May 10, 2023

BMOC Week 15

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

The first week of May brought with it more standout performances from Canadians in college baseball. Several teams started conference tournament play and others continued to jockey for postseason positioning. Plus, awards began being doled out. It’s all recapped in this week’s BMOC.

UBC takes home five conference honours

Let’s start with some conference accolades, shall we?

And there’s no better place to start than the five that University of British Columbia Thunderbirds’ players took home.

Sean Heppner (Point Roberts, Wash.) was named the Cascade Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year after going 6-4 with a 3.46 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP over 75 1/3 innings. He struck out 82 and held opponents to a .227 batting average. It’s only fitting he was also named to the All-CCC First Team.

Joining Heppner on the all-conference team was Mike Fitzsimmons (Chilliwack, BC), Aaron Marsh (Nanaimo, BC) and Jonny McGill (Richmond, BC).

Fitzsimmons hit .333 with 10 home runs, 43 RBIs and a .947 OPS. In conference play he hit .324.

Marsh meanwhile owns a .381 average with nine home runs, 43 RBIs and a 1.103 OPS. During conference play he hit .436.

Playing in 33 of 50 games, McGill had a .403 average and a 1.112 OPS. He was even better in conference play, owning a .485 average.

Offence wasn’t the only thing Thunderbirds were recognized for as both Fitzsimmons and Trent Lenihan (White Rock, BC) won Gold Gloves.

Fitzsimmons, a shortstop, fielded at a .939 clip, while Lenihan had a .988 fielding percentage playing primarily first base.

Wilkinson named conference Pitcher of the Year

It was a bittersweet week for Matt Wilkinson (Ladner, BC) as his Central Arizona Vaqueros College World Series run came to an end after they lost a best-of-three Region I semifinal to Arizona Western, 2-1.

Wilkinson started Game 1 and surrendered one run over eight innings. He gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out 15, but it wasn’t enough in a 1-0 loss.

That was the bitter part.

The sweet part was Wilkinson being named the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year thanks to some eye popping numbers. He went 10-2 with a 1.07 ERA and 136 punch outs over 84 innings pitched.

Bach recognized by region

Jordan Bach (Delta, BC) was named to the All-Region II team after hitting .411 with 14 home runs, 16 doubles and 65 RBIs for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

Achen selected to First Team

For the second time in his career, right-hander Cohen Achen (Calgary, Alta.) picked up All-Mid-South Conference First Team honours. Achen went 6-4 with a 3.16 ERA and 110 strikeouts over 74 innings. He tossed four complete games.

Canadian Comets land on all-conference team

Mayville State’s Kole Jessamine (Abbotsford, BC) and Jared McCorrister (Boissevain, Man) were both named to the All-North Star Athletic Association Second Team.

Jessamine compiled a .333 batting average and a .936 OPS in 2023.

McCorrister hit .343.

Grant named top newcomer, Sirois a first teamer

Logan Grant (Chestermere, Alta.) was tabbed the top newcomer in the North Star Athletic Association during a season that’s seen him hit .369 with 11 home runs with 59 RBI and a .479 on-base percentage for No. 5 Bellevue.

Teammate Mathieu Sirois (Quebec, Que.) was selected to the All-North Star Athletic Association First Team Sirois has a .369 average with 11 home runs and a .491 on-base percentage. His .996 fielding percentage also garnered him a conference Gold Glove.

Suraganan selected all-conference

When you lead your team in batting average, people are sure to take notice. That’s exactly what happened when Joel Suraganan (Pickering, Ont.) topped Lourdes University hitters with a .395 batting average as he was named to the All-Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference First Team. Not only did he hit, he slugged .586 and stole 12 bases.

McGarry-Doyle deemed first team worthy

Noel McGarry-Doyle (Vaughan, Ont.) led the Mid-America Christian Evangels with a .376 batting average. He hit 11 home runs, drove in 45 and posted a 1.232 OPS in 51 games. His impressive season garnered him an All-Sooner Athletic Conference First Team selection.

Aside from his all conference selection, McGarry-Doyle had four hits, including a solo home run, a walk and three RBIs for Mid-America Christian as they went two-and-out in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament.

Hrynkiw a second team selection

Catcher Antonio Hrynkiw (Brechin, Ont.) hit .298, which landed him on the All-Sooner Athletic Conference Second Team.

Gollert gets win No. 7

It’s been quite the final college season for left-hander Harley Gollert (Toronto, Ont.) and he continued it last week with six strong innings in Oral Roberts’ 11-2 Game 2 win over St. Thomas. He yielded one run on two hits, walked three and struck out six to move to 7-1 on the season.

Lewis throws well in loss

Braeden Lewis (Oshawa, Ont.) gave up one run on six hits over five innings and struck out three in Medaille’s 3-1 loss to Houghton.

Devine delivers in relief

For the second straight week Liam Devine (Guelph, Ont.) was excellent in long relief for St. Bonaventure. Devine threw five innings and conceded one run on five hits in an 8-7 Game 2 win over Richmond. He walked one and struck out seven in picking up the win.

Libke strikes out 10, Tweet has four hits

The Bismarck State Mystics put up 11 runs and Bryce Libke (Saskatoon, Sask.) struck out 10 as they downed Lake Region State 11-1. Libke threw all five innings and allowed an unearned run on three hits and three walks.

Wyatt Tweet (Russell, Man.) amassed four hits, waked twice, drove in five and stole a base in the doubleheader sweep of the Royals. His performance was highlighted by a 3-for-3 game with home run and five RBIs in the 11-1 win.

Forno fires six strong

Brody Forno (Okotoks, Alta.) lasted six innings in his final regular season start, a 10-2 Williston State win over Dawson. Forno gave up two runs on six hits and four walks. He struck out three as he moved to 5-2.

Mount wins for Cloud County

Washington State University commit Jack Mount (Val Des Monts, Que.) worked five innings and gave up one run on three hits to pick up his sixth win in Cloud County’s 9-1 Game 3 win over Dodge City. He walked one and fanned three.

Ward with five hits

Matt Ward (Mississauga, Ont.) started his week with a double and two walks in Niagara University’s 23-12 Game 1 loss to Marist. Ward went 2-for-4 with a solo home run, a walk and two RBIs as the Purple Eagles bounced back with a 16-4 victory in Game 2. To help his team to a sweep in Game 3, via a 13-7 win, he went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a walk.

Dobie goes deep

Dayton’s Mason Dobie (Meaford, Ont.) began with a bang, hitting a two-run home run and finishing with two hits, two RBIs and a stolen base in a 16-9 Game 1 victory over Saint Joseph’s. Game 2 saw him go 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a hit by pitch in a loss. In Game 3, he collected two more hits in a loss.

Boucher bashes out seven hits, Vallee with four

It was a productive week for Southern Illinois’ Pier-Olivier Boucher (Saint-Joseph-de-Bauce, Que.) at the plate. Boucher collected seven hits, walked twice, drove in three and stole three bases in four games. He hit a solo home run in a 9-8 Game 1 loss to Valparaiso before hitting a two-run shot in a 7-3 Game 2 win.

Mathieu Vallée (Saint-Joseph-Du-Lac, Que.) finished a home run shy of the cycle in a 10-6 Game 3 win over Valparaiso, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs. He walked in a midweek win over Southern Indiana and then again in Game 2 against the Beacons.

Long relief results in win for Sullivan

Sheadan Sullivan (Elora, Ont.) threw five scoreless innings of relief and picked up the win in Muskingum’s 7-4 win over Penn State-Behrend. He allowed five hits, walked four and struck out two.

Valero, Vincelli-Simard sting opposing pitchers

Sacramento State received good weeks at the plate from Cesar Valero (Calgary, Alta.) and Martin Vincelli-Simard (Boisbriand, Que.).

Valero had six hits, including two home runs in four games. He walked twice and drove in eight. During a 12-6 win over the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley he went 4-for-5 with a two runs home run, a triple and five RBIs in a 12-6 win. His other home run was a solo shot in a loss to Fresno State.

Vincelli-Simard chipped in six hits, walked three times and drove in three. In the finale of their three-game set against UT Rio Grande Valley, a 9-6 loss, he was 3-for-5 with a two-run home run and three RBIs.

Saldias starts Game 1 of conference tournament

Nico Saldias (Ajax, Ont.) took to the hill for Saint Xavier in Game 1 of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament and delivered 6 2/3 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits. He walked two and struck out 10 to keep his team in the game. The Cougars would go on to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth for a 3-2 win.

Duffy passes 250 career Ks

With 12 strikeouts against Fairfield, Canisius College right-hander Matt Duffy (Burlington, Ont.) passed the 250 college strikeout mark with 255. Duffy allowed three runs on five hits over seven innings in a 6-5 loss. He is just 2/3 of an inning shy of 200 for as a Griff.

Cerkownyk continues torrid season

Brady Cerkownyk (Toronto, Ont.) has put together one of the most impressive college seasons by a Canadian in recent memory. The Connors State Cowboys catcher added five hits, two walks and four RBIs to his season totals over the weekend. Two of his hits were home runs, of which he now has 26.

Muleriders edge Savage storm in GAC opening round

After dropping Game 1 of their best-of-three Great American Conference Tournament series to Southeastern Oklahoma State, the University of Arkansas put up 26 runs in Game’s 2 and 3 to take to move on. Brandon Nicoll (Coombs, BC) went 2-for-4 with a walk and RBI in a 5-3 Game 1 loss. He then had three hits, walked and drove in two in a 14-7 Game 2 win. With the series on the line, he collected two hits, walked and drove in a run as the Muleriders took Game 3, 12-2. Next up is a date with Henderson State University on Thursday. Nicoll is hitting .364 with 11 home runs, 67 RBIs and a 1.081 OPS this season.

Miller goes into the sixth

Lefty Jay Miller (Cornerbrook, Nfld.) lasted 5 1/3 innings as the University of North Carolina Greensboro beat Wofford 6-3 In Game 3, Miller gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits. He walked three and struck out four.

Poole pops pair of solo shots

Tom Poole (Calgary, Alta.) had six hits, walked once and drove in four in four games for Dallas Baptist. The former Cloud County Thunderbird hit a solo home run in a 16-5 Game 1 win over Middle Tennessee State before going 4-for-4 with a solo home run, three RBIs and a hit by pitch in a 15-6 series clinging Game 3 victory.

McCook wins Region XI Cross-Division Playoff

Postseason baseball brings out the best in certain players and Jason Serafinchon (St. Albert, Alta.) appears to be one. He put together five hits, and drove in five as McCook took back-to-back games against Lamar to win the Region XI Cross-Division Playoff. He hit a home run in the 20-13 deciding game and doubled three times in the series.

Johnston goes the distance in win

Quinton Johnston (Sarnia, Ont.) spun a complete game, seven innings to lead Harper to 10-1 victory over Olive-Harvey. Johnston allowed one run and scattered nine hits in the start. He walked two and struck out three.

Palmiere wins agains Waldorf

Junior Derek Palmiere (Okotoks, Alta.) threw 5 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on six hits to help Mayville State beat Waldorf, 3-2. Palmiere issued a walk and struck out four in picking up the win.

Whittle wins for third time

Xavier Whittle (Etobicoke, Ont.) took the mound for Bay College and went seven innings in a 6-2 victory over Minnesota Post Grad. He surrendered two runs on one hit, walked one and struck out six.

Carinci clubs Mineral Area to Region 16 Sub-Regional win

The Cardinals of Mineral Area College wrapped up their regular season splitting a pair of games again State Fair. Justin Carinci (Toronto, Ont.) had a hit and drove in a run in a 9-8 win and went 4-for-6 with two RBIs in a 10-8 loss. It was the final tune up for the Region 16 Sub-Regional against Three Rivers, which the Cardinals swept. Carinci had two hits, one of which was a home run, drove in two and stole two bases in a 6-3 Game 1 win to start postseason play. He stroked a hit, walked twice and stole a base in a 10-5 Game 2 victory to secure the series.

Martin named NJCAA Player of the Week

Keegan Martin (Newmarket, Ont.) was selected as the NJCAA Division I Player of the Week after hitting .883. Martin went 4-for-4 with two stolen bases in a 10-0 Game 1 loss to Kaskaskia before going 5-for-6 with two triples, three RBIs and a stolen base in a Game 2 victory. In the rubber match he had a hit and two walks as the Bobcats secured a 10-0 win of their own. The three stolen bases helped Martin break the school's single season stolen base record.

Leduc named NJCAA Pitcher of the Week

Martin's teammate Zach Leduc (Blainville, Que.) is the NJCAA Division I Pitcher of the Week after throwing five scoreless, hitless innings in a 10-0 Game 3 victory over Kaskaskia. He walked two and punched out 10.

Pair shines for Parkland

Parkland College infielder Austin Gomm (Georgetown, Ont.) collected 10 hits, walked three times and drove in seven in six games played. He homered three times, including during a four-hit, three-RBI performance in a 13-8 win over Carl Sandburg.

Tyler Herron (Grande Prairie, Alta.) had six hits, worked a walk and drove in 10 in four games. He hit a home run in a 12-2 Game 1 win over Vincennes and tripled twice on the week.

Manias, Vasquez hammering baseballs for Howard College

Two Canadians were steering the Howard College offence in their four-game series with New Mexico Military Institute.

Aaron Manias (Uxbridge, Ont.) totalled 13 hits, a walk, 16 RBIs and three stolen bases in the split. Four of the hits left the yard and he had back-to-back four-hit performances in Game’s 3 and 4.

Julio Vasquez (Cambridge, Ont.) chipped in seven hits, four walks and six RBIs. He hit three home runs and had two, three-hit games.

Howard lost Games 1 and 2 before rallying to win Games 3 and 4.

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It’s sure to be another busy week on the college baseball circuit, with Canadians right in the middle of the action. Make sure to come back seven days from now for all the news and notes.

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.