“More than once we have been asked either in person or via email:

“Why is a player from Northville, Mich. listed No. 1 on the Canadian Baseball Network draft list?”

Well, Dante Nori was born at Mount Sinai Hospital on University Avenue in downtown Toronto. He lived here for two years. And Dante often hung out at the Air Canada Centre before, during and after Toronto Raptors games.”

Canadian Baseball Network editor Bob Elliott shares some news, notes and memories from his recent baseball trip to Alberta.

“There is not a better feeling in the game than winning the final game of the season.

And conversely, there is probably not a worse feeling than losing when you are a victory away from playing in the championship final.

Tucker Zdunich felt the latter after his Reinhardt Eagles dropped the final two games of the AVISTA NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Id. The Eagles won three straight before losing back-to-back games to the Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs. A win in either would have put them in the title game.

No matter now. What was then was then. The page in his diamond book had been turned and he returned home to where he has played the previous 10 years going all the way back to bantam -- the Okotoks Dawgs.”

“The uniform colour black is in at the Okotoks Dawgs Academy.

There are different teams of different colors but the one all teenagers want to wear is the Vanderbilt Commodores-style black uniforms.

There is a Dawgs Red team, a Dawgs White team, but THE most desired team is Dawgs Black.

So, how to explain the Okotoks Dawgs starting catcher on Friday night against the Lethbridge Bulls at Spitz Stadium?

Jacob Wrubleski played eight years at the Dawgs Academy. Only in his final year did he wear black. He wore red normally or white the other seven years.”

Seven Canadians were on the rosters as season kicked off in the six-team MLB Draft League.

Elliott, CPBL Showcase Day IV: Bigras, Gravelle, Hughes, Scott

Elliott, CPBL Showcase Day II: Jacob, Kwinter, Lessard, Sikkema