Terriers announce John Jepson Award winners

Right-hander Nolan Bigras (Burlington, Ont.) is the Terriers’ 16U recipient of the John Jepson Award. Photo: Ontario Terriers

August 26, 2023

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

The Terriers have announced the four recipients of the 2023 John Jepson Award.

The award, named in honour of the late Terriers executive, is given to a member of each team that best represents the qualities John looked for in a player, which included generosity of spirit, being a great teammate, sportsmanship, dedication to improvement and academic achievement.

14U recipient: Derek Spiske

"Derek leads by the example he sets in all situations with his strong work ethic and determination on the field," head coach Adam Crowley said.

"He is a constant supporter of his teammates regardless of his own personal success and comes to the field each day with a very positive outlook."

15U recipient: Lucas Meden

"Lucas is an outstanding teammate and works extremely hard to improve his skills," head coach Jeff Sharpe said.

"Even though he was one of the younger players, he became one of the leaders of this team. He has a bright future on and off the field."

16U recipient: Nolan Bigras

"Nolan was exactly what we look for in a Terrier," head coach Chris Willins said

"He did everything we asked as a coaching staff and was a selfless teammate all season."

17U recipient: Matthew Tan

"Matthew’s dedication on and off the diamond makes him stand out," head coach Ryan Pollard said.

"Matthew's not just looking out for himself, he's dedicated to making others better through his play on the diamond, at The Baseball Zone, in the weight room and in the classroom."

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Jepson's love of amateur baseball extended far beyond the box score and losing him after a courageous battle with cancer in 2018 was a huge loss for everyone who knew him.

"John was the ultimate father figure to every boy, coach, parent, administrator or anyone else he dealt with," the organization said.

"He made us all better for the experience of knowing him and being guided by him. These players were chosen by their coaches as the young men who best exemplified the qualities that John admired most and shared with us every day."