Ontario Blue Jays RHP Matt Brown (Carlisle, Ont.), left, teammate INF Brendan Lawson (North York, Ont.) and RHP Tate Carey (Riverside, Ont.) were at the Area Code Games in San Diego.

August 17, 2023

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

It took a while but Brendan Lawson showed his stuff at the annual Area Code Games at the University of San Diego.

The Ontario Blue Jays 2B Lawson (North York, Ont.) went 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs as the New York Yankees scored a 10-1 win in the fifth and final game of the showcase. Earlier at the East Coast Pro showcase in Hoover, Ala., he tripled into the right field corner.

CF Dante Nori (Toronto, Ont.) was 1-for-2 with a pair of stolen bases. Nori now lives in Northville, Mich.

In the opener, Nori was 2-for-3 with two stolen bases as the Yankees beat the Washington Nationals 3-1.

The Yankees moved to 1-1 with an 11-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox as Ontario Blue Jays’ RHP Matt Brown (Carlisle, Ont.) pitched two innings allowing one run on two hits and one walk, while fanning two. Brown impressed scouts.

Great Lake Canadians RHP Tate Carey (Riverside, Ont.) picked up the win in a 4-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics, allowing one run on one hit in the top of the seventh. Again, Nori stole two bases

Next the Yankees beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-1 as Nori chipped in with a single, one of the Yankees’ three hits.

The Yankees were 4-1 in the event which featured the top 220 high schoolers displaying their wares in front of scouts from all 30 clubs.

Speedy OF Dante Nori (Toronto, Ont.) or Northville, Mich. ran wild on the bases at the Area Codes.

The 5-foot-11, 188-pound speedster, Nori is ranked 29th in North America by Perfect Game and has committed to Mississippi State. Lawson, who is headed for Florida, is listed 44th, Brown (Oklahoma State) 146th and Carey (uncommitted) 267th on the top 500 list of high schoolers in North America.

Lawson, a Leaside grad, is listed 27th on Baseball America’s top 100 prospects for 2024, the only Canadian on the list.