July 11, 2022

Official Ottawa Titans News Release

Ottawa, Ont. – The Frontier League announced on Monday that five members of the Ottawa Titans will represent the East Division at the 2022 All-Star Game next Wednesday in Washington, Pa.

The list includes outfielder Jake Sanford (Cole Harbour, N.S.), infielder AJ Wright, pitchers Zac Westcott, Kevin Escorcia, and Evan Grills (Whitby, Ont.).

Sanford, 24, gets the first All-Star nod of his professional career after spending two seasons in the Yankees’ organization. A native of Cole Harbour, N.S., Sanford has amassed a .342 batting average, is tied for fifth with 14 homers and leads the league with 56 RBIs in 47 games this season. After attending Western Kentucky University, Sanford has eclipsed 37 career homers in only 208 games.

Wright, 25, is also heading to his first mid-summer classic in just his second full season of professional baseball. Acquired in a trade from the Pioneer League’s Missoula PaddleHeads in the off-season, Wright currently posts a .316 batting average, with nine homers and 35 RBIs.

Westcott, 30, is off to Washington to represent the Titans in his seventh season of professional baseball. One of the most feared arms in Frontier League history, leading the league in wins (14), IP (123), ranking fifth in strikeouts (103), and 10th in ERA (3.29) in 2021 with Southern Illinois to later be named runner up for Pitcher of the Year. Off to his second All-Star Game, Westcott is 6-1 with a 4.16 ERA in 10 starts this season. The Weston, Fla., native has tossed 62 2/3 innings, which is ninth-most in the league.

Escorcia, 27, has dazzled out of the bullpen for the Titans in 2022. In his ninth season of professional baseball, Escorcia is 1-0 with a minuscule 1.80 ERA in 20 appearances this season. In 20 innings, the native of Barranquilla, Colombia is fourth in the league in saves with nine.

Grills, 30, gets the call for the second All-Star Game of his 11-year career. The Whitby, Ont., native is 3-2 with a 2.67 ERA in eight starts this season. The southpaw has tossed 54 innings out of the Titans’ rotation, striking out 62. In two of eight starts this season, Grills has fanned 10 or more, with a 15-strikeout performance on May 24, then a 12-strikeout game on June 10. The now nearby St. Albert resident tossed nine years of affiliated ball with the Astros and Rockies organizations, before transitioning to independent ball with Winnipeg in 2020.

“We are super excited for the guys to proudly represent the Ottawa Titans organization at the All-Star Game next week,” said Titans skipper Bobby Brown. “In our inaugural season, I couldn’t be more ecstatic to carry this momentum into the second half of the season for the great people of Ottawa.”

Following an off-day today, the Titans are on the road to start a four-game series at Stade Quillorama in Trois-Rivières, with a doubleheader Tuesday night. Following the road trip, the club returns home for the final series of the first half hosting the Quebec Capitales.