BMOC Week X: Duffy, Dutton, Hunt, MacLean, Marsh, Mendham, Wevers

North Shore Twins alum Ben Columbus (North Vancouver, BC) belted four home runs for Wharton County and was named NJCAA Division I Player of the Week. Photo: Twitter

March 30, 2022

BMOC Week 10

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

It was another week filled with strong Canadian performances across college baseball.

And we have it all wrapped below.

Warkentin the MAC Player of the Week

Daniel Warkentin (Leamington, Ont.) had a huge week for Eastern Michigan. In five games, he hit five home runs and finished with eight knocks, three walks, 11 RBIs, two stolen bases and a hit by pitch. His first long ball was a two-run shot in a 10-9 Game 1 win over Akron. During Game 2, he launched a solo and three-run homer in an 18-6 blow out win. He had a hit in Game 3 before hitting two more home runs - a two-run shot to open the scoring and a solo shot - in a 7-5, 11-inning loss in Game 4.

His play garnered him Mid-American Conference Player of the Week honours

Columbus named NJCAA Division I Player of the Week

The Coastal Bend pitching staff had trouble keeping Wharton County catcher Ben Columbus (North Vancouver, BC) in the yard. He hit two home runs in both Games 1 and 2 of their four-game series. He clobbered eight hits, walked once and drove in 14 in the four games, three of which ended in wins for the Pioneers.

His offensive onslaught got him recognized at the NJCAA Division I Player of the Week.

Hunt named Aggie of the Week

For the third straight week Ethan Hunt (Elginburg, Ont.) has been named the Oklahoma Panhandle State Aggie of the Week. The recognition comes after he put up five hits and five RBIs in a three-game series against Southwestern Assemblies of Gods. He hit a two-run home run in the opener and a solo home run in Game 2. Despite Hunt’s strong play, the Aggies were swept.

Babe Ruth Calgary Baseball alum Cohen Achen (Calgary, Alta.) allowed two unearned runs and struck out nine in six innings in his start for the Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders. Photo: Lindsey Wilson Athletics

Achen K’s 9

Cohen Achen (Calgary, Alta.) allowed two unearned runs on six hits over six innings as Lindsey Wilson cruised past Tennessee Southern 26-5 in Game 1 of their series. Achen walked one and struck out nine to pick up the win.

Peters pitches Kansas City Kansas past Allen County

Right hander Arlen Peters (Schanzenfeld, Man.) held Allen County to a pair of hits over five scoreless innings to earn the win in Kansas City Kansas’ 1-0 Game 1 victory. He walked three and struck out seven. His record now stands at 3-1.

Crowson, Makarus lead Cavaliers to pair of wins

It was a pair of Okotoks products sparking the Bossier Parish offence in their doubleheader sweep of Angelina.

Connor Crowson (Okotoks, Alta.) had four hits, including a 3-for-3 game with two RBIs in a 7-2 win in the first game. In the back half, he chipped in a hit and a RBI.

Ayden Makarus (Okotoks, Alta.) was 2-for-2 in both games. He walked and stole a base in the first, and hit a home run, walked twice, drove in four and stole two bases in the second.

Mezzomo earns win No. 3

Giordono Mezzomo (Vancouver, BC) lasted five innings on the mound and the Cloud County Thunderbirds struck for a run in the third and two more in the fifth to take home a 3-1 Game 1 win over Dodge City. Mezzomo scattered four hits, two walks and struck out 10. The win moves him to 3-1 on the season.

Tough-luck loss for Lassen’s Irvine

Lassen College received seven innings of two run baseball from Connor Irvine (Victoria, BC), but the offence couldn’t score in a 2-0 Game 1 loss to Feather River. Irvine worked around seven hits, walked two and struck out seven during the start. With the loss his record drops to 3-3.

Trondson throws five innings but takes loss

Matthias Trondson (Toronto, Ont.) conceded three hits and four runs (two earned) over five innings in Northeastern Oklahoma A&M’s 9-3 Game 1 loss to Eastern Oklahoma State. He issued four walks and struck out three.

Great Lake Canadians alum Matt Duffy (Burlington, Ont.) allowed just one run on four hits in seven innings in his start for Canisius. Photo: Canisius Athletics

Duffy magnificent in MAAC opener against Manhattan

Friday marked the start of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play for the Canisius Golden Griffins, and as they have all year they handed the ball to right hander Matt Duffy (Burlington, Ont.) in Game 1. Duffy threw seven innings and held the Jaspers to one run on four hits. The former Great Lake Canadian walked one and struck out four, but the Griffs dropped the game 2-1.

Saul steps up again

UBC Thunder alum Eli Saul got the ball in Game 1 of Sacramento State’s series with Grand Canyon. And he certainly looked like an ace, tossing seven innings and allowing two runs on five hits. The sophomore walked three and punched out three in a 3-2 victory.

Cuvilier calms Bryant and Stratton, MacLean masterful in win over Monroe

Layton Cuvilier (Kentville, NS) tossed five innings and allowed two runs on four hits in Sullivan County’s 3-2 loss to Bryant and Stratton. He walked three and struck out two.

Tanner MacLean (Charlottetown, PEI) worked into the eighth inning, finishing with 7 2/3 innings pitched in a 5-4, 10 inning win over Monroe. MacLean surrendered two unearned runs on five hits and a pair of walks. He struck out 13 of the 23 outs.

Jalbert goes six for St. Joseph’s

A stellar start from Samuel Jalbert (Mascouche, Que.) wasn’t enough as St. Joseph’s College of Maine dropped a 5-2 decision to Johnson & Wales. Jalbert yielded one run on four hits over six innings to keep his team in the game. He ended the start with three walks and nine strikeouts.

Langley Blaze alum Dawson Hurford (Victoria, BC) permitted just two runs in six innings in his start for Western Nebraska. Photo: Twitter

Hurford hurls six strong

Dawson Hurford (Victoria, BC) dispersed 11 hits and two runs in six innings of work for Western Nebraska in their 2-0 loss to Trinidad State. He punched out four Trojan hitters along the way.

Reyes-Cruz jumps on the mound, then into the box

Faulkner University received production on the mound and in the batter’s box from Tommy Reyes-Cruz (Montreal, Que.). He started his week with a scoreless 1/3 of an inning in a 16-6 loss to Cumberland. Then in a three-game set with Blue Mountain he had four hits, two walks, and six RBIs. The Eagles swept the series and were 4-1 on the week.

Gernon a go-to for Lower Columbia

Daniel Gernon (Surrey, BC) was a key cog in Lower Columbia’s offensive wheel. Gernon swatted seven hits, walked once, drove in six, and stole a base in the Red Devils four-game series win over Edmonds. In the only loss of the series, an 11-5 decision in Game 2, he finished a home run shy of the cycle.

Wevers grand slam caps series sweep

Catcher Ty Wevers (Lethbridge, Alta.) hit a grand slam to help the Cloud County Thunderbirds to a 13-9 Game 4 series sweeping win over Dodge City. The first three games saw him put together six hits, two walks, and two RBIs.

Ontario Blue Jays alum Ryan Dos Santos (Mississauga, Ont.) had three straight two-hit games to open the week for the Tusculum Pioneers. Photo: Tusculum Athletics

Dos Santos doing damage for Tusculum

Ryan Dos Santos (Mississauga, Ont.) had three straight two-hit games to open the week for the Tusculum Pioneers. He went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases in an 11-5 win over Lee, followed by a 2-for-5 game in a 10-9 Game 1 loss to Coker. He stayed hot with another 2-for-5 game with a walk and two RBIs in a 13-9 Game 2 loss. He walked twice in the finale, a 7-2 victory.

Myers hitting over .300

Leading off in three of USC Upstate’s for games and hitting second in the other, Noah Myers (Wyoming, Ont.) collected seven hits, walked twice, stole four bases and was hit by a pitch as the Spartans went 2-2. He went 3-for-4 with a walk and three stolen bases in a 9-1 Game 2 win over Radford. On the season, he’s hitting .302 with 11 steals in 12 attempts.

Inouye in a rhythm

Adam Inouye (Vancouver, BC) and Academy of Art headed across the ocean to take on Hawaii Hilo for a four-game series. Inouye had a hit in a 7-3 Game 1 loss and was 2-for-5 with a walk in a Game 2 win. In Game 3, he went 2-for-5 again in a 6-4 loss and closed things out going 2-for-3 with a RBI in a 7-5 loss.

Pettener pounds pitching

Menlo’s Sean Pettener (Hamilton, Ont.) supplied five hits, three walks, and a pair of RBIs in a four-game series against No. 9 Vanguard. Unfortunately for his team they dropped three of four.

Okotoks Dawgs alum Tucker Zdunich (High River, Alta.) had eight hits - including his ninth home run of the season - for Reinhardt. Photo: Okotoks Dawgs

Zdunich hits homer No. 9

Tucker Zdunich (High River, Alta.) hit his ninth home run of the season, a solo shot and finished 2-for-5 for Reinhardt in a 12-9 loss to Middle Georgia State. Next up was a three-game series with Bluefield where he went 6-for-10 with a walk and three RBIs.

Lichty a fixture for Foresters

In four games, Daniel Lichty (Denfield, Ont.) produced seven hits, a walk and three RBIs for the Huntington University Foresters. His squad completed the week 3-1.

UBC drops four to No. 3 Lewis-Clark State

It was a rough weekend for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds as they were swept in a four-game series by No. 3 Lewis-Clark State. Even though they failed to pick up a win, they did get strong performances from Mitchell Middlemiss (Chilliwack, BC), Ty Penner (Lethbridge, Alta.) and Nathan Shute (Oakville, Ont.).

Middlemiss played in Games 3 and 4 and had four hits. He went 3-for-4 with a double in a 14-4 Game 4 loss.

Penner hit a two-run home run and finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs in a 9-8 Game 1 loss. He had a hit, a walk, a RBI and was hit by a pitch in Game 2. The Canadian infielder hit a solo home run in a 19-6 Game 3 loss before closing out the series with a 3-for-3 showing with a RBI in Game 4.

Shute produced five hits, two walks, and was hit by a pitch in the four games. His best came in Game 1 when he went 3-for-4 with a walk.

Pringle throws complete game

Five innings was all it took for Cisco College to dispose of Temple 12-2 in Game 3 of their series. Gavin Pringle (Duncan, BC) threw all five, allowing two runs on four hits, while walking three and striking out 11 to pick up the win.

Ontario Terriers alum Andre Wojtarowicz (Oakville, Ont.) allowed just two runs and stuck out six in five innings in Frontier Community College’s 13-2 win over Rend Lake. Photo: Twitter

Wojtarowicz goes the distance for win, Black blasts opposing pitching

Speaking of five inning complete games, Andre Wojtarowicz (Oakville, Ont.) also tossed all five innings in Frontier Community College’s 13-2 Game 3 drubbing of Rend Lake. The lefty gave up two unearned runs on three hits. He walked three and struck out six to earn the victory.

Sophomore outfielder Brody Black (Stouffville, Ont.) was a force for Frontier in their five games. He amassed nine hits and four RBIs in five games. His best game came in a 16-7 loss in Game 1 against Rend Lake when he finished a home run shy of the cycle. He was 4-for-5 in the game.

McKinnon provides stability

Riley McKinnon (Burlington, Ont.) came out of the bullpen in Marshalltown’s 11-5 Game 3 loss to Indian Hills and worked five innings. He surrendered one run on two hits with four walks and four strikeouts.

Markotic hammers out six hits

Six hits, two walks and six RBIs were the numbers Leo Markotic (Toronto, Ont.) put up for the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders last week. He launched a two-run home run in a 7-4 Game 3 loss to Incarnate Word. The Islanders were 2-2 when the week concluded, winning their series against ICW.

Ontario Nationals alum David Mendham (Dorchester, Ont.) had six hits - including a home run - for the Oklahoma State Cowboys this past week. Photo: Oklahoma State Athletics

Mendham’s Cowboys beat Oral Roberts, sweep Kansas

David Mendham (Dorchester, Ont.) slapped six hits, walked twice and drove in three as the No. 4 Oklahoma State Cowboys went 4-0. Three of the wins came in a Big 12 Conference series sweep against Kansas. Mendham hit a solo home run to tie Game 3 against the Jayhawks in the Top of the fourth inning. The former Connors State Cowboy is hitting .308 with a .999 OPS.

Cane, Juan bright spots for Jefferson

Another four losses for Jefferson College kept them out of the win column and moved their record to 0-8, but two Canadians had fine offensive performances.

Ethan Cane (Hamilton, Ont.) had four hits and walked twice. He was 2-for-3 in a 6-3 loss to Finger Lakes.

Yojairo Juan (Oro Medonte, Ont.) also delivered four hits and walked twice.

Five hits for Ithaca’s Fabian

Matt Fabian (Toronto, Ont.) was a strong performer for the Ithaca College offence. He put together five hits, two walks and two RBIs over three games. However, his team ended up dropping two of the three contests.

Savoie hits grand slam

Lead off man Eddy Savoie (Saint Eustache, Que.) launched a grand slam and went 2-for-4 with five RBIs in No. 4 West Texas A&M’s 7-6 Game 2 victory over St. Mary’s. He was also productive in the other three games of the series, accumulating five more hits, three walks, and an additional two RBIs. He’s now hitting .388 for the 25-5 Buffs.

Draayer drives in five

David Draayers (Abbotsford, BC) wasted no time making an impact for Northeastern Junior College. In their first game of the week, a 26-14 win over Western Nebraska, he went 2-for-4 with a home run, two walks and three RBIs. He followed that up with five hits and two RBIs in a four-game series win over Otero. He hit a solo shot in an 8-0 Game 4 win.

Ontario Cardinals alum Kyle Espineli (Toronto, Ont.) had eight hits for Notre Dame College this past week. Photo: Notre Dame College Athletics

Espineli exceptional for Notre Dame College

During a pair of wins over West Virginia State, Kyle Espineli (Toronto, Ont.) had five hits, a walk, and three RBIs. Glenville State would be next on tap and Espineli continued his strong play, putting up three more hits and a RBI. The Falcons split the two games, losing Game 1 by a 13-6 score and winning Game 2, 9-6.

Watson lead Saints offensive charge

Chris Watson (Claremont, Ont.) proved key in St. Lawrence’s 2-1 series win over Vassar College. He was 2-for-5 with a walk and stolen base in a 9-8 Game 1 win. After walking and stealing a base in a 11-10 Game 2 loss, he went 3-for-5 with a RBI in a 6-5 Game 3 win to secure the series for the Saints.

Ranked opponents square off

A battle of NAIA heavyweights took place over the weekend when No. 24 McPherson took on No. 12 Ottawa. Caleb Feuerstake (Waterdown, Ont.) helped the Bulldogs take the series 2-1 with four hits, four walks, two RBIs, a stolen base and a hit by pitch.

Leitch a leader for Marshall

Ryan Leitch (Whitby, Ont.) had a hit and was hit by a pitch in Marshall’s 7-2 Game 1 loss to Rice. He stroked another hit in a 6-5 loss in Game 2 before going 3-for-4 with a RBI and a hit by pitch in a 5-4 Game 3 victory.

Wakeham rakes

While their series with Wright State certainly didn’t go the way Jayden Wakeham (Victoria, BC) and the Northern Kentucky Norse may have hoped, the Canuck provided some individual highlights. He collected a hit and drove in a run in an 18-4 Game 1 loss. In Game 2, a 14-11 defeat, he smashed a two-run home run. The finale, a 17-10 loss, featured a 3-for-5 game with a RBI from the former Okotoks Dawg.

Fieldhouse Pirates alum James Dutton (Toronto, Ont.) had a strong week, recording seven hits, five walks, three RBIs and three stolen bases for Indian Hills. Photo: YouTube

Dutton hits, drives in runs

James Dutton (Toronto, Ont.) had himself a nice week with seven hits, five walks, three RBIs and three stolen bases for Indian Hills. He legged out two doubles and was 3-for-3 with a pair of walks in a 13-3 win in Game 2 of their series with Marshalltown. He also swiped a pair of bases in that one.

Hul has four hits

Two games was all Ben Hul (Calgary, Alta.) needed to make an impact and end up as a BMOC. He stroked four hits, drove in five and stole a base in Williston State’s two-game sweep of Montana State Club.

Another full week for Crowell, Mystics

Nash Crowell (Okotoks, Alta.) was in the lineup for all seven of the Bismarck State Mystics games and had a hit in each. When the week was over he had 11 hits, seven RBIs and a stolen base. Five of his hits went for extra bases.

Villalobos, Whitecaps go 2-2

The Galveston Whitecaps and Blinn Buccaneers played to a four-game split last week. Alfonso Villalobos (Kirkland, Ont.) had himself a good series with six hits, four walks, five RBIs and a stolen base. He hit a solo home run in a 9-5 Game 3 loss.

Villeneuve victorious over Hill

Robin Villeneuve (Gatineau, Que.) allowed an unearned run over six innings to pick up the win in Weatherford’s 13-3 Game 4 defeat of Hill. He scattered three hits, issued three walks and struck out eight.

Okotoks Dawgs Academy alum Ashton Roy (Tottenheim, Ont.) went 3-for-4 with an RBI for Morehead State in their 7-5 midweek loss to the Kentucky Wildcats. Photo: Morehead State Athletics

Roy rallies Eagles offence

The Eagles of Morehead State played Kentucky tough in a 7-5 midweek loss. Ashton Roy (Tottenheim, Ont.) went 3-for-4 with an RBI against the Wildcats. Over the weekend, they took on Murray State in a three-game set, coming away with a series win. Roy put up three hits and a walk against the Racers.

Five-hit game for Marsh

One of the more impressive games of the week came from Aaron Marsh (Nanaimo, BC). He put together a 5-for-6 game with two RBIs in Cochise’s 14-5 Game 2 win over Chandler-Gilbert. He also collected five hits, two RBIs and a stolen base in three other games.

Logan continues to hit

Gavin Logan (Oyen, Alta.) was swinging a hot bat yet again for the No. 3 Oregon State Beavers. He posted four hits, three walks, three RBIs and was hit by a pitch in three games played. The Beavers went 3-1, including a Pac-12 series win over Cal.

Monterrey saves best for last

After contributing a walk in Roane State’s opener and being held hitless in their second game, Gabriel Monterrey (Oakville, Ont.) exploded for a 4-for-5 performance with two RBIs in a 9-8 Game 3 loss to Chattanooga State.

Roberts has multi-hit games

Noah Roberts (Cambridge, Ont.) had two hits, a walk, and a RBI as Arizona Western dumped the Langley Blaze 11-1 as a part of the Canadian high school team’s spring tour. Then in an 8-1 win over Paradise Valley, he was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Toronto Mets alum Jacob Bonzon (Toronto, Ont.) had seven hits and seven RBIs for Roanoke this past week. Photo: Toronto Mets

Bonzon rakes for Roanoke

Four wins for Roanoke were fuelled in part by the bat of Jacob Bonzon (Toronto, Ont.). His seven hits, one walk, seven RBIs, and three stolen bases helped the Maroons score 41 runs.

Boscarino with four-hit game

Luca Boscarino (Mississauga, Ont.) drove in six and finished 4-for-4 with a home run in Connors State’s 12-2 Game 2 drilling of Rose State. He walked twice in the finale the following game. The Cowboys took all three to improve to 21-5.

Sauve’s sweet swing helps Trojans to sweep

The season Benji Sauve (Mascouche, Que.) is having for the Trinidad State Trojans is something to witness. He’s hitting .400 with a .486 on-base percentage and an even .600 slugging percentage through 35 games. Last week, he added seven hits, including a home run in a 6-5 Game 3 win over Western Nebraska. All three of his RBIs came in the one-run win. The Trojans would go on to sweep the four-game series from the Cougars.

Sirois homers for No. 11 Bruins

Mathieu Sirois (Quebec City, Que.) smashed a three-run home run for No. 11 Bellevue University in an 18-4 Game 2 win over Valley City State. Sirois went 3-for-3 with a walk in the game. During the other three games of the sweep, he had five more hits and another RBI. He was 8-for-8 through the first three games.

Nipawin native Froehlich notches six knocks

Soon to be Northwestern State Demon and current Colby Trojan Kyle Froehlich (Nipawin, Sask.) had a hit in each of his team’s four games against Pratt. In total he stockpiled six hits, a walk, and four RBIs. He launched a home run in a 17-5 Game 2 win.

Okotoks Dawgs alum Cesar Valero (Calgary, Alta.) belted another home run for the Sacramento State Hornets. Photo: Bob Solorio, Sacramento State Athletics

Valero hits solo shot

Cesar Valero (Calgary, Alta.) capped his week with the Sacramento State Hornets with a 2-for-4 performance with a solo home run in a 3-2 Game 3 loss to Grand Canyon. He had two hits, three walks, and a RBI in the first three games.

Bucovetsky drives in 10

The first two games of the week resulted in a hit and two walks for Highland’s Jake Bucovetsky (Toronto, Ont.). It was in Games 3 and 4 against Neosho County that he really started to heat up. He was 3-for-3 with a home run and five RBIs in a 10-0 win in the third game of the four-game set. It was another five-RBI game in the finale, he also tallied three hits and a walk.

Bomersback deals, Scragg hits in Dawson series win

Matthew Bomersback (Montreal, Que.) and Nathan Scragg (Port Perry, Ont.) played a significant role in Dawson Community College’s 3-1 series win over Dakota.

Bomersback got the start in Game 1 and set the tone with a complete game, six-inning performance in a 12-2 victory. He scattered two unearned runs on five hits. He walked one and punched out five.

Scragg chipped in four hits, a pair of walks, two RBIs and three stolen bases. He went 3-for-5 with a RBI and three steals in an 11-10 Game 4 loss.

Bushey with four hits in four games

Fraser Valley Cardinal turned Mineral Area Cardinal Liam Bushey (Mission, BC) supplied four hits, four walks, two RBIs and a stolen base in his team’s four-game series with St. Charles. He hit a solo home run in a 21-5 Game 1 loss. The Cardinals dropped the series 3-1.

Marriott with two hits after being named SSC Player of the Week

Hendrix College is 21-5 on the season and it has a lot to do with the play of Zach Marriott (Oakville, Ont.). He had two hits, a walk, a RBI and was hit by a pitch in the team’s three games against Oglethorpe. Hendrix dropped the series 2-1 marking the first series loss of the season.

His performance came on the heels of being named the Southern Athletic Association Player of the Week for the week of March 14-20.

***

That’s it for Week 10 of the BMOC.

For a list of the Canadian collegiate statistical leaders, click here.

Check back next week for all the Canadian college baseball highlights as teams end their March schedule and enter April.

Do you know of a player deserving of a mention in the weekly BMOC column? Email Matt Betts at mattbetts@canadianbaseballnetwork.com. Please note that our week runs Monday-Sunday.

Be sure to follow Matt Betts at @Bettsy41 for extensive Canadian baseball coverage all season long.