Big Man On Campus:  Week 7
By Matt Betts
Welcome back for Week 7 of the BMOC. This week’s edition features plenty of players who steered the ship for their college teams. Here are the best performances from the past week.

Sauve leads Bryan to win and in wins
Chris Sauve (Mascouche, Que.) continued to deal on the mound for No. 14 Bryan College. He held Truett-McConnell to five hits over six innings. He allowed one run with four strikeouts and a walk. Sauve leads the Bryan College staff in wins with five. That is 25 percent of their total (20-5 team record).

Gapp with complete game shutout
Noah Gapp (St. Albert, Alta.) wasn’t messing around when he took the mound for the University of the Cumberlands. He spun a complete game gem in the nine-inning game. He scattered just four hits, struck out ten and walked just two.

Acosta-Tapia continues to terrorize
Hitting is hard but Christopher Acosta-Tapia (Deaauville Laval, Que.) is doing his best to make it look easy. He pounded out another eight hits in five games this past week. He didn’t waste any time messing up box scores. He went 3-for-4 in No. 2 Oklahoma Wesleyan 6-1 win over Roosevelt. Roosevelt couldn’t get away as he went 2-for-2 with a home run and four RBIs the very next game.

Roehler rakes for Edgewood
Edgewood College may have only played two games but Jonathan Roehler (Windsor, Ont.) took advantage of his time at the plate. Roehler went 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBIs and two stolen bases in an 8-4 win over Sewanee. In their next contest, an 8-5 win against the University of Dubuque, he went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and another stolen base.

Wilson shines in Spring Swing
The Bowling Green State University Falcons flew south to Emerson, Ga. last week to participate in the Perfect Game Spring Swing. Jake Wilson (New Lowell, Ont.) got things going in Game 1 against Georgia State. The Falcons won the game 4-1 and Wilson went 3-for-3 with a walk. BGSU then shutout Army behind a 2-for-4 game from Wilson. After walking in his only at bat in a 5-0 loss to Army, Wilson cracked a double and drove in two in another win over Georgia State. The freshman outfielder is second on the team in average, hitting at a .273 clip. Bowling Green State now prepares for a midweek game versus Division II Findlay before a weekend series at home against Niagara.

Szpik stays above .300
Daniel Szpik (Toronto, Ont.) owns a .310 average so far in 2017. He had seven hits this past week as Florida Tech went 2-3. Unfortunately for the Panthers they were swept by Sunshine State Conference foe Florida Southern for the three losses.

Lumley laces 3 multi-hit games
Canisius College dropped 2-of-3 to Winthrop but it wasn’t because of a lack of offence from one Canadian. Jake Lumley (Windsor, Ont.) went 2-for-4 in Games 1 and 2 and went 2-for-3 in the finale. He was also hit by a pitch, drove in three runs and stole a base before the weekend was out. J.P. Stevenson (New Glasgow, PEI) took his first loss of the season, a 3-1 setback. Stevenson worked 6 2/3 innings and allowed a season-high eight hits, to go along with three earned runs.  

Stevenson with three doubles
Connor Stevenson (Keswick, Ont.) ripped a double in all three games in helping lead East Central University to two of a possible three wins over Northwestern Oklahoma. He went 2-for-5 with two RBIs in Game 1, 2-for-2 with two walks in Game 2 and had a double, a walk and two RBIs in the final game.

UBC wins series over Corban
Fresh off a pair of wins over No. 1 Lewis-Clark State the University of British Columbia kept soaring, winning 3-of-4 over Corbin. 
Mitch Robinson (Surrey, BC) picked up a hit in the opener, a 3-2 win. He legged out a triple en route to three hits and a stolen base in a Game 2 win. UBC would cross the plate 13 times in Game 3 and Robinson drove in three of those runs. He had two hits and stole another bag in the 13-5 win. Corbin refused to be swept by sneaking out a 4-2 win in Game 4. Robinson had a hit, a walk and a RBI in the lone loss.
Connor Noble (Vancouver, BC) notched his third win of the season in UBC’s 3-2 Game 1 win over Corbin. He fell just two outs short of a complete game by going 8 1/3 innings, surrendering seven hits and the two runs. He also struck out five.
Niall Winderler (Toronto, Ont.) was a dealt a no decision but was instrumental in the Thunderbirds 2-1, 14 inning win over Corbin. He threw 6 2/3 innings, giving up five hits and an unearned run. He struck out six and walked just two as his team eventually got the job done.

Williams rolls over Tide pitching
Josh Williams (Toronto, Ont.) and the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions travelled to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to take on the Crimson Tide. Williams blasted a pinch hit three-run home run in the opener but it wasn’t enough as UAPB fell 6-5. He walked in a Game 2 loss but hit a two-run home run and walked in an 8-3, Game 3 win. He supplied another pinch hit and RBI in the fourth and final game of the series. Unfortunately for UAPB, Alabama took the game 12-2 and the series 3-1.

Warkentin does work for Johnson County
Matt Warkentin (Leamington, Ont.) got his week off to a nice start for Johnson County Community College. He went 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs in the first game. He added three more hits, including another home run the rest of the weekend. He also walked twice and stole a base. 

Alvernaz wins and loses
It was a disappointing start but a happy finish for Jordan Alvernaz (Mississauga, Ont.) of Trinity International University over his two starts. He was dealt the loss despite allowing just one earned run over five innings against Grace. He allowed five hits, struck out five and walked just one. He tossed four innings against Lawrence Tech to pick up the win in his next outing. He again allowed just an earned run on five hits and a walk.

Cawker supplies offence for Trinity International
Sam Cawker (Courtice, Ont.) sparked the offence for Lawrence Tech over the last week. He had six hits and seven RBIs as his team went 2-4.

Sylvester helps shutout Concordia-St. Paul
It wasn’t a complete game but Jordan Sylvester will take it. Sylvester worked 8 1/3 scoreless innings in a 4-0 win over Concordia-St. Paul. The opposition only mustered five hits and struck out five times against the Canadian. He walked just one hitter to improve his record to 2-0.

Cina steps up for NCCC
It was a bust week as Niagara County Community College opened their 2017 season. Zarley Cina (Kitchener, Ont.) had 10 hits and eight RBIs for NCCC. He launched a home run in his final game of the week against St. Cloud Tech.

Graff-Rowe continues to hit
The No. 3 Central Missouri Mules appear to be the real deal this season. Justin Graff-Rowe (Waterloo, Ont.) has been tasked with kick-starting the offence at the top of the lineup. He did just that this past week against Central Oklahoma. Graff-Rowe had six hits, a pair of RBIs and reached seven times as CMU took 2-of-3.

Somerville steals win for Dakota Wesleyan
Dakota Wesleyan needed a big performance out of Steve Somerville (Ajax, Ont.) and that is exactly what they received. Somerville spun a complete game for his team to pick up the win. He allowed seven hits over the seven innings and gave up just two runs in his team’s 3-2 win over Valley City State. He struck out six long the way.

Foden goes perfect
Jake Foden (Toronto, Ont.) was a perfect 7-for-7 in two games at the dish this past week for Allegany College of Maryland. Allegany picked up a pair of victories over Southern Maryland. 

Dagenais uses bat, legs for Trinidad State
Michael Dagenias (Longueuil, Que.) swatted six hits including a pair of doubles and a triple this past week for Trinidad State. He also walked three times, stole a base and drove in four runs as his team went 3-2.

Thibideau flies high with Osprey
Chris Thibideau (Dartmouth, NS) had a hit in each of the five games he played in for the University of North Florida Osprey. His best game came in Game 1 of their series with Rutgers when he went 3-for-4 with a walk and a RBI.

Hrynkiw with nice week
Tony Hrynkiw (Brampton, Ont.) went a slick 5-for-7 for the Connor State Cowboys including a 2-for-2 game in a 19-0 romp of Southwest Christian to end the week.

Osborne goes off again
J.D. Osborne (Whitby, Ont.) appears destined to smash his 2016 home run total of 13. Osborne hit another three home runs for the Tampa Spartans in their last five games. His first came in a 16-1 stomping of Rockhurst. His second came in Game 3 of the Spartans series with St. Leo. Bridgeport felt the thunder next as Osborne crushed another home run in a 17-10 win. Osborne already has 10 home runs in 2017 with 29 games to go.

Moffat’s the man for Northern Kentucky
Mike Moffat (Waterdown, Ont.) used a hit in Game 1 of Northern Kentucky’s series with the Radford Highlanders to propel him to an impressive weekend. He went on to go 2-for-4 with a stolen base in Game 2 and 2-for-4 again in Game 3. Northern Kentucky dropped 2-of-3 to the Highlanders.

Patterson, Spalding U have busy week
It was a challenge for Spalding University playing five games last week. It didn’t seem to bother Blake Patterson (Calgary, Alta.), however. He went 3-for-5 with a RBI in Game 1 and finished the week with six hits and four RBIs.

Hazlett, Zazulak power UT Permian Basin
Mitch Hazlett (Riverview, NB) and Jordan Zazulak (Coquitlam, BC) combined to get on base 13 times in their series with Angelo State. Both players had their best games in Game 2, an 11-6 loss. Hazlett went 3-for-3 with a stolen base, while Zazulak went 3-for-4 with a triple and a stolen base. Unfortunately for UT Permian Basin, Angelo State cruised to a four-game sweep.

Lahn lashes out for Lock Haven
Matt Lahn (Georgetown, Ont.) had nine hits for Lock Haven and hit .391 this past week on the first part of their spring break trip in Wilson, NC.

Gauthier goes seven strong
When a pitcher goes seven innings and give up one earned run he is usually rewarded. For David Gauthier (Saint Hillaire, Que.) that line allowed him to pick up his first win in 2017. He allowed just three hits with four strikeouts and two walks against Lamar Community College.

Harvey with three appearances, one save
The go-to-guy in Dodge City Community College’s bullpen appears to be Canadian Dalton Harvey (Cambridge, Ont.). Harvey did not allow a run in three appearances last week and picked up his fourth save in a 1-0 win over Butler. He gave up one hit in the three games, struck out five and walked one in three innings.

Scheftz shuts down Florida State and Central Michigan
The University of Central Florida Knights must have been happy with Jordan Scheftz’s (Irvine, Calif.) performance in games against Florida State and Central Michigan. Against the Seminoles he threw a scoreless inning with a pair of punchouts and a walk. In Game 3 of their series with the Chippewas of Central Michigan, Scheftz threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings, surrendering a single hit with two strikeouts. It capped a good weekend for the Knights as they earned the sweep of CMU.

St. Pierre pushes record to 1-1
Bobby St. Pierre (Windsor, Ont.) got his record back to .500 for Wayne State College with 6 1/3 innings of work against Minot State. He allowed an unearned run, struck out seven and walked one.

Logan doesn’t allow an earned run
Two appearances and zero earned runs will make a manager happy. Parker Logan (Chilliwack, BC) went 2 2/3 innings, scattering two hits and three walks with a strikeout in Northeastern Junior College’s 16-6 win over Williston State College. He came back to pitch 2/3 of an inning allowing one hit and struck out two against Trinidad State.

Gonzalez good for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M
Oscar Gonzalez threw seven scoreless innings for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M against DMACC. He gave up two hits with three strikeouts and three free passes. His performance allowed him to pick up the win for NEO.

Proudlove displays pop for Dakota State
Dyshawn Proudlove (Ajax, Ont.) went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and a RBI in a 26-16 Dakota State loss to Northwestern (Iowa). They went at it again and again Northwestern (Iowa) came out on top 17-3 but not before Proudlove launched a home run and stole a base. He also doubled in the game. He continued to hit in a game against Southwest Minnesota State despite his team dropping the game 17-5. Proudlove stretched a triple and drove in a run.

Baker put to work by Bonnies
It started off light for T.J. Baker (Acton, Ont.) with a scoreless 1/3 of an inning for St. Bonaventure against Pennsylvania. His workload increased in Game 2 of their series with North Dakota State as he went 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing a hit with two strikeouts. He was thrown back out there in Game 3 and worked another scoreless innings with a hit, a strikeout and a walk. St. Bonaventure took three of a possible four games. Next up for the Bonnies is a visit to Davidson.

Valparaiso victors over Penn, swept by USF
Michael Mommersteeg (St. Thomas, Ont.) lead the Valparaiso Crusaders to a shutout win over Penn in a midweek contest. Mommersteeg tossed six scoreless innings and gave up just five hits. He struck out four in the win. He was just as good in Tampa, Fla. against the University of South Florida, this time in relief. He tossed 2 2/2 scoreless, allowing two hits with a strikeout and a pair of walks. Valparaiso was swept by the Bulls.

Pompey has seven hits
While his brother Dalton was competing for Canada at the World Baseball Classic at Marlins Park, Tristan Pompey (Brampton, Ont.) was doing his thing for the Kentucky Wildcats. He started his week off with a hit in a 2-1 loss to the University of Cincinnati Bearcats. Next up was a weekend series with Miami (OH). In Game 1, a 6-4 Wildcat win, he went 2-for-5. Kentucky brought even more offence is Game 2, hammering Miami (OH) 16-3. Pompey again went 2-for-5 with a walk and this time drove in a run. It didn’t get any prettier for the visitors as Kentucky thrashed them again 14-2 to complete the sweep. Pompey chipped in with a hit and three walks in the finale. He pounded out another two hits, one of which was a double and a RBI in a 9-7 midweek win over Murray State. Pompey is hitting .304 with 9 RBIs, a .461 OBP, a .377 SLG and has 2 steals. Kentucky now prepares for their Southeastern Conference opener at Texas A&M.

Cabrillo duo charges offence
Adam Rossit (Stony Creek, Ont.) and Zach Thibault (Yarmouth, NS) combined for 15 hits, a walk and nine RBIs as Cabrillo College won all four of the games they played last week. Rossit’s best game came in the last one. He went 4-for-4 with a RBI in a 7-0 win over Monterrey. Thibault had his best performance in Game 1 going 3-for-4 with a RBI in an 8-1 win over Gavilan.

Freshman delivers win
Southwestern Oregon Community College knew they handed the ball to the right guy when Barry Caine (Surrey, BC) took to the mound against Pierce in their weekend opener. He went six innings, giving up three hits and three runs (zero earned) to pick up the win for SWOCC. He struck out five and walked two in the win. Caine is 1-1 with a 2.61 ERA this season.

It’s not just about the number of players that appear in the weekly BMOC but the quality of the performances these guys are putting up. Every week there is something new and exciting that Canadians are doing in college baseball. Do not be out of the loop, check back next week for all the action in Week 8.

If you know of someone who is deserving of a mention in the weekly BMOC column, please contact Matt Betts at mattbetts41@gmail.com.