Posts by Joe McFarland
McFarland: Achen quickly climbing Orioles’ ranks

“He’s quickly becoming a big story for fans and watchers of the Baltimore Orioles.

It’s hard to believe that just one year ago, Cohen Achen was putting the wraps on an exceptional collegiate career at Lindsey Wilson College and was getting ready to play summer baseball with the Intercounty Baseball League’s London Majors.

Instead, Baltimore selected the Calgary native in the 14th round of the Major League Baseball Draft, and he has since propelled up the organizational depth chart.”

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McFarland: Ninth inning has been “Danger Zone” for college hitters facing Helland

“When opposition batters head to the plate to face Reece Helland, they are entering the danger zone.

Not only are they facing MidAmerica Nazarene’s top bullpen gun, who is an intense presence on the bump, but he also enters the game with a formidable tune.

You guessed it: the Kenny Loggins classic “Danger Zone” from the movie Top Gun.

Over his four years with the Pioneers, Helland has accumulated a 13-6 record and a 4.47 earned-run average in 84 games, with one start, and 16 saves.”

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McFarland: Resilient Makarus stars at Bellevue after reviving college career

“Ayden Makarus thought he was done with baseball.

More than two years after quitting the game to get on with his post-baseball life, the Dawgs Academy alum has returned with a vengeance at Bellevue University.

He was named the North Star Athletic Association Player of the Week on April 14, when he hit .429 with four home runs, 10 runs batted in and eight runs scored in four games.

The utilityman did it again two weeks later, posting a line of .375 with four more roundtrippers while driving in seven and scoring seven en route to also being named the Canadian Baseball Network’s College Player of the Week.”

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