October 16, 2021

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Each fall we ask voters to help select the Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian college team.

Like last year, we decided to name the team — the best of those playing south of the border — and begin with the Third Team ... building the suspense to the Second Team, the First Team and the Player of the year in our 22nd annual selection.

Batting lead-off ... the Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian college Third Team.

On deck ... the Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian Second Team.

In the hole ... the Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian First Team.

And finally ... the 21st annual Canadian Baseball Network Player of the Year ... as well as players named to our Honourable Mention list and a voting breakdown.

Former Regina White Sox LHP Dylan Bells (Regina, Sask.) of the St. Mary’s Rattlers

Third Team

Left-hander - Dylan Bells (Regina, Sask.) St. Mary’s Rattlers.

Bells was 6-0 until St. Mary’s lost 5-1 to San Angelo. He allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings. Bells walked two and struck out four. Bells finished with an 8-1 record and a 4.50 ERA as he walked 40 and struck out 64.

Bells had wins against Arkansas-Fort Smith (four scoreless, four strikeouts), Texas A&M International (five innings, three runs -- one earned -- four strikeouts), St. Edward’s (six innings, two runs, four whiffs), Eastern New Mexico (six innings, three runs, four strikeouts), Cameron (6 2/3 innings, six runs -- two earned -- four strikeouts), Texas-Permian Basin (five innings, two runs, eight strikeouts), Oklahoma Christian (eight innings, three runs, seven whiffs) and St. Edward’s (seven innings, two runs, three strikeouts).

Among Canadians, he was tied for second in strikeouts (with University of South Carolina Upstate’s Jordan Marks, behind Bellevue’s Corey Jackson), fourth in innings pitched (behind Jackson, San Francisco Landen Bourassa and Marks) and wins (behind Marks, Iowa Western’s Evan O’Toole and West Texas A&M’s Mathieu Gauthier).

He pitched seven innings in a 5-3 victory over St. Edward’s. Bells did not walk a single batter and struck out two, while allowing nine hits. Bells, who pitched for the Regina White Sox and coach Steve Klippenstein, was voted to Lone Star Conference all-tournament team.

Former Vauxhall Academy Jets RHP Evan O’Toole (Bridgewater, NS) of the Iowa Western Reivers.

Right-hander - Evan O’Toole (Bridgewater, NS) Iowa Western Reivers

O’Toole went 9-0 in 11 games -- 10 starts -- with a find it, if you can ERA of 1.31. He walked 17 and fanned 51 in 55 innings.

He had wins against Crowder (5 1/3 innings, four runs, four strikeouts), Dakota County Tech (four scoreless, one hit, four strikeouts), Ellsworth (5 2/3 innings, one run, seven strikeouts), Kirkwood (seven innings, one run, five hits, eight strikeouts), Southeastern (4 2/3 scoreless, two hits, five whiffs), Marshalltown (seven zeros, three hits, three strikeouts), Iowa Central (five innings, one hit, one whiff), Des Moines Area (five innings, two hits, one unearned run, eight strikeouts) and North Iowa Area (five innings, six hits, two runs, six strikeouts).

Among Canadians he led in ERA (minimum 50 innings) and he was tied for second with nine wins (with Jackson and West Texas A&M’s Mathieu Gauthier, one behind Marks). O’Toole, who graduated from the Vauxhall Academy Jets program and coach Les McTavish, was an all-American in the spring and also Player of the Year in Iowa Community College Conference. O’Toole

Former Great Lake Canadians RP Mat Szabo (Sarnia, Ont.).

Reliever - Mat Szabo (Sarnia, Ont.) Angelo State Rams

The senior pitched in 13 games -- six starts -- going 4-2 with a 3.20 ERA. He walked 14 and struck out 60 in 39 1/3 innings. He finished the season holding opponents to a .187 batting average.

His wins came in four consecutive outings: against UT Permian Basin (five scoreless, 10 strikeouts), St. Mary’s (four innings, one hit, one run, six strikeouts), Arkansas Fort Smith (five innings, two hits, one run, six strikeouts) and Lubbock Christian (five innings, five hits, three runs -- two earned -- five strikeouts). Also, he had scoreless outings against Texas A&M International (three innings, five strikeouts), St. Edward’s (two innings, three whiffs), St. Edward’s (one inning, two strikeouts) and Colorado Mesa (four innings, three hits, five whiffs).

He pitched for the Great Lakes Canadians and coaches Adam Stern, Chris Robinson, Adam Arnold, Jeff Helps, and Kirk Barclay. He attended Young Harris for three seasons and Angelo State for one. He received an extra year due to Tommy John surgery on a medical rehab and then a sixth spring due to the COVID shortened 2020 season.

Former Ontario Blue Jay C Max Hewitt (Midhurst, Ont.) of the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Catchers (Tie) - Max Hewitt (Midhurst, Ont.) Oklahoma State Cowboys and Ayden Makarus (Okotoks, Alta.) LSU Eunice Bengals.

Hewitt had his strongest year at Oklahoma State, hitting .281 with nine doubles, two triples, four home runs while driving in 44. He had a .792 OPS in 55 games. This spring he had 251 plate appearances. His previous high at OSU was 196 in 2019.

Hewitt tripled in a run for the No. 4-seeded Oklahoma State in a 5-4 win over No. 2-ranked Texas by a 5-4 count advancing to the Big 12 Championship title game. Hewitt singled in the finale, a 10-7 loss to TCU.

He had a four-hit game against TCU (double, three RBIs), as well as three-hit efforts against Kansas State (double, four RBIs), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (triple, seven RBIs) and Kansas (RBI). And he had two-hit games playing Wichita State (homer, four RBIs), Oklahoma (double, three RBIs), West Virginia, TCU (double), Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Texas (triple), Oklahoma (solo homer), Oklahoma (solo homer), Kansas (double), West Virginia (double, two RBIs), West Virginia (double, two RBIs) and Grand Canyon.

He earned a Big 12 honorable mention selections and was an Academic All-Big 12 First Team. Hewitt, who played for the Ontario Blue Jays and coaches Dino Roumel, Kyle DeGrace, Mike Siena, Sean Travers, and Mike Steed, earned Canadian Baseball Network First Team honours in 2020 and with the Connors State Cowboys in 2017.

Okotoks Dawgs grad Ayden Makarus (Okotoks, Alta.) of the LSU Eunice Bengals.

Makarus batted .291 with nine doubles, 12 homers and 47 RBIs as he had a 1.065 OPS in 40 games.

His best game of the year was against Lurleen B. Wallace (two doubles, homer, six RBIs), and meanwhile he had a pair of hits against LSU-Alexandria (two RBIs), National Park (double, RBI), National Park (double, homer, three RBIs), Murray State (double, RBI), LSU-Alexandria (homer, two RBIs), Baton Rouge (two homers, three RBIs) and Nunez (two homers, seven RBIs).

He singled as the Bengals beat East Central 7-5 to win the NJCAA Region 23 tournament at Dub Herring Park in Poplarville, Miss. He homered in an 11-2 win against Kellogg at the NJCAA Division II World Series at David Allen Memorial Ballpark in Enid, Oak. LSU-Enice beat Western Oklahoma 5-4 in 14 innings to win the title.

Makarus played for the Okotoks Dawgs and coaches Tyler Hollick, Val Heldobler and Jeff Duda,

Onetime Spruce Grove White Sox 1B Matt Coutney (Edmonton, Alta.) of Old Dominion.

First base - Matt Coutney (Edmonton, Alta.) Old Dominion Monarchs.

He hit .282 with 11 doubles, a triple, 10 homers, 38 RBIs and a .929 OPS in 59 games, 58 of which were at first base. He was third on the team in walks (30). In the field, he had three errors for a .993 fielding percentage at first base.

His best games were a 3-for-4 with three RBIs, two doubles in a 6-5, 10-inning loss to Rhode Island, 3-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs in a 8-0 win at Marshall and he drove in a season-high four runs in a 8-2 win at Florida Atlantic as he collected two hits, including a homer. In the post season he was 2-for-4 with a double in the C-USA championship game win over Louisiana Tech and he hit a home run in the NCAA Regional win over South Carolina. In all, he had 16 multi-hit games on the year with two-hit outings against Norfolk State (double, homer, two RBIs), Ball State (RBI), Florida Atlantic, Rice (homer, three RBIs), Charlotte (RBI), Charlotte, Texas-San Antonio, Western Kentucky (solo homer), Western Kentucky (double, RBI) and Louisiana Tech (double) as well as three-hit efforts against Norfolk State (two doubles, three RBIs) and Marshall (RBI).

Coutney, who played with the Spruce Grove White Sox, and the St. Francis Academy under Rob Boik, earned Canadian Baseball Network Second Team all-Canadian honours in 2018 and 2019, as well as Canadian Baseball Network honors in 2020.

Former Okanagan Athletics Jaden Parsons (Vernon BC)

Second base - Jaden Parsons (Vernon, BC) Cloud County Thunderbirds.

Parsons carried a .351 average in his 49 games with Cloud County. He had 17 doubles, two triples, two homers and 36 RBIs. He finished with a .933 OPS and 17 stolen bases.

He had three-hit games facing Fort Scott (double, triple), Marshalltown (two RBIs), Cowley (double, two RBIs), Garden City (double), Dodge City (RBI), Kansas City (two doubles, homer, three RBIs), as well as two-hit efforts against Labette (RBI), Marshalltown (RBI), Cowley (double, RBI), Cowley (two doubles, two RBIs), Cowley (double, three RBIs), Seward County (double, RBI), Butler (double, triple), Butler (double), Butler (double, RBI), Pratt, Garden City (RBI), Dodge City (RBI), Dodge City (double, three RBIs), Barton, Barton (two RBIs) and Seward County (two RBIs).

Parsons, played for the Okanagan Athletics and coach Evan Bailey. He earned Canadian Baseball Network Honourable Mention honours in 2020.

Ex-Vauxhall Jet 3B John Vulcano (Cloverdale, BC) of the Colby Trojans.

Third base - John Vulcano (Cloverdale, BC) Colby Trojans.

He exploded like ... well you’ve heard it before. Oh heck ... like Mount St. Helens, 52 miles northeast of Portland, Ore. Vulcano batted .375 with nine doubles, three triples, 13 homers and 43 RBIs. He had a four-figure OPS of 1.158 in 41 games.

Vulcano homered against Garden City (triple, RBI), Dodge City (three RBIs), Barton (RBI), Barton (three hits, double, RBI), Seward County (three hits, double, five RBIs), Seward County (three hits, double, six RBIs), Butler (two homers, three hits, three RBIs), Butler (two hits, RBI), Pratt (three hits, double, three RBIs), Garden City (three hits, three RBIs), Hutchinson (two RBIs) and Butler (double, two RBIs).

He had two-hit games against Crowder, Seward County, Allen County and Butler (double, three RBIs), plus three hits against Otero (two RBIs), McCook (RBI), Pratt (two triples), Garden City (RBI) and Hutchinson (two RBIs).

Among Canucks, he had the sixth highest average among Canadians -- minimum of 150 at-bats -- (behind Georgia Gwinnett’s Griffin Keller, Mineral Area’s Ben Jones, Southwest Oklahoma State’s Alex Bedard, Southern Nevada’s Damiano Palmegiani and Wright State’s Tyler Black). Vulcano played with the Vauxhall Academy Jets and coach Les McTavish. He was a Jayhawk Conference Second Teamer this spring.

Ex-Ontario Blue Jays INF Tyler Small (Mississauga, Ont.)

Shortstop - Tyler Small (Mississauga, Ont.) Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College Golden Norse.

Small is 3-for-3 his past three seasons receiving end-of-the-season honours after hitting .364 with 13 doubles, a triple, eight homers and 45 RBIs. He had a 1.173 OPS in 35 games.

Small began his string of eight homers on opening day against Pitt State (going 4-for-5, with a homer, four RBIs), Kirkwood (three RBIs), Seminole State (two hits, four RBIs), Rose State (two RBIs), Oklahoma Wesleyan (solo shot), Crowder (two doubles, three RBIs), Rose State (two RBIs) and Eastern Oklahoma State (two hits, solo homer).

He had three hits playing Seminole State (two doubles) and he went 4-for-5 against Rose State with two doubles and four RBIs. He managed two-hit games facing Coffeyville (double, triple, four RBIs), Kirkwood (RBI), Kirkwood (four RBIs), Rose State (double, two RBIs), Evangel (double, RBI), Eastern Oklahoma State (RBI) and Seminole State (double).

The Ontario Blue Jays grad, who played for coaches Sean Travers, Joey Ellison and Mike Steed, earned a Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian Second Team selection in 2020 and Third Team honours in 2019.

Outfielders _ Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) California State Northridge Matadors, Zach Olson (Red Deer, Alta.) Colby Trojans and Brayden Cust (Edmonton, Alta.) Colby Trojans.

Clarke batted .324 to go along with a career-high 46 hits, plus 11 doubles, eight home runs and 25 RBIs in 38 starts in centre field. He posted a .570 slugging percentage and .445 on-base percentage for a 1.015 OPS. He stole 15 bases in 17 attempts.

He led the team in stolen bases while he ranked second in hits, doubles, home runs, RBI and walks, recording 11 multiple-hit games and seven multiple-RBI games. Clarke posted the longest on-base streak of any Matador with a 22-game streak. He tallied a career-high four hits and four RBIs to go with a home run and a walk against UC Riverside as well as hitting a homer and driving in three at CSU Bakersfield and went 3-for-5 with three RBIs at UC Davis. He raised his batting average from .192 on Apr. 4 to .328 by season’s end. On the season, he ranked fourth in the Big West in stolen bases, seventh in slugging, eighth in home runs and on-base percentage and ninth in walks

He became the first Matador in team history to win the Big West Defensive Player of the Year award (a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with two outfield assists), earned All-Big West Second Team honours and Big West All-Academic Team honours. He was selected in the fourth round of the draft by the Oakland Athletics.

Clarke, who played for the Toronto Mets and coaches Chis Kemlo and Rich Leitch, earned Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian Second Team honours in 2020.

Prospects Academy and Prairie Baseball Academy Zach Olson (Red Dear, Alta.)

Olson batted .297 with six doubles, two triples, 14 homers and 35 RBIs. He had a 1.192 OPS in 38 games for the Trojans.

His home runs came against Garden City (three solo shots), Dodge City (three RBIs), Otero (solo shot), Barton (two-run drive), McCook (single, homer), Seward County (solo), Lamar (two solo homers), Pratt (two RBIs), Pratt (double, five RBIs), Garden City (solo) and McCook (plus single, two RBIs).

He had one two-hit game facing Seward County (RBI).

Olson, who played at the Prospects Academy, the Edmonton Cardinals and the Prairie Baseball Academy, for coaches Cam Houston, Todd Hubka and Jason Chatwood, earned earned First Team honours in the Jayhawk Conference this spring. He was a Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian Honourable Mention in 2020.

Prospects Academy grad Brayden Cust (Edmonton, Alta.)

Cust batted .368 with 16 doubles, four triples, eight homers and 41 RBIs. He had a 1.059 OPS and 17 steals in 51 games.

He had a four-hit effort playing Garden City (two doubles, RBI), plus three-hit performances playing Garden City (two doubles, triple, two RBIs), Crowder (triple, solo homer), Dodge City (double, two RBIs), Pratt (RBI), Hutchinson (double, homer, two RBIs), Hutchinson (two homers, five RBIs) and Hutchinson.

Cust had two-hit games against Lamar (double), Crowder (triple), Otero (double, RBI), Butler (double), Barton (two solo homers), Barton (RBI), McCook, Seward County, Butler (solo homer), McCook (double, homer, three RBIs), Garden City (double, RBI), Hutchinson (homer, two RBIs) and Butler (double).

A 2020 Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian First Teamer in 2020, he played for coach Cam Houston and the Prospects Academy. Cust earned Jayhawk Conference Honourable Mention this spring.

Former FieldHouse Pirate Bryce Arnold (Grimsby, Ont.) of the Campbell Camels.

Designated hitter - Bryce Arnold (Grimsby, Ont.) Campbell Camels.

Arnold manufactured 12 doubles, hit two triples, slashed six homers and drove in 39 runs, while hitting .324 in 49 games, making 46 starts. He was 9-for-11 stealing bases and had a .958 OPS.

He found a home at the top of the lineup as the DH for the second half of the season, hitting two leadoff home runs, one at USC Upstate and the other against Presbyterian in the Big South championship final. He was a single shy of the cycle as he drove in eight runs during a 3-for-6 day at Winthrop. The eight RBIs are the second-most in a game in program history.

He reached base safely in the first 36 games of his career, good for the longest reached base streak of the season by a Camel. Besides that, he put together a 12-game hit streak. After the fourth game of the season, his batting average did not dip below .300 again. His 56 runs scored were second on the team and in the Big South.

He earned a spot on the Big South Presidential Honor Roll. Arnold played for the FieldHouse Pirates and coach George Halim.

Most first-place votes on the Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian college Third Team: DH Bryce Arnold (Burlington, Ont.) 13, OF Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) 13, LHP Dylan Bells (Regina, Sask.) 10, RHP Evan O’Toole (Bridgewater, NS) 10, Zach Olson (Red Deer, Alta.) 7, RP Mat Szabo (Sarnia, Ont.) 5, Matt Coutney (Edmonton, Alta.) Old Dominion 5, SS Tyler Small (Mississauga, Ont.) 4.

Third teamers by province: Ontario 5, Alberta 4, British Columbia 2, Nova Scotia 1 and Saskatchewan 1.

Third team by graduating organizations: Ontario Blue Jays 2, Prospects Academy 2, Vauxhall Academy 2, Edmonton Cardinals 1, FieldHouse Pirates 1, Great Lake Canadians 1, Okanagan Athletics 1, Okotoks Dawgs 1, Prairie Baseball Academy 1, Regina White Sox 1, Spruce Grove White Sox 1, St. Francis Academy 1 and Toronto Mets 1.