Elliott: Jackson, Keller, Napieralski, Patry, Saufl, Scott, Thrower among NAIA's best

Former Bisons de Saint-Eustache INF Tommy Reyes-Cruz is with the No. 4 ranked Faulkner Eagles. Photo: Vincent Gagnon.

March 16, 2021

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

When Perfect Game’s latest NAIA ratings came out, 20 Canadians were listed with the top 25 programs.

And they were playing important roles ... like ...

Tommy Reyes-Cruz was hitting .342 for the Faulkner Eagles, Zach Saufl, owned a 2.08 ERA for the Vanguard Lions, Owen Napieralski was batting .429 for the LSU Shreveport Pilots, Griffin Keller, .443 for the Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies, Tyler Scott .363 for the Bryan Lions, Remi Patry owned a 1.006 OPS with the Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles, Eric Thrower hitting .388 for the Georgetown Tigers and Corey Jackson had struck out 46 in 43 innings for the Bellevue Bruins.

Rank Prev School State Record Last Wk

1. Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs TN 13-0 4-0

2. Southeastern Fire FL 20-1 6-0

C Olivier Mayrand (Laval, Que.) was on the Fire roster.

3. Cumberlands Patriots KY 15-0 6-0

RHP Ryan Kush (Guelph, Ont.) is on the Patriots spring roster.

4. Faulkner Eagles AL 10-1 3-0

INF Tommy Reyes-Cruz (Montreal, Que.).

Reyes-Cruz is hitting .342 with three doubles, a triple, two homers and 16 RBIs. He has a 1.054 OPS in 11 games.

Former Ontario Terrier RHP Zach Saufl (Oakville, Ont.) is off to a good start with the Vanguard Lions.

6. Vanguard Lions CA 16-2 4-0

RHP Zach Saufl (Oakville, Ont.).

Saufl is 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA in five games -- making one start. He has walked two and fanned six in 8 2/3 innings.

Whalley Chiefs grad Owen Napieralski (Delta, BC) of the LSU-Shreveport Pilots

7. LSU Shreveport Pilots LA 5-3 1-1

C Owen Napieralski (Delta, BC), RHP Hunter Cunningham (Mission, BC) and LHP Austin Tambellini (Nelson, BC).

Napieralski is batting .429 with two doubles and two RBIs as well as a 1.071 OPS in six games. Cunningham has appeared in five games -- making one start -- with a 6.30 ERA. He has walked four and struck out 10 in 10 innings. Tambellini has appeared in one game, pitching one innings and allowing three runs.

Regina Red Sox grad Griffin Keller (Pilot Butte, Sask.) of the Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies.

8. Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies GA 10-4 2-2

Griffin Keller (Pilot Butte, Sask.), RHP Adam McKillican (Comox, BC) and LHP Kareem Kobrosli (Windsor, Ont.).

Keller is batting .443 with nine doubles, three triples, five homers and 27 RBIs. In 22 games, he has a 1.294 OPS as well as going 4-for-6 stealing bases. McKillican is 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA in seven games, making a pair of starts. He has walked 10 and struck out nine in 11 innings.

Former Vauxhall Academy Jet Tyler Scott (Calgary, Alta.)

9. Bryan Lions TN 12-3 4-0.

INF Tyler Scott (Calgary, Alta.).

Scott batted .363 with seven doubles, five homers and 16 RBIs. He has a 1.080 OPS in 23 games.

11. Campbellsville Tigers KY 2-1 2-1

INF Anthony Marcano (Sainte-Anne, Que.)

Marcano is hitting .273 with a double and an RBI. He had .703 OPS in nine games.

13. Benedicine Mesa Redhawks AZ 8-4 0-0.

INF Austin Watamaniuk (Westlock, Alta.).

17. Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles OK 11-2 7-1

INF-OF Remi Patry (Gatineau, Que.).

Patry batted .300 with a double, two triples, a homer and two RBIs. He had a 1.006 OPS in 17 games.

20. Georgetown Tigers KY 5-3 4-1

INF Luke Turino (Toronto, Ont.), OF Eric Thrower (Toronto, Ont.).

Thrower is hitting .388 with four doubles, two triples and nine RBIs. He’s 5-for-7 stealing bases and owns a 1.025 OPS in 17 games. Turino is batting .258 with six doubles, two homers and 15 RBIs. He has an OPS of .840.

Okotoks Dawgs RHP Corey Jackson (Calgary, Alta.) of the Bellevue Bruins.

21. Bellevue Bruins NE 9-3 4-1

RHP Corey Jackson (Calgary, Alta.).

Jackson has been the Bruins’ best going 3-2 with a 2.09 ERA in seven starts. He has walked 18 and fanned 46 in 43 innings, holding opponents to a .169 batting average.

22. Friends Falcons KS 11-1 4-0

RHP Eric Lindsay (Cambridge, Ont.) and RHP Zach Demchenko (Okotoks, Alta.).

24. Freed-Hardeman Lions TN 6-7 2-0

OF Riley Perks (Waterdown, Ont.)

Perks owns a .276 average with two doubles, a homer and four RBIs. He’s 4-for-4 on the base paths and has a .809 OPS in 13 games.

_ Nick Herfordt