March 4, 2023

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

The Okotoks Dawgs are heading south.

Straight south to Triple Crown Sports’ 13U tournament in Phoenix.

Meanwhile, coach Tyler Hollick (Calgary, Alta.) has his 18U Okotoks Black team in Arizona

The schedule ….

March 9 _ Scottsdale Post Grad vs. Dawgs 18U Black 12:30 pm, Red Mountain Complex, Mesa, Az.

Ottawa University JVs vs. Dawgs 18U Black 5:30 pm at Kansas City Royals Complex, in Surprise

March 10 _ Ottawa University JVs vs. Dawgs 18U Black 5:30 pm at Kansas City Royals Complex, Surprise.

March 13 _ Gateway Community College vs. Dawgs 18U Black 3 pm at Phoenix

Gateway Community College vs. Dawgs 18U Black 5:30 pm, Phoenix,

March 14 _ Chandler-Gilbert Community College vs. Dawgs 18U Black Noon, Phoenix

* * *

Head coach Tyler Milton (Okotoks, Alta.) and assistant/father John Milton (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.) are taking their squad to the desert, as well.

The schedule

March 22, 4 PM _ Practice, Thompson Peak Park, Scottsdale, Az.

March 23, 10 AM _ Dawgs vs Colorado Burn Black at Thompson Peak Park.

Noon _ Dawgs vs Olympus Titans

March 24, 10 AM _ Dawgs vs Bomb Squad T Red Mountain Complex, Mesa, Az.

March 25 5 pm _ Dawgs vs Warhawks, Vista Del Camino Park, Scottsdale.

7:15PM _ Dawgs vs Colorado Big Horns, Scottsdale

March 26 _ TBA

Mississauga Tigers: As former sandlot skipper Bill Shakespeare used to cry out half an hour before game time:

“O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

Deny thy father and refuse thy name.

Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love

And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.”

Well, manager Greg Byron could find Josiah Romeo in the bullpen getting ready for his start.

Or he could find him at third base getting to turn the hot corner lukewarm.

Come March, Romero (Mississauga, Ont.) will be found on sandlot diamonds in Florida.

The Mississauga Tigers -- with the likes of CF Nathaniel Bell (Milton, Ont.), RHP Darren Lowe (Etobicoke, Ont.), RHP Nathaniel Chambers (Mississauga, Ont.) and C Anderson Fenwick (Mississauga, Ont.).

Mississauga won the Ontario eliminations and Nationals 18U at Fort McMurray, Alta. in 2022, coached by Byron.

The schedule at Boca Raton, Fla. looks like this:

Thurs., March 9 1:30pm Workout & Game vs Blacksox (9 innings) at Santaluces

Fri., March 10 8-11:30am Full Team Workout and practice Santaluces

Sat., March 11 10:30am Workout and game vs Blacksox or Atlantis (9) Santaluces

Sun., March 12 2pm Game vs UIC College Santaluces

Mon., March 13 3pm SCOUT/PRO DAY 3pm-6:30pm Game vs./@ Elev8 Elev8

Tues., March 14 3pm Game vs NCAA Post University Santaluces

Wed., March 15 OFF DAY

Thurs., March 16 9am/Noon Workout + Game vs Scoutz USA Santaluces

Fri., March 17 2pm vs United International (Tourney) Santaluces

Sat., March 18 1pm/3:30pm DH vs Eagle Rays/vs. Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico (Tourney) Santaluces

Sun., March 19 11am tournament Championship 11am Santaluces

Mon., March 20 11am Game vs Blacksox Santaluces

Tues., March 21 4:30pm Game vs./Elev8 Elev8 AM Workout at Santaluces

Wed., March 22 Travel Day Ft. Lauderdale, Fla._ Toronto

* * *

Next to the Junior National Team, the trip of the year for Canadian high schoolers is when Doug Mathieson gathers his players from across the country and ventures into Arizona.

Mathieson doubles as a Milwaukee Brewers scout and coach of Langley Blaze, along with Jamie Bodaly.

This spring on the schedule are no less than 27 games, 90 innings against first and second-year pro teams and 153 innings against college teams with a roster of 57 players, including six Americans.

The Blaze will play farmhands from the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Okland A’s, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers, The game against the Mariners is the annual Wayne Norton memorial game. Norton (Port Moody, BC) was a long-time scout for the Mariners.

Canucks headed south on this spring’s tour are … pitchers …

RHP Josh Berenbaum (Richmond, BC), RHP Benito Bonilla (Halifax, NS), RHP Parker Burgess (Douro-Dummer, Ont.), RHP Makaio Cisneros (Whitby, Ont.), RHP Matthew Donnison (Niagara Falls, Ont.), RHP Evan Dugdale (Maple Ridge, BC), LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam BC), RHP Shaymus Dunton (Langley, BC), LHP Cade Eiri (Maple Ridge, BC), RHP Owen Fernandes (Maple Ridge, BC), RHP Grayson Frers (Surrey, BC), LHP Carter Germain (Maple Ridge, BC), RHP James Lawson (Surrey, BC), RHP Kyu Lumsdon (Langley, BC), RHP Wyatt Macdonald (Victoria, BC), RHP Shimboku Matsudo (Langley, BC), RHP Travis McDougall (Abbotsford, BC), RHP Nicklas Ohman (Victoria, BC), RHP Jérémy Pilon (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.), RHP Robert Scalzo (Brentwood Bay, BC), RHP Matt Shanley (Maple Ridge, BC), RHP Stefano Siniscalchi (Burnaby, BC), RHP Jack Thompson (Langley, BC), RHP Tyler Trim (Langley, BC), LHP Reece Usselman (Langley, BC) and RHP Jacob Wallace (Pincourt, Que.).

Catchers …

Keegan Drinkle (Maple Ridge, BC), Rees Kozar (Amherstburg, Ont.), Deiten Lachance (Sherbrooke, Que.) and Cameron McLeod (North Vancouver, BC).

Infielders …

1B Tyler Bono (Stittsville tnt.), 1B Noah Cassie (Surrey, BC), 3B Zachary Cavanagh (Chilliwack BC), 2B Ashton Compton (Surrey, BC), 1B Dryden Fuoco (Vancouver, BC), INF Austin Goesen (North Vancouver BC), SS Tyrus Hall (Victoria BC), INF Ian Huang (Surrey BC), 3B Briggham Kokotailo (Langley, BC), 3B Macin MacDonald (Delta, BC), 2B Lucas Munns (Toronto, Ont.), SS-3B Myles Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) and INF Nolan Weinmeyer (Victoria, BC).

Outfielders …

Ty Hamilton (Orleans, Ont.), Rémi Lemay (Ste-Martine, Que.), Elijah Olaybal (Langley, BC), Javee Tagudar (Burnaby BC), Jorge Valdes (Milton, Ont.) and Chase Williams (Brampton, Ont.).

Major leaguers to wear the Langley uni include on spring trips include: Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.), Mike Soroka (Calgary, Alta.), Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.), Brett Lawrie (Langley, BC), Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, BC), Nick Pivetta (Victoria, BC), Phillipe Amount (Gatineau, Que.), Dalton Pompey (Mississauga, Ont.), Zach Pop (Brampton, Ont.), Charles Leblanc (Laval, Que.) and Scott Mathieson (Aldergrove, BC).

And there were others …