Shushkewich: Eight Canucks on top 25 teams led by Bucknam, Arnold, Pitre
Former Langley Blaze RHP Micah Bucknam, of the No. 1-ranked Louisiana State University Tigers
April 21, 2023
By Tyson Shushkewich
Canadian Baseball Network
With the NCAA regional and super regional tournaments set to take place in early June and the College World Series slated to begin on June 16th, Division 1 teams are just over halfway through the regular season.
Over 159 Canadians find themselves playing D1 this season, with 1,007 Canucks suiting up in post-secondary programs, who play the majority of their schedules south of the border.
Using D1Baseball.com’s latest Top 25 ranking list, let’s take a look at all the Canadian players currently featured on one of the top college programs in the United States.
Micah Bucknam – RHP (No. 1-ranked – Louisiana State University Tigers)
The top program in the country currently features one Canadian, Micah Bucknam (Abbotsford, BC). Although born in New Zealand, Bucknam and his family moved to Canada early in life and he later played travel ball with the Abbotsford Cardinals and suited up for the Junior National Team. He was selected by the Blue Jays in the 16th round of the 2021 draft but did not sign, deciding to pursue his post-secondary commitment (originally to the University of Washington before de-committing and later committing to LSU).
Bucknam spent the 2022 season in the MLB Draft League with the Trenton Thunder (0.53 ERA through 17 innings) and began his time at LSU this past fall as a freshman. On a stacked Tigers squad, Bucknam has solely worked out of the bullpen and owns a 13.50 ERA through 5 1/3 innings with eight earned runs allowed, two walks, and four home runs permitted. On the flip side, Bucknam also has 10 strikeouts on his record to the tune of a 16.9 K/9, earning at least one strikeout through each of his six relief appearances this season.
His latest outing is the main reason for his elevated stats, as South Carolina tagged him for six earned runs off of two home runs through one inning.
Former FieldHouse Pirates INF Bryce Arnold (Grimsby, Ont.) of the Campbell Fighting Camels.
Bryce Arnold – INF (#11 – Campbell University Fighting Camels)
A product of the Fieldhouse Pirates organization, Bryce Arnold (Grimsby, Ont.) started his tenure at Campbell University in 2021 and has put up impressive numbers ever since joining the Fighting Camels.
In his freshman year, he authored a .958 OPS with 39 RBIs through 182 at-bats and while an ankle injury sidelined him for roughly half of his sophomore season, he picked up right where he left off and is performing well with Campbell during his junior season. Through 34 games, the righty batter owns a .352/.423/.766 slash line with 14 home runs, 44 RBIs, and a 1.189 OPS.
His home runs, slugging, and total bases (111) lead the team while he has also added five stolen bases to go with 14 walks compared to 21 strikeouts. Defensively, he sports a .939 fielding percentage with seven errors
Arnold is currently ranked at No. 9 on the Canadian Baseball Network’s draft list for 2023 and should be on the radar of numerous clubs later this summer.
Junior National Team grad Emilen Pitre (Repentigny, Que.) of the Kentucky Wildcats
Émilien Pitre – INF (#13 University of Kentucky Wildcats)
Émilien Pitre (Repentigny, Que.) is having a career year with Kentucky. A sophomore, Pitre is a starter for the Wildcats and continues to put the ball in play, authoring a .377/.516/.508 slash line through 36 games, adding 13 extra-base hits to go with 38 RBIs and a 1.024 OPS. He currently sits second on the team in hits (46), OPS and slugging percentage, but sits first in batting average and OBP while also adding 12 stolen bases while walking more than striking out at 32 and 16 respectively.
On the field, Pitre has amassed a .968 fielding percentage with 99 assists compared to five errors split between second base and shortstop. Considering Pitre was used sparingly in his freshman year, he is certainly turning heads at Kentucky this season.
Former Okotoks Dawgs OF Michael McDowell (Coldwater, NS) of the Oregon State Ducks.
Micah McDowell – OF (#21 Oregon State University Ducks)
A lefty batter, McDowell (Coldwater, N.S.), turned his playing days with the Okotoks Dawgs into a commitment with Oregon State University, where he is currently in his third season with the Beavers.
While he only played in 13 games last year, McDowell has found a rhythm in his junior season with the Beavers, one that has certainly put him on the draft radar this summer.
This season, the outfielder owns a .920 OPS through 115 at-bats while adding eight doubles, three home runs, and 21 RBIs while also drawing 20 walks. In the field, McDowell has one outfield assist this season with 43 putouts and boasts a clean 1.000 fielding percentage.
He is currently ranked at fifth on the CBN Draft List for the 2023 season.
Former Langley Blaze LHP Justin Thorsteinson (Langley, BC) of the Oregon State Beavers
Justin Thorsteinson – LHP (#21 Oregon State University Beavers)
Alongside McDowell on the Beavers roster hailing from the Great White North is southpaw Justin Thorsteinson (Langley, BC). Now in his third season with the Beavers, Thorsteinson appeared in only one game in 2021 and made nine relief appearances as a sophomore, authoring a 6.75 ERA through eight innings with four walks and four strikeouts.
This season, the southpaw from the Langley Blaze, has become one of the go-to pitchers at Oregon State, with the Junior National team alum currently boasting a 0.75 ERA through 12 innings of work, which includes three starts through seven total outings. While his season-high innings limit stands at three, Thorsteinson has only allowed one earned run all year while striking out 16 batters.
Every game he has pitched in has seen the Beavers pull out a win and the left-hander has only allowed 11 hits all season alongside five free passes.
Former Okotoks Dawgs Matt Grabmann (Dartmouth, NS) of the Oregon Ducks.
Matthew Grabmann – RHP (#23 Oregon Ducks)
Ranked by MLB Pipeline at No. 243 heading into the 2022 draft, Grabmann (Dartmouth, N.S.) went undrafted and would go on to honour his commitment to the University of Oregon.
A product of the Junior National Team program, the Okotoks Dawgs, and at TNXL Academy, Grabmann has been a shining star on Oregon’s pitching staff, amassing a 2.73 ERA through 11 appearances (four starts). Through 26 1/3 innings, the right-hander has allowed eight earned runs while striking out 21 batters, holding a 1.443 WHIP. He has been a bit wild at times, evidenced by his 7.2 BB/9, but everywhere the Ducks have asked for him to come through, he has lived up to the challenge.
Ex-Toronto Mets RHP Turner Spoljaric (Lisle, Ont.) of the Oregon Ducks.
Turner Spoljaric – RHP (#23 Oregon Ducks)
With a baseball pedigree attached to his name in the form of his father and former big leaguer Paul Spoljaric, Turner (Lisle, Ont.), similar to Grabmann, pitched for the Junior National Program and at TNXL Academy before joining the Ducks as a freshman for the 2023 season.
As well, the former Toronto Met appeared in eight games in the MLB Draft League with the West Virginia Black Bears and went undrafted in 2022. So far this season, Spoljaric has made six appearances (two starts) for the Ducks and owns a 4.80 ERA with one home run allowed while striking out nine batters compared to seven walks.
The right-hander sports a low 90’s fastball with a curve ball that generates lots of swings and misses from opposing batters.
Former Great Lake Canadians OF Owen Diodati (Niagara Falls, Ont.)
Owen Diodati – OF (#23 Oregon Ducks)
After three seasons at Alabama, outfielder Owen Diodati (Niagara Falls, Ont.) transferred to the University of Oregon in the hopes of seeing increased playing time in the outfield. Unfortunately for Diodati, the 2023 season has been a bit rough for the Great Lake Canadians alum, as he has been used more in a pinch hitter role this season and has gone 8-for-50 on the year with one home run and five RBIs.