33 Canucks off to NCAA field of 64 teams
Toronto Mets grad Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) has a .374 average to go along with a .495 on-base percentage and a .638 slugging percentage for the Wright State Raiders.
Canadians in the NCAA Field of 64
By Matt Betts
Canadian Baseball Network
No less than 33 players and two coaches on 21 different teams will represent Canada in the NCAA Baseball Tournament.
That’s up from 27 in 2019 and the 21 that took part in 2018.
Let’s take a deeper dive into who they are and how they got here.
RP Evan Chenier (Georgetown, Ont.) recorded the final out to put the VCU Rams into the Field of 64.
Virginia Commonwealth Rams (37-14)
The Rams swept their way through the Atlantic 10 Tournament, defeating Dayton 7-6 in the final to earn their spot in the Starkville Regional. They are arguably the hottest of the 64 teams to qualify as they are riding a 21-game winning streak.
Evan Chenier (Georgetown, Ont.) recorded the final out against Dayton in the championship game and has been a stalwart on the Rams pitching staff all season long. The former Ontario Blue Jay owns a 3-0 record to go along with six saves and a 3.76 ERA.
Former Ontario Terrier left hander Campbell Ellis (Georgetown, Ont.) has had no problem fitting in during his rookie campaign. Ellis has made 14 appearances, thrown 24 2/3 innings and is 5-1 with a 3.28 ERA.
Vauxhall Jets grad Jaden Griffin (Lower Sackville, NS) has tossed 25 innings out of the bullpen this season. He’s held opponents to a .229 batting average.
Former ABC hurler Justin Humenay (Montreal, Que.) has appeared in six games, striking out seven in 5 2/3 innings.
Although he won’t take any of the credit, what a job assistant coach Mike McRae (Niagara Falls, Ont.) has done with the VCU pitching staff. They led the Atlantic 10 in overall ERA (4.34) and conference ERA (3.31).
VCU is in a regional with host No. 7 Mississippi State, Campbell and Samford
Game 1: Friday, June 8th, 8:00 p.m. vs. Campbell
Oregon State Beavers (34-22)
Four Canadians will suit up for Oregon State in the Fort Wayne Regional. The Beavers started 2021 by going 10-1 and will look to be quick out of the gate this weekend.
Okotoks Dawgs’ grad Gavin Logan (Oyen, Alta.) played in 10 games for the Beavers, making five starts, and hit .318.
Former Dawg Micah McDowell (Halifax, NS) had a .171 batting average with three stolen bases over 25 games.
The 6-foot-2, 222 pound lefty Justin Thorsteinson (Langley, BC), a former Langley Blaze, pitched a scoreless 2/3 of an inning in his only appearance of the year on April 28 versus Loyola Marymount
And ex-Dawg infielder Cesar Valero Sanchez (Calgary, Alta.) hit .111 in five games played.
Joining OSU in their Regional are host No. 15 Texas Christian University, Dallas Baptist and McNeese State
Game 1: Friday, June 8th, 2:00 p.m. vs. Dallas Baptist
Ex-Abbotsford Cardinal Konner Piotto (Abbotsford, BC)
Wright State Raiders (35-11)
Wright State, the Horizon League champs, head into the NCAA Tournament with one of the best offenses in college baseball. They lead all of the NCAA Division I with a .342 team batting average and two Canadians are helping lead the way.
Toronto Mets grad Tyler Black (Toronto, Ont.), who was named to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List, has a .374 average to go along with a .495 on-base percentage and a .638 slugging percentage.
Ex-Abbotsford Cardinal Konner Piotto (Abbotsford, BC) meanwhile has put together a strong season serving as one of the Raiders catchers. Piotto is hitting .331 with 10 doubles in 40 games, 37 starts.
Also taking part in the Knoxville Regional with the Raiders is No. 3 Tennessee, Duke and Liberty.
Game 1: Friday, June 8th, 6:00 p.m. vs. Tennessee
Former Great Lake Canadian Owen Diodati (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
Alabama Crimson Tide (31-24)
Sitting on the bubble isn’t fun but thanks to a strong showing in the Southeastern Conference Tournament that included wins over No. 24 South Carolina and No. 4 Tennessee, the Alabama Crimson Tide are off to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014.
Former Great Lake Canadian Owen Diodati (Niagara Falls, Ont.) provides plenty of thump in the Tide lineup. Diodati has smashed 11 home runs and driven in 40 this season.
Former ABC southpaw Antoine Jean (Montreal, Que.) has made seven appearances, six of which were starts. Jean is 2-1 with a 3.76 ERA.
The Tide are off to Ruston, La. to tangle with host No. 16 Louisiana Tech, North Carolina State and Rider.
Game 1: Friday, June 8th, 3:00 p.m. vs. North Carolina State
South Carolina Gamecocks (33-21)
It’ll be nine full days between when the South Carolina Gamecocks were eliminated in the SEC Tournament and when they play their first regional game. Rest can be good, or rest can mean rust. For the Gamecocks, they’ll be looking to rebound after playing just one game in the conference tournament.
Connors State transfer David Mendham (Dorchester, Ont.) formerly of the Ontario Nationals is having himself a nice season, his first in Columbia. Mendham, playing primarily first base, is hitting .253, has left the yard five times and driven in 28.
Great Lake Canadian Noah Myers (Wyoming, Ont.) has appeared in 24 games with a .129 average. His biggest knock of the season as a grand slam in a 9-5 win over The Citadel.
Despite being the two seed in the regional, the Gamecocks will host and welcome No. 11 Old Dominion (the one seed), Virginia and Jacksonville.
Game 1: Friday, June 4th, 12:00 p.m. vs. Virginia
Former FieldHouse Pirate Bryce Arnold (Grimsby, Ont.)
Campbell Fighting Camels (35-16)
Campbell has already taken home the best team name in the tournament, it’s tough to beat the Fighting Camels. On the diamond they lost the Big South Conference championship game to Presbyterian, but earned an at-large bid thanks to finishing 19 games above .500.
Ex-FieldHouse Pirate Bryce Arnold (Grimsby, Ont.) has been stirring the drink atop the Campbell lineup all season long. The freshman is hitting .335 with a .454 on-base percentage in 45 games played.
One-time ABC outfielder Simon Menier (Chicoutimi, Que.) is also a member of the Fighting Camels but has yet to appear in a game.
Campbell heads to Starkville to play in a regional with No. 7 Mississippi State, VCU and Samford.
Game 1: Friday, June 4th, 8:00 p.m. vs. VCU
Ex-Parkland Twin Matt Coutney (Edmonton, Alta.)
Old Dominion Monarchs (42-14)
They may not be on their home field, but the No. 11 Old Dominion Monarchs deserve to be the No. 1 seed of the Columbia Regional. The Monarchs have put up 42 wins, including sweeping their way to the Conference USA title last weekend.
ODU loves the long ball, leading all of Division I with 101 thus far. Former Parkland Twin Matt Coutney (Edmonton, Alta.) has hit nine. He’s also driven in 37 and has a .941 OPS.
They’ll see South Carolina, Virginia and Jacksonville in the regional.
Game 1: Friday, June 4th, 7:00 p.m. vs. Jacksonville
Ontario Blue Jay Max Hewitt (Midhurst, Ont.) of the Oklahoma State Cowboys
Oklahoma State Cowboys (35-17-1)
For the 46th time in program history the Oklahoma State Cowboys will ride into a regional. They should be motivated too after dropping the Big 12 championship game to Texas Christian University.
Former Ontario Blue Jay Max Hewitt (Midhurst, Ont.) has been a key cog for the Cowboys this season hitting .275 with 44 RBIs. He’s also been slick with the mitt as he has a .992 fielding percentage.
They’re now off to Tucson to take on Pac 12 champs No. 5 Arizona, the University of California, Santa Barbara and Grand Canyon.
Game 1: Friday, June 4th, 4:00 p.m. vs. UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (39-18)
One of the more underappreciated programs in Division I baseball, UC Santa Barbara has made a regional in five of the last eight seasons. The Gauchos will head to Tucson looking to turn some heads.
Former Victoria Mariner Jason Willow (Victoria, BC) has 52 hits, 12 of which are doubles and 44 RBIs in 2021.
In order to move on to a Super Regional they’ll need to outlast No. 5 Arizona, Oklahoma State and Grand Canyon.
Game 1: Friday, June 4th, 4:00 p.m. vs. Oklahoma State
Mississippi State Bulldogs (40-15)
The No. 7 Mississippi State Bulldogs will look to recover from a tough SEC Tournament where they lost 13-1 to No. 12 Florida and 12-2 to No. 4 Tennessee. Even though the conference tournament didn’t go as planned, they will still welcome three other teams to Starkville.
One-time Great Lake Canadian Eric Cerantola (Oakville, Ont.) calls Starkville home. Cerantola has gone 0-1 with a 5.71 ERA over 10 appearances so far this campaign.
The Bulldogs will host VCU, Campbell and Samford at the Starkville Regional.
Game 1: Friday, June 4th, 3:00 p.m. vs. Samford
Former Ontario Blue Jays Cooper Davis (Mississauga, Ont.)
Vanderbilt Commodores (40-15)
Another year, another regional for the No. 4 Vanderbilt Commodores. An SEC best 15th consecutive to be exact. The last time the NCAA Tournament was played in 2019 the Dores went all the way and brought home the College World Series.
Senior outfielder and ex-Ontario Blue Jays Cooper Davis (Mississauga, Ont.) is the only player on this list who owns a national championship ring. Davis has a .248 batting average in 33 games in his farewell season.
This Commodores will welcome Georgia Tech, Indiana State and Presbyterian to the Music City for the Nashville Regional.
Game 1: Friday, June 4th, 7:00 p.m. vs. Presbyterian
Indiana State Sycamores (30-19)
For the third straight season, excluding the COVID shortened 2020 campaign, the Sycamores won 30 games. They wound up losing in the final the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament but their strong season didn’t go unnoticed as they received an at-large bid. The last time they went to a regional was in 2019. They finished 2-2 in the Nashville, beating McNeese State and Ohio State, while dropping a pair to eventual national champion Vanderbilt.
Great Lake Canadians grad Max Wright (Toronto, Ont.) flexed his muscle in 2021, swatting 16 home runs. He has a .306 average and a 1.078 OPS as well.
The Sycamores find themselves back in the Nashville Regional, taking on No. 4 Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech and Presbyterian.
Game 1: Friday, June 4th, 1:00 p.m. vs. Georgia Tech
Liberty Flames (39-14)
The Flames closed the regular season red hot, winning 10 of their last 11 contests. However, in the Atlantic Sun Conference championship game they were upset by Jacksonville. It didn’t hurt their NCAA Tournament hopes though as they secured a spot in the Knoxville Regional.
Great Lake Canadians alum Jake Wilson (New Lowell, Ont.) has played in 53 games, making 51 starts and is hitting .267. He had four hits and a pair of stolen bases in the conference tournament, which earned him All-Tournament Team honours.
Getting to a Super Regional won’t be easy as the Flames will have to go through No. 3 Tennessee, Duke and Wright State.
Game 1, Friday, June 4th, 12:00 p.m. vs. Duke
Ex-ABC Marc Lebreux (Montreal, Que.) helped the Cavs.
Virginia Cavaliers (29-23)
When the Virginia Cavaliers won the College World Series in 2015 they did so with Canadian Daniel Pinero (Toronto, Ont.) as a key player. Well they have another Canadian in 2021 and are hoping for the same outcome.
ABC alumnus Marc Lebreux (Montreal, Que.) has hit .232 this season with 14 walks for the Cavaliers in 37 games played.
The Cavaliers will get No. 16 Old Dominion, South Carolina and Jacksonville in the Columbia Regional, hosted by ODU.
Game 1, Friday, June 4th, 12:00 p.m. vs. South Carolina
Charlotte 49ers (39-19)
One of the more surprising teams this season has been the Charlotte 49ers. They were 9-8 in the COVID shortened 2020 season but have exploded this year for 39 wins and will look for more in the Greenville Regional.
Former Ontario Blue Jay and Team Ontario Astro, freshman slugger David McCabe (Oshawa, Ont.) has had an impressive season so far. McCabe has belted 12 home runs in 34 games. He possesses .350 average and a 1.152 OPS to go with the long balls.
Also getting set to play in Greenville is host No. 13 East Carolina, Maryland and Norfolk State.
Game 1, Friday, June 4th, 6:00 p.m. vs. Maryland
Louisiana State University Tigers (34-22)
Legendary college baseball coach Paul Mainieri is calling it a career after the 2021 season, so the LSU Tigers are sure to be motivated heading into the Eugene Regional. Playing in the ultra-competitive SEC certainly has prepped them for this stage.
Former Langley Blaze Theo Millis (Burnaby, BC) appeared in 11 games for the Tigers and posted an even 3.00 ERA over 15 innings. He allowed just 13 hits in that span.
The Tigers head to the Pacific northwest to play in a regional with No. 14 Oregon, Gonzaga and Central Connecticut State.
Game 1, Friday, June 4th, 10:00 p.m. vs. Gonzaga
Michigan Wolverines (27-17)
The 2019 College World Series runner up is looking to get back to Omaha and finish the job in 2021. That journey starts with a trip to the South Bend Regional.
Former Junior National Team left hander and Ontario Terriers grad Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.) has tossed 6 2/3 innings in six appearances for the Wolverine in his freshman season.
No. 10 Notre Dame, Connecticut and Central Michigan will join the Wolverines in their regional.
Game 1, Friday, June 4th, 7:00 p.m. vs. Connecticut
Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (30-20)
Southeast Missouri State went 3-1 to win the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. Their reward is a trip to the Oxford Regional.
Toronto Met grad Hayden Malenfant (Whitby, Ont.) is 1-0 in 13 1/3 innings over 11 appearances.
Former Prospects Academy Joseph Karall (St. Albert, Alta.) has made four appearances for the Redhawks this season.
Awaiting them in Oxford is host No. 12 Ole Miss, Southern Mississippi and Florida State.
Game 1: Friday, June 4th, 8:00 p.m. vs. Ole Miss
Grand Canyon Antelopes (39-19-1)
The Antelopes of Grand Canyon ran the table in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament to book their ticket to the Tucson Regional. It’s the programs first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
The Antelopes feature a familiar name to Blue Jays fans. Homer Bush Jr. (Toronto, Ont.), son of former second baseman Homer Bush, is hitting .167 in six games.
GCU is in a stacked regional that features No. 5 Arizona, Oklahoma State and UC Santa Barbara.
Game 1: Friday, June 4th, 10:00 p.m. vs. Arizona
North Dakota State Bisons (41-17)
Don’t sleep on the North Dakota State Bisons. They roll into the Stanford Regional fresh off a Summit League championship.
Former Ontario Blue Jay Jason Chiu (Toronto, Ont.) is a freshman infielder for the Bisons. He hasn’t appeared in a game this season.
NDSU will also see No. 9 Stanford, U
C Irvine and Nevada in regional play.
Game 1: Friday, June 4th, 4:00 p.m. vs. Stanford
Central Michigan Chippewas (40-16)
Central Michigan won the Mid-American Conference to earn its spot in the South Bend Regional. It’s their second straight regional appearance, as they also qualified in 2019.
One-time London Badger Rushil Bhat (London, Ont.) is a redshirt freshman. The right-hander has yet to appear in a game this season.
The opposition in South Bend will be host No. 10 Notre Dame, Connecticut and Michigan.
Game 1: Friday, June 4th, 1:00 p.m. vs. Notre Dame
Gonzaga Bulldogs (33-17)
Gonzaga will look to right the ship after losing three of their last four. Even though the Bulldogs have stumbled the last few games, they aren’t to be taken lightly as they come in with 33 victories and counting.
Ex-Langley Blaze Russell Young (Surrey, BC) is a freshman with the Bulldogs and hasn’t appeared in a game in 2021.
Gonzaga goes into the Eugene Regional with No. 14 Oregon, LSU and Central Connecticut State.
Game 1: Friday, June 4th, 10:00 p.m. vs. LSU
Florida Gators (38-20)
Former Ontario Blue Jay OF Cooper Davis may be the only Canadian player in the field of 64 with a College World Series ring, but he isn’t the only Canadian with one. Lars Davis (Grande Prairie, Alta.) is in his seventh season with the No. 15 Florida Gators as a volunteer assistant and was a member of the 2017 National Championship team.
The Gators will welcome Miami, South Alabama and South Florida to the swamp to take part in the Gainesville Regional.
***
You’re all caught up on the Canadians taking part in the NCAA Tournament. Now it’s time to kick back and enjoy the action.
The NCAA Regionals run from Friday, June 4 to Monday, June 7