardinals.
Bushey didn’t play six of the first eight games, but he earned a spot in the everyday lineup playing in 46 games. He hit .427 with 12 doubles, three triples, five homers, 32 RBIs and a 1.137 OPS. He ranked inside the top 30 nationally with his final batting average, and produced a team-high 67 hits. His best outings were against: Copiah-Lincoln (two singles), Bevill State (three hits, two RBIs), Rich Mountain (two hits, RBI), Crowder (two hits, two RBIs), Crowder (two hits, including a double), Jefferson (MO) (three hits, two RBIs), Jefferson (three hits), St. Charles (two hits, homer), St. Charles (two hits, double, RBI) and Crowley’s Ridge (two hits, solo homer). He also had outstanding performances against State Fair (three hits, two RBIs), St. Louis CC (two doubles, RBI), St. Louis (two hits, double, two RBIs), St. Louis (three hits, triple, homer), Metropolitan (two hits), Metro (double, homer, four RBIs), Three Rivers (two hits), Three Rivers (two hits), Three Rivers (three hits, home run), State Fair (double, homer, three RBIs), East Central (three hits, double, three RBIs), Metropolitan (two hits, double), Jefferson (two hits) and St. Charles (two hits, double).
Bushey, who was selected to the Region 16 First Team, played for the Abbotsford Cardinals and coaches Taylor Bratton and Corey Eckstein.
Ex-North Shore Twin Matteo Porcellato (Pitt Meadows, BC)
Shortstop: Matteo Porcellato (Pitt Meadows, BC) Marian Sabres.
Porcellato batted .380 in 50 games with 17 doubles, two triples, eight homers, 45 RBIs and a 1.123 OPS. He made 49 starts, playing both shortstop and centre field. He had 23 multi-game hits, and led Marian with 70 hits, scoring a team best 56 runs. Porcellato had a single-game best four hits twice, against Goshen and Spring Arbor. As well, he had six games with three RBIs each, with the final one coming against Spring Arbor in the Crossroads League tournament, as he went 4-for-5 with a double and a homer. Against St. Francis, he drew five walks, including four intentional walks, setting a single game best. He walked eight times in total in the series against St. Francis. He had two games with a pair of doubles. After the season, he joined the Welland Jackfish of the Intercounty Baseball League.
Porcellato dominated for the Knights in his final collegiate season, earning All-Crossroads League First Team honors. He previously played for the North Shore Twins and coaches Brooks McNiven, Parker Kynoch, Mike Mitzel and Steven Roller.
Ex-Okotoks Dawg Tucker Zdunich (High River, Alta.)
Outfielders: Tucker Zdunich (High River, Alta.) Reinhardt Eagles, Cesar Valero (Calgary, Alta.) Sacramento State Hornets and Alejandro Cazorla (Okotoks, Alta.) Bossier Parish Cavaliers.
Zdunich finished with a .379 batting average, while recording 14 doubles, three triples, 17 homers, 67 RBIs and a 1.256 OPS. He homered against Pikeville (four RBIs), Southeastern (solo), Spring Arbor (solo), Point (solo), Columbia International (solo), William Carey (three-run shot), Toccoa Falls (two homers, five RBIs) and Middle Georgia State (solo). He also went deep against Union (two RBIs), Middle Georgia State (three RBIs), Tennessee Wesleyan (two RBIs), Tennessee Wesleyan (solo), Bryan (two homers, five RBIs), Milligan (solo homer), Bryan (four RBIs) and Ottawa (solo).
He played for the Okotoks Dawgs and coaches Tyler Hollick, Val Heldobler and Jeff Duda. He earned Canadian Baseball Network Honourable Mentions in 2019 and 2020.
Former Okotok Dawgs OF Cesar Valero (Calgary, Alta.)
Valero batted .297 with seven doubles, 13 homers and 38 RBIs, slugging .606, while posting a .355 on-base mark. In 20 Western Athletic Conference games, he hit .329 with 25 hits, six home runs and 19 RBIs. Valero started 38 of his 39 appearances before missing the final 21 games due to an injury. Despite the short season, he led his team in slugging, runs scored, home runs, and RBIs. His 13 home runs ranked in a tie for seventh in the WAC. He finished with 13 multi-hit games and drove in multiple runs five times. He was 5-for-5 against Houston Baptist becoming the first Hornet to collect five hits in a game since Will Soto against New Mexico State in 2011. Valero also owned a team-best consecutive-game hit streak of 13. Against Utah Valley, he was 3-for-4, drove in six runs with a pair of home runs at New Mexico State, a day after homering twice against the Aggies in game two of the series.
Valero won Sacramento State’s Male Individual Performance of the Year -- beating out athletes from golf, basketball and baseball -- after going 5-for-5 with three home runs, a triple, and a school-record 10 RBIs against Houston Baptist breaking Josh Payne’s record of nine set in 1997 against Rhode Island. He homered in each of his first three at bats (in the first three innings) tying a school record, last accomplished by Tim Wheeler in 2009. He was a double short of the cycle, as his five hits were one shy of the school record. He hit a two-run homer in the first, a three-run shot in the second, and a three-run bomb in the third. He played for the Okotoks Dawgs for coaches Tyler Hollick, Val Heldobler, Jeff Duda and Allen Cox.
Former Dawg Alejandro Cazorla (Okotoks, Alta.) completes the all-Okotoks outfield
Cazorla batted .392 in 52 games for Bossier Parish with 12 doubles, four triples, six homers, 45 RBIs and a 1.032 OPS. He had two hit games (or better) against DFW Postgrad (three hits, including a double, RBI), DFW Postgrad (double, two RBIs), DFW (solo homer), Baton Rouge (three hits, two RBIs), Tyler (double, homer, two RBIs), Panola (homer, four RBIs), Kellogg (double), Angelina (three hits, two doubles, solo homer) and Panola, Paris (double, RBI). He also had multi-hit games against Navarro (two RBIs), Northeast Texas (three hits, RBI), Centenary College (three hits), Tyler (4-for-4, with a double, three RBIs), Tyler, Panola, Angelina, Rich Mountain (three hits, triple, three RBIs), Paris (double, RBI), Centenary (three hits, two RBIs), Northeast Texas (two hits, triple), Northeast Texas (double, homer, RBI), Tyler (homer, five RBIs), Panola, Panola (double, RBI), Angelina (RBI), Angelina, Navarro and Northeast Texas (three hits, triple).
Cazorla completed the all-Okotoks outfield on the Second Team. He worked out inside Duvernay Fieldhouse and played at Seaman Stadium for Dawgs coaches Tyler Hollick, Val Heldobler and Jeff Duda.
Former Parksville Royal Tim Holyk (Nanaimo, BC)
DH: Tim Holyk (Nanaimo, BC) Miles Pioneers.
Holyk was a .400-plus hitter batting .437 with 12 doubles, five triples, 14 homers, 76 RBIs and a 1.397 OPS in 51 games. He had two-hit outings against Northeastern CC (homer, two RBIs), Northeastern (including a double, a homer and two RBIs), Northeastern (three hits, two homers, six RBIs), Western Nebraska (four hits, three homers, six RBIs), Central Lakes (RBI), Central Lakes (five RBIs) and Northland (homer, three RBIs). He also had multi-hit contests against Central Lakes (three hits, two doubles, three RBIs), Minnesota North-Rainy River (triple, two RBIs), Bismarck State (solo homer), North Dakota SCS (three hits, double, three RBIs), North Dakota SCS (three hits, double, homer, three RBIs), Williston State, Williston (double, triple, two RBIs), Dawson (double, RBI), Dawson (double, four RBIs), Dakota (two doubles, two RBIs), Bismark State (three hits, three RBIs), Williston (solo homer), Williston (four hits, homer, four RBIs) and Williston (three hits).
He was third among Canadians in RBIs behind Barton’s Ricardo Sanchez and Brandon Nichol of Southern Arkansas. Holyk played for the Parksville Royals and coach Frank Kaluzniak.