*This article was originally published on Alberta Dugout Stories on May 3. You can read it here.

May 4, 2026

By Ian Wilson

Alberta Dugout Stories

Baseball lends itself to dramatic comeback stories.

When Dutche Iannetti spearheaded the creation of the Fort McMurray Giants in 2015, he no doubt dreamt of those captivating tales that would await his ball club. The ninth-inning rally, the unlikely walk-off win, the playoff upset, a home-run robbing catch at the wall, the grand slam after battling back from an 0-2 count. That’s the good stuff.

And it was very good stuff for sports fans in Fort Mac when news broke that the city was getting a Western Major Baseball League (the forerunner of the Western Canadian Baseball League) team on Nov. 2, 2015.

The community had just officially opened the multi-purpose Shell Place sports facility at MacDonald Island Park in June and welcomed the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL) for a “Northern Kickoff” exhibition game. The North American Soccer League’s Edmonton squad also played a pair of regular season games there in July and August.

Excitement for sports in the region was growing by leaps and bounds, and baseball was a big part of it all.

“The WMBL is thrilled to see this expansion take place and know that Fort McMurray will be passionate about supporting their new hometown club,” said league president Kevin Kvame in a press release.

Kvame noted the ownership group met all the criteria in their expansion bid, which was accepted by the WMBL Board of Governors.

“The quality of the ownership group, along with the outreach of support that we have been monitoring for months really made this decision no contest,” he said.

Kvame described the ballpark at Shell Place as “another facility that many will be envious of” and couldn’t wait to tour the stadium.

Annette Antoniak, the chief executive officer of the Regional Recreation Corporation of Wood Buffalo, also declared “genuine delight at welcoming this opportunity to bring a new sport and entertainment option to the Wood Buffalo region.”

The enthusiasm from the initial announcement continued throughout November. A special dinner celebration midway through the month helped usher in the WMBL era in Fort McMurray, with Toronto Blue Jays outfielders Kevin Pillar and Chris Colabello on hand for the unveiling of the team name “Giants” and the announcement of admission packages that offered up tickets from $10 to $20 per game. The home opener was also set for May 27, 2016 against the Lethbridge Bulls.

“We knew the community would support it, minor ball, the business community, a great local owner. It’s all the right formula for a long successful franchise here,” said Kvame at the dinner.

Josh Iannetti – Dutche’s son and a catcher on the team – was also elated about the opportunity to play in the league.

“It’s unreal,” Iannetti told the Fort McMurray Today newspaper.

“Whenever you get a chance to represent your city, it’s amazing.”

Fellow Fort McMurrayite Matt McPherson, an outfielder with the Giants, shared his teammate’s enthusiasm for a WMBL team in his hometown.

“Hearing about it, I was speechless,” said McPherson.

“It was life-changing, really. Bringing baseball to where it’s never really been a focus, it’s going to change that community forever. Amazing.”

As the days and months passed, the preparations continued and much of the focus shifted to what the on-field product would look like.

“We will put a product on this field that will be on paper as good as any summer collegiate team in North America,” said recruiter Steve Avila in late April.

“We want to be the biggest and best summer party for 25-30 dates … we have the ability to put 2,500 (people) in here right now with the patio and the seats and the suites. We want it to be the best.”

As the roster took shape and the anticipation continued to build, the introduction of the Giants to northern Alberta and the WMBL was set for success. There was some scrambling that was typical for any team approaching an upcoming season … connecting players with billet families, adding sponsors and advertisers to the mix, contacting vendors about concession stand supplies, preparing the field, and selling tickets were among the ongoing tasks as the club counted down the days to the home opener.

Unfortunately, even for those who are best at expecting the unexpected, no one was prepared for what unfolded ahead of the 2016 season.

BRINGING THE HEAT

On the first day of May, a fire began spreading southwest of Fort McMurray and in just a few days it blazed through the city and forced the largest wildfire evacuation in Alberta history, displacing as many as 90,000 people from their homes.

Dutche Iannetti was assembling a batting cage near home plate at Shell Place on May 3 when his wife, Dianne, called and told him to head south to their family-run business, a commercial laundry service for oilpatch workers. Just hours later, a mobile-home park across the street from their business caught fire. Flames ended up destroying the homes of some of their neighbours, as well.

With the batting cage still unassembled, the Iannettis evacuated the area, leaving the Giants uniforms and baseball gear behind.

“I had no real expectation of when we might be back,” Iannetti told The Globe and Mail newspaper.

The inferno destroyed 2,400 residences and buildings while impacting oil sands operations in the area. It caused an estimated $9.9 billion in damage – the costliest disaster in Canadian history – as it ripped through northern Alberta and into parts of Saskatchewan.

The massive forest fire was finally declared under control on July 5, but it wasn’t fully put out until August of 2017.

Caught up in the devastation were the Giants, and while baseball was not a major priority for the region in May, team officials had some big decisions to make.

The Western Major Baseball League released an official statement on May 4.

“As you can appreciate, the situation is still active and dangerous. We are monitoring the situation and have conveyed to the Fort McMurray Giants that we are standing by for them. We expect to be involved with them when they have been able to access their situation but that likely will not occur until the threat has ended and the group has been able to reassemble,” stated the WMBL, while encouraging donations to the Canadian Red Cross.

While people in the region were assessing the damage and charting a path back to something resembling a normal life in Fort McMurray, the baseball operations team with the Giants was weighing its options.

Would they cancel plans for a WMBL season that was just weeks away or try to move ahead with some sort of modified schedule?

The answer came on May 13 via another league press release, which confirmed that the “Giants have now officially indicated that they plan to operate during the 2016 season.”

Home games against Fort McMurray remained scheduled and further details from the Giants and the WMBL would be announced soon.

A few days later, word came out that the Giants would begin the season in Edmonton and split time with the Prospects at their ballpark for the first half of the season.

“The decision had to be thought out and see if it could work,” said Kvame in a mid-May article in the Edmonton Journal newspaper.

“When you’re moving that number of games, everything’s going to be a little wonky for a little bit, but it’s all worked out so far, so good … we’re looking forward to having them part of the league.”

The home opener of the Prospects was set for May 28 against the Giants. Fort McMurray was then scheduled to face the Lethbridge Bulls in a doubleheader in Edmonton for a pair of games that were officially home contests for the Giants. A portion of proceeds from ticket sales would also be donated to the Red Cross.

“I had come close to postponing it because there’s a lot going on,” said Dutche Iannetti, the GM and vice-president of the Giants.

“The ultimate goal was to open up at Shell Place, of course. For me, it’s all about those kids, and to take it away from them, it’s just not in me to do that,” he said of the college players who had signed up to play for the Giants.

“We’re set here to start out the season, and if we have to play here for a full season, it’s an honour that they opened up their arms and opened up their doors to allow us to do that.”

Fort McMurray had gone through several failed bids to achieve a WMBL franchise before finally landing one, and the front office of the Giants didn’t want the community to lose out on the opportunity to have high-end baseball because of the wildfires.

The Prospects also didn’t want their neighbours to the north to miss out.

“The amount of energy I know it takes to start the team up, we didn’t want them to lose any momentum,” said Craig Tkachuk, the chief operating officer of the Prospects.

“The fans in Fort McMurray are really baseball crazy, and we wanted them to be able to have a team.”

The assistance meant a lot to those close to the Giants.

“Most of our stuff is locked up at our field – it wasn’t a high priority at the time we left,” said Jayne Kenny, a ballpark gift shop volunteer who fled the fires.

“The fact that the Prospects opened up their field for us makes you want to cry. It looked like we were not going to be able to play this year.”

PLAY BALL!

On the field, the Giants got a rude awakening in their WMBL debut, a 16-3 loss to the Prospects, whose roster included future Major League Baseball (MLB) players Kody Funderburk and Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.). Funderburk, who is now a relief pitcher with the Minnesota Twins, had three hits and three RBIs for Edmonton in a matchup that stretched to five hours in length due to rain delays.

When the game finally came to an end after midnight, the Giants – sporting “Alberta Strong” patches on their jerseys – took the field for a team photo and received a boisterous round of applause from the baseball boosters who stuck around.

“Pretty cool – they were really loud, cheering us,” said coach Kellen Camus.

“That put a little touch on everything, for myself, just for understanding the whole context of the situation. It was bigger than baseball that night. It’s still going to be bigger than baseball throughout the season. It’s amazing what everyone’s doing – a great feeling, that’s for sure.”

Adam Kimmel, a pitcher with the Giants, also felt the love from those in attendance, officially listed at 4,720 fans.

“Really warming. That was a good feeling, really cool … because it felt like we were a part of it. Pretty late (at night), you wouldn’t think (the crowd) would be that lively, but people stood up and showed appreciation for us. It’s a nice, warm feeling that we’re so welcome there,” Kimmel told Calgary Herald reporter Scott Cruickshank.

McPherson was also choked up by the outpouring of support.

“Having so many strangers coming up and making sure you’re OK, offering places to stay if you need it … pretty amazing,” said the Fort McMurray outfielder.

“The outreach has been outstanding … it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever witnessed.”

The game brought out the largest crowd for a baseball game in Edmonton since the triple-A Trappers of the Pacific Coast League played their final season in 2004.

“It was just an amazing night,” said Kvame.

“I think it was a rallying cry for the community to come together and to cheer for something after a really hard month.”

Long-time Fort McMurray Mayor Melissa Blake was among those in attendance.

“It was a unique opportunity to be on a foreign field and call it home,” she said.

“It was really jovial, and a fun way for our citizens to connect with one another. We have gone through a lot for a long time, and still have a lot more to go through. Singing Take Me Out to The Ball Game takes you away from that.”

The WMBL debut also brought a series of franchise firsts. Kyle Blakeman picked up the first hit in team history when he smacked a single in the first inning. Pitcher Nikolas Cardinal, who was tagged with the loss for the Giants, recorded the first K for the club when he got Nick Spillman to strike out swinging in the bottom of the first.

Most importantly, the players were playing.

Fittingly, the Giants picked up their first victory on the road, coming out on top of the Okotoks Dawgs at Seaman Stadium by a 9-5 score on June 3. Adam Falcon picked up the win in relief after logging two scoreless innings and striking out three Dawgs.

“We are jacked to have them here,” said John Ircandia, the managing director of the Okotoks Dawgs, prior to the arrival of the Giants in town.

“It reminds me of the (2013) flooding. This stadium, in this area, was a rallying point for the community. Having the Giants here will be a reminder of how fortunate we are to have gotten through that … we’re all bound together. Baseball’s a good healing thing to get neighbours together, to get over adversity. That’s going to happen in Fort McMurray.”

The Dawgs allowed the Giants to take centre stage at the Okotoks home opener. Dutche Iannetti threw out the ceremonial first pitch to his son, Josh, and High River firefighters who had been on the front lines in Fort Mac greeted players from the Giants before play got underway. The Okotoks Fire Department also passed a boot through the stands at Seaman Stadium during the game to collect funds for the Red Cross.

“We’re just so lucky that we’re able to play this year,” Josh Iannetti told the Herald.

“It was under the clouds that we might not even have a season … we have plans, plans to be an amazing team.”

The Giants collected their second win of the campaign against the Brooks Bombers – another expansion team that joined the WMBL in 2016 – in a June 4th contest that saw Giants players go yard for the first time.

First baseman Michael Echavia launched a three-run homer out of Elks Field in the third inning, while third baseman Cooper Krug followed up with a solo blast in the ninth inning to help secure the 11-8 win.

HEADING FOR HOME

As the Giants continued to tour around Alberta and Saskatchewan, their story was gaining headlines and national media coverage.

The Globe and Mail newspaper published a feature story on the front page of the sports section in early June under the title “Something to Root For.”

The article by Marty Klinkenberg recounted the Iannetti family’s experience during the upheaval, while recounting the journey for the team and its displaced fans.

“Every day, when I come to the ball field, it’s like medicine for me,” Dutche Iannetti told The Globe.

“The hardest time for me is driving to and from games. That is when I have time to think about the community I love … it is hard to talk about that.”

When asked about the timing of a return to Fort McMurray for the Giants, Iannetti said the city needed to be ready for such a homecoming.

“It’s not about when people can go back, it’s when the community can support the Giants in Fort McMurray,” he said.

“It’s important for our team, and for our kids, to have fans in the stands.”

The Giants continued to road warrior their way through the month of June.

Damage assessment and cleanup was underway in northern Alberta and people began charting a course home.

Brenda and Jerry Muir, who signed up as a billet family for the Giants, had fled to Regina with their children to stay with Brenda’s parents while the fires ripped through Fort McMurray.

They brought 11-year-old Draven, nine-year-old Brooklyn, their two German shepherds, three cats and boxes of photos in two vehicles to the Saskatchewan capital.

Jerry returned to Fort McMurray in early June to get back to work and start cleaning up their house – which didn’t suffer any visible fire damage – while Brenda stayed behind with the kids and the pets.

“We’re lucky – just so lucky,” Brenda said in the Regina Leader-Post newspaper.

“The only thing we’re wondering about is the smoke damage … I want to get the carpets cleaned. I know people have paid people to clean their houses, but I want to do it myself.”

The parents attempted to make life as normal as possible for their children, so they enrolled them in a Regina elementary school.

“They had a great experience there,” said Brenda.

“I just sent thank you cards for all of the teachers and the staff and some chocolates – the teachers have been great and the kids have been great.”

She added: “I just put them in school for a sense of community, a regular routine just so that they could meet some friends.”

In addition to school, Brooklyn was signed up for soccer and Draven played baseball during their stay.

Brenda also did yard work for her parents and planted vegetables in a community garden plot.

“They’ll be reaping the benefits of that shortly,” she said. “It’s growing like crazy.”

The Muirs were grateful for all the assistance they received while they made a temporary home in Saskatchewan.

“I have nothing but good things to say about the support we’ve received from the Red Cross here in Regina,” said Brenda.

“They’ve helped me get groceries and laundry soap to wash my kids’ clothes and I was just at the Red Cross and they gave me some gas money. They were very generous. ‘Thank you’ can’t cover all of the people here who have really gone above and beyond what my expectations were.”

Despite the soft landing in Saskatchewan, there’s no place like home.

The Muirs had agreed to take one player with the Giants into their house in December. That responsibility was left in limbo after the evacuation. As the team looked at a return to Fort McMurray, the importance of that commitment loomed.

“The Edmonton Prospects were sharing their diamond with our Fort McMurray Giants and the lady from the baseball team called me a couple of days ago and she asked if we still wanted our billet,” said Brenda, who agreed to take in a second player after learning that fire had destroyed six Fort McMurray homes of billet families.

“That was kind of the inspiration to get us going back there.”

The Giants were inspired to get back home, too.

Following a pair of losses to the Okotoks Dawgs near the end of June, the Giants were finally ready to play the role of host to a visiting team, not in Edmonton, but back at Shell Place.

Their franchise home opener came against the Regina Red Sox on June.

“It is very exciting to be part of this historic first game at Shell Place,” said Red Sox general manager Bernie Eiswirth.

“I know the Giants fans are going to fill the park and make this an electrifying home opener for their team.”

Under sunny skies and with an estimated crowd of 2,000 people on hand, outfielder Chase Hager picked up three hits, two runs and an RBI for the home side, while Ryan Dunn registered the win in relief during the 6-4 victory for the Giants.

With that, the Giants had truly arrived in Fort McMurray.

They missed the postseason that year, with an overall record of 16 wins and 32 losses, but the Giants played .500 baseball over their final 10 games of the season.

More importantly, they authored a comeback story for the ages.

It may not have been what Dutche Iannetti dreamt about, but it helped turn a nightmare scenario into some very good stuff indeed.

May 3, 2026

By Jake McGrail

UBC Communications

LEWISTON, Idaho – At the conclusion of a very busy three days in Idaho, the UBC Thunderbirds emerged as the second-place finishers at the 2026 Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship.

An 8-2 win over Bushnell began Sunday's action, a result crucial in that it earned the 'Birds an automatic qualifier spot in the NAIA Baseball Championship Opening Round.

That set up another bout against hosts Lewis-Clark State, with UBC needing to win in order to force a rubber match for the championship. Unfortunately, it was the Warriors who pulled through to claim their second successive conference title.

GAME ONE

The Thunderbirds got off to a hot start, chasing Bushnell starting pitcher Loreto Siniscalchi in the first inning. After recording an out on their first at-bat, the next six T-Birds all proceeded to get on base.

That included an RBI single from Josh Cote (Midland, Ont.) and a three-run homer off the bat of Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.) that pushed the 'Birds out into a sizable early lead.

Those were the only runs that UBC scored through the first four innings, but Myles Chamberlain (Victoria, B.C.) didn't need any more run support on the mound as he was absolutely dealing to begin the game. He finished off the fourth having allowed no hits and just one walk, while boasting five strikeouts.

After the 'Birds added to their lead on consecutive singles from Matt Vanslyke (Whitby, Ont.) and Lou Fujiwara in the top of the fifth to make it 6-0, the Beacons finally got on the board with their first hit of the game – a solo home run by Caleb Richter.

Bushnell did get one more on the board in the following inning, but that's as close as they would get. Kansai Sugimoto added the final bit of insurance with a two-run single in the seventh, and the duo of Kaden Douglas-Pluff (North Vancouver, B.C.) and Mason Chien (Langley, B.C.) combined to throw the final three scoreless innings.

GAME TWO

Facing a well-rested Lewis-Clark State side immediately following the conclusion of the first game of the day, the Thunderbirds suffered the reverse of their win over Bushnell by falling into an early hole with a three-run opening inning for the home team.

After loading the bases in the top of the third, the T-Birds were able to get on the board thanks to a sacrifice fly from Cote, but that was all they could manage for the frame. The Warriors answered back in the bottom half of the same inning when Izzy Madariaga came home on a Sam Weber ground out to second.

The Warriors took a 6-1 lead into the sixth, when Calvin Warrillow (Toronto, Ont.) got another one back for UBC thanks to some strong baserunning. After stealing second and advancing to third on the same play following a throwing error, a wild pitch then allowed the Toronto native to scamper home.

Once again, however, Lewis-Clark State answered right back with a four-run inning of their own in the bottom half of the sixth. Bryce Johnson provided the exclamation mark with a three-run homer, and another pair of Warriors runs in the eighth finished off the scoring.

The Thunderbirds now will wait and see which group they will be assigned to for the NAIA Opening Round. There, they will battle either three or four other teams in another double-elimination tournament from Monday, May 11 to Thursday, May 14, with a spot in the NAIA World Series on the line.

May 3, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes:

Hicks clubs seventh home run

Miami Marlins catcher Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) belted his seventh home run of the season on Wednesday. With that, he set a new career-high in just 29 games.

Last season, he socked six home runs in 119 contests for the Marlins.

He also knocked in five more runs this week to give him 29 RBIs for the season. That ties him for second in the National League with Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart and Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin. Braves first baseman Matt Olson leads with 30 RBIs.

A Toronto Mets alum, Hicks is in his second big league season.

Lopez also hot for Marlins

Like Hicks, fellow Canadian Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) has had an excellent start to the 2026 season with the Marlins.

Through 32 games, Lopez is tied for the National League lead with 43 hits. He leads the Marlins in hits and doubles (8) and is tied with Xavier Edwards for most runs (23) and highest batting average (.336). He also has five stolen bases, three home runs and 15 RBIs.

Lopez, who lived in Montreal for part of his youth and played for Canada at the last two World Baseball Classics, is in his second season as the Marlins’ everyday shortstop.

Brash placed on IL

The Seattle Mariners placed reliever Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) on the 15-day injured list on Friday with right lat inflammation.

The transaction is retroactive to Thursday, so he’ll be eligible to be activated on May 15.

The Canuck righty exited Wednesday’s contest against the Minnesota Twins after throwing just two pitches in the eighth inning.

Brash is 2-0 and has yet to allow an earned run in 14 appearances out of the M’s bullpen this season. Opponents are batting .091 off him.

The Mariners don’t believe Brash’s injury is serious but they are being cautious with the 27-year-old right-hander. Brash missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and he experienced some mild inflammation in his throwing arm during the past off-season.

A Kingston Thunder grad, Brash is in his fourth campaign with the Mariners.

Black performing well for Brewers

In six games since being called up by the Milwaukee Brewers, Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) has gone 9-for-21 (.429 batting average). He has four doubles and four multi-hit games.

Batting in the middle of the Brewers’ order and DHing, he also has two three-RBI games.

Prior to his call-up, Black was hitting .282 with a .378 on-base percentage in 10 games with the triple-A Nashville Sounds. He had two doubles, a home run and two stolen bases.

The Toronto Mets alum also spent the bulk of 2025 with the Sounds, where he had a .369 on-base percentage with four home runs and 22 stolen bases in 61 games. He also hit .250 with an RBI in five games with the big-league Brewers.

He made his MLB debut with the Brewers in 2024. In 18 games that season, he went 10-for-49 with two doubles, three stolen bases and seven walks.

Jenkins joined exclusive club 46 years ago

It was 46 years ago today that Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) won his 100th game as an American League pitcher when he hurled a complete game for the Texas Rangers in their 3-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Arlington Stadium.

With that, Jenkins became just the fifth major league pitcher to earn 100 wins in both the American and National Leagues, joining Al Orth, Gaylord Perry, Jim Bunning and Cy Young.

Five other pitchers have since joined that exclusive group: Dennis Martinez, Nolan Ryan, Kevin Brown, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez.

Thomson has highest winning percentage by Canadian manager

The Philadelphia Phillies fired manager Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.) on Tuesday. I wrote an article about it on the same day.

Shortly after Thomson’s firing, Canadian baseball statistician Neil Munro sent me the stats of all Canadian big league managers. His document indicated that Thomson’s 355-270 record as manager of the Phillies was good for a .568 winning percentage, which is the best among Canadian MLB skippers.

George Gibson, who was the dugout boss of the Pittsburgh Pirates (1920 to 1922, 1932 to 1934) and Chicago Cubs (1925), is second with a .545 career winning percentage.

Thomson’s 21 postseason wins are also, by far, the most among Canadian big league managers.

Happy Birthday Ryan Dempster!

Happy 49th Birthday to Ryan Dempster (Gibsons, B.C.)!

Selected in the third round of the 1995 MLB draft by the Texas Rangers, he was dealt to the Marlins on August 8, 1996. He proceeded to pitch parts of five seasons with the Marlins. In 2000, he posted a 14-10 record and a 3.66 ERA in 226 1/3 innings in 33 starts and was selected to the National League All-Star team and named the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame’s Tip O’Neill Award winner.

He collected 15 more wins the ensuing campaign before he was dealt to the Cincinnati Reds. He’d spend parts of two seasons with the Reds prior to being signed by the Cubs in January 2004.

In his first four seasons at Wrigley, Dempster was employed as a reliever and from 2005 to 2007 he registered 33, 24 and 28 saves respectively. The Cubs converted him into a starter in 2008 and he rewarded them by delivering his best major league season, going 17-6 with a 2.96 ERA in 206 2/3 innings in 33 starts. For his efforts, he was named to his second National League All-Star team. He followed that up with three more campaigns in which he logged at least 200 innings for the Cubs before he was swapped back to the Rangers at the 2012 trade deadline.

He capped off his major league career by winning a World Series ring with the Boston Red Sox in 2013. Dempster finished his 16-year major league career near the top of most all-time Canadian pitching categories, including second in wins (132) and strikeouts (2,075). He was elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.

Clarke on IL

Athletics outfielder Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) has been on the 10-day injured list since April 22 with a deep bone bruise on his right foot.

According to Martin Gallegos of MLB.com on Tuesday, Clarke had been wearing a walking boot, but he was expected to start some running drills this week. There’s no set timeline for Clarke’s return.

Prior to the injury, Clarke was 9-for-53 (.170 batting average) with six RBIs in 22 games in his second MLB season with the Athletics.

In 47 contests with the A’s in 2025, the Toronto Mets alum batted .230 with three home runs, eight doubles and two triples.

Remembering Bill Slack

Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Bill Slack would’ve turned 93 today.

During his parts of six decades in professional baseball as a player, coach and manager, Slack (Petrolia, Ont.) developed into one of the most respected and influential Canadians in the game.

Signed by the Red Sox as a left-handed pitcher in 1951, he’d toe the rubber for 10 minor league seasons before turning to coaching. Beginning as a manager in the Red Sox organization in 1961, Slack settled in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he would lead the Red Sox Class-A team for parts of 13 seasons. During that time, his teams captured four Carolina League titles.

Slack finished his career with more wins than any other manager in Carolina League history. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2002.

Slack passed away on November 9, 2025.

Naylor heating up for Mariners

After a slow start to the season, Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) has had a productive couple of weeks for the Mariners. In his last 15 games, he is 18-for-58 (.310 batting average) with two home runs, nine RBIs and four stolen bases.

This hot stretch has boosted batting average from .127 to .215.

Happy Birthday Kellin Deglan!

Happy 34th Birthday to national team alum and longtime pro catcher Kellin Deglan (Langley, B.C.)!

Selected in the first round (22nd overall) by the Texas Rangers in the 2010 MLB draft, Deglan was the highest Canadian chosen that year.

He played 11 pro seasons in the Rangers, New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays organizations. In total, he belted 84 home runs in 738 games in the affiliated minor league ranks.

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound backstop played for the Junior National Team in 2009 and 2010 and then suited up for the senior squad on multiple occasions, including on the 2015 Pan Am Games gold medal-winning squad and on the 2023 World Baseball Classic team.

He also served as a bullpen coach for Canada at the 2026 WBC.

Julien rejuvenated with Rockies

After two down seasons with the Twins, Edouard Julien (Quebec City, Que.) seems rejuvenated with the Colorado Rockies.

In 28 games this season, he is batting. 289 and owns a .385 on-base percentage. He has two home runs, two stolen bases, 12 walks and 12 RBIs while playing regularly at second base for the Rockies.

Julien was acquired by the Rockies from the Twins on January 28.

Selected in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB draft by the Twins, Julien finished seventh in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2023.

Anniversary of Cort’s first MLB start

Forty-nine years ago today, Toronto native Barry Cort made his first MLB start and tossed a complete game for the Brewers in their 6-2 win over the Blue Jays at Exhibition Stadium.

Cort scattered nine hits and struck out five in the contest.

It would be the only win and complete game of his MLB career.

May 2, 2026

By Jeff Sargeant

UBC Communications

LEWISTON, Idaho – The UBC Thunderbirds were held to one run for just the third time this season as they now face a do-or-die battle Sunday at the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship following a 2-1 defeat to the host Lewis-Clark State Warriors Saturday afternoon at Harris Field.

A game which featured tremendous pitching and clutch defence, the 'Birds held a 1-0 lead into the sixth when the Warriors tied the game before going ahead the following frame.

UBC loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth thanks to a double steal by Braeden Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) and Stephen Waters (Toronto, Ont.) and an intentional walk to Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.). But with two down and no more margin for error, LC closer Zach Elsos got the critical ground out to push the defending conference champions into Sunday's final while the 'Birds will now need a win earlier Sunday to keep their season alive.

UBC starter Will Anderson (Delta, B.C.) did his Saturday, going 5 2/3 innings allowing just one run on five hits.

The 'Birds got on the board in the bottom of the second when Matt Vanslyke (Whitby, Ont.) hit a two-out single to left field, scoring Calvin Warrillow (Toronto, Ont.) from second for the early lead.

The two long-time conference rivals combined for five hits in the first two innings but tremendous work by both starting pitchers saw just two more base hits – both from LC State – over the following three frames.

Jordan Justice doubled with two outs in the top of the fourth for the Warriors but with two runners in scoring position, Anderson got Ryan Prescott to fly out, keeping UBC's tenuous 1-0 lead intact.

The Warriors finally found the tying marker in the top of the sixth when Jackson Reed's sac fly plated Izzy Madariaga. Owen McConnell (Vancouver, B.C.) got the call out of the bullpen and struck out Justice to end the inning.

LC State scored the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh on a fielder's choice with one down. The 'Birds prevented any further damage by catching Sam Weber on an attempted steal of second followed by McConnell fanning Jackson Jaha.

After surrendering the game's opening run, Warriors starter Mason Goodson continued to deal, throwing four innings of no-hit ball. Scott singled in the bottom of the seventh, UBC's first base runner since Warrillow earned a walk in the fourth. But Goodson struck out his next two batters to keep the hosts in front by one.

The 'Birds finally got a look at another pitcher when Jackson Cloud spelled off Goodson in the bottom of the eighth. Vanslyke opened promisingly with a leadoff single but UBC couldn't cash in, down to their final three outs to try to remain on the winner's side of the bracket.

After Mason Chien (Langley, B.C.) pitched a solid, two-strikeout top of the ninth to keep it a one-run game, the 'Birds loaded the bases in the bottom half with two out, but once again couldn't manage to cash in as UBC now faces a must-win game Sunday morning to keep their conference tournament alive.

The T-Birds will face the winner of Saturday's late contest between Bushnell and Oregon Tech. The winner will advance to both the conference final vs the host Warriors while also earning a berth at the upcoming NAIA Baseball Championship Opening Round.

First pitch for the 'Birds Sunday is set for 11:00 a.m.

May 2, 2026

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Blue Jays scout Austin Wells was sitting in Hugo Marchand’s house in Charleston, S.C.

It was a routine, pre-draft meeting that scouts make to the home of the top prospects each year. Wells was asking questions to Hugo and his son, shortstop Taj Marchand, when all of a sudden the scout stopped mid-sentence. The Jays Atlanta Metropolitan area scout asked, “Wait a second ... where are you from?” according to Marchand.

“Montreal,” Hugo said, “I’m a proud Canadian. My parents are still in Montreal, I used to take part of the summer off to go home until baseball took over.”

A few Canadian scouts know Hugo’s son Taj -- rated the third-best prospect in South Carolina by Baseball America and a prospect who climbed from No. 172 to No. 86 on this week’s Baseball America’s national combined rankings. Taj would be eligible to play for Canada down the road in the World Baseball Classic.

“Oh yeah Hugo (his father) and I have talked about what Freddie Freeman, Jameson Taillon did ... playing for Canada,” said Taj. “I was one of the 88 players invited to try out for Team USA last year. I didn’t make the team, but what an experience.

“To play for Canada ... that would be sick.”

Draft hockey junkies and fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs might know Hugo’s background. After three seasons with the Victoriaville Tigres, Hugo was a seventh round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1997. He spent five years in the minors with the St. John’s Maple Leafs, Louisiana IceGators, South Carolina Stingrays and the St. Hyacinthe Cousin before retiring. He scored nine goals and had 442 penalty minutes.

In Hugo’s draft year, the Leafs and Nick Beverley also chose Jeff Farkas from Boston College, Adam Mair of the Owen Sound Platers, Frank Mrazek of Czechia, Eric Gooldy from the Detroit Whalers, Shawn Thornton from the Peterborough Petes, Russ Bartlett of the Phillips-Exeter Academy and Jonathan Hedstrom from Sweden.

“When my hockey days were over, I had a choice -- either the beach or go home and shovel snow. I took the beach,” said Hugo, now a Charleston fireman.

Growing up, Taj played both hockey and baseball, but “baseball kind of stuck.” He made the right call. Hugo, Taj and Xavier, a grade nine right-hander, spent every summer in Montreal until 2020 (and COVID kept everyone at home). He has been to Montreal once since 2020.

“We are all so busy with baseball now,” said Taj, who was asked his best tool. “I would say it is the hit tool. I swing at a lot of strikes.”

Playing for the James Island High School Trojans, Taj and his teammates are going for their third straight state championship. Taj has committed to Ole Miss for next fall.

* * *

Charleston is a long way from the Montreal Forum or the Bell Centre.

Hugo says they get a few “Habs games” [on TV] but his adopted state is without an NHL team. The closest NHL arena is the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., home of the Carolina Hurricanes. Hugo says the main sports in his area are college football and baseball.

Taj warrants a top 100 placement given his impact ability and could wind up being a top three-round selection.

Hugo grew up an Expos fan rooting for likes of Tim Wallach, Vlad Guerrero, Dennis Martinez, Pedro Martinez, Gary Carter and his favourite Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.).

“Our stadium played a big role in what happened to the team. Did you watch that Netflix documentary, Who killed the Montreal Expos?, I’ll never forget 1994 when we had one of the best teams and the strike happened. I’m a dual citizen, it still hurts. I still believe the Expos uniform is one of the best in the history of the game.”

Hugo is in his 16th year as a fireman, working 24 hours on and then having 48 hours off. We told Hugo where we had read on a site how he was acclaimed a hero after Dylann Roof entered a Black Methodist Church in Charleston and opened fire, June 17, 2015. Roof was charged with killing nine people, including Clementa Pinkney, a state senator and injuring a 10th.

“I wasn’t a hero, I happened to be the first one there,” Hugo said.

Marchand told David O’Brien of Quebec Major League alumni site, “It happened on a Wednesday, around 7 p.m. I had finished supper at the station with the guys when we got the call. We were eight firefighters when we got there and we all immediately started to take the pulse of every victim.”

The shooter was already gone when the firemen arrived.

“Scenes like those make you think about the worst possible outcomes, of what could happen to us,” Hugo said. “We are human beings, but we were there to do our job. We wanted to save as many lives as possible. I went to see each victim, but it was clear that many were already deceased. Calls like those ones can haunt you. But the team spirit we have at the station really helps to put all that behind you for a while.”

On April 10, 2017, Roof was sentenced to nine consecutive sentences of life without parole after formally pleading guilty to state murder charges. He is currently awaiting execution for the federal convictions on death row at Terre Haute, Ind.

“It was pretty tough, you have to create a bubble, go to work, do your work and come home,” Hugo said, “Then, you spend time with the family.”

His work schedule changed last year to one day on, three days off, two days on ... “so I am either at work, at Taj’s or Xavier’s game, or on Game Changer, which really became my stuff.”

Hugo said 80% of the calls his trucks are sent out on are “medical emergencies -- we get there quicker.”

The Marchand family hopes to get a different kind of phone call July 11-13 when the 2026 draft unfolds in Philadelphia.

May 1, 2026

By Jeff Sargeant

UBC Communications

Lewiston, Idaho – The UBC Thunderbirds are off to a solid start at the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship with a tournament opening 10-5 win over the third-seeded College of Idaho Yotes Friday afternoon at Harris Field.

One of five Thunderbirds with multiple hits on the day, senior Josh Cote (Midland, Ont.) drove in three runs, one of them part of a five-run fourth inning for UBC to help keep the T-Birds on the winner's side of the bracket.

James Brock (Burnaby, B.C.) struck out four batters through six innings to earn the win on the mound as UBC will now face the winner of Friday's late game between the host Lewis-Clark State Warriors and the Bushnell Beacons at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

It wasn't the smoothest opening frame for Brock who put his first two batters on base with a walk and a hit-by-pitch. A wild pitch allowed runners to advance to second and third with Yotes DH Cody Guy later scoring the game's opening run before Brock struck out Darren Smith to limit the damage.

The 'Birds took no time to take the lead with back-to-back RBI doubles in the bottom of the first from Cote and Braeden Scott (Vancouver, B.C.).

Cote drove in his second run in as many at bats with a sacrifice fly in the third, doubling UBC's lead to 3-1.

The 'Birds got to Yotes starter Jackson Cummins in the fourth, chasing him off the mound after Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.) doubled to score two runs with Lou Fujiwara driving in Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.) from second earlier in the inning.

A David Krahn (Langley, B.C.) sac fly scored Kansai Sugimoto while Cote drove in his third run of the game to cap off UBC's five-run inning with reliever Willy Shirts getting Scott to line out, ending the frightful defensive frame.

The first home run of the postseason for the 'Birds came off the bat of Krahn, a leadoff solo shot in the bottom of the sixth to push UBC's lead to 9-1.

College of Idaho got one run back in each of the seventh and eighth innings including a Caden Casagrande two-out solo homer off Lukas Kaufmann (Regina, Sask.) who entered in relief for Brock. UBC's veteran starter allowed just the one run on two hits.

Scott's third hit of the day, a single in the eighth, sent Krahn across the plate to restore the 'Birds' seven-run advantage.

Jack Ryan hit a two run homer in the top of the ninth but the Yotes' deficit was simply too great as the College of Idaho will now battle Oregon Tech Saturday morning with the loser facing the end of their season.

UBC now awaits Friday's late game between the host Warriors and the Beacons, who defeated Oregon Tech 18-4 in the tournament's opening contest.

First pitch for the T-Birds' second game of the weekend is set for 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

May 1, 2026

Official Seattle Mariners News Release

SEATTLE – Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations Justin Hollander announced on Friday the following roster moves:

-Josh Simpson (#37), LHP, recalled from triple-A Tacoma.

-Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.), RHP, placed on 15-day Injured List (right lat inflammation, retroactive to April 30).

Simpson, 28, has made nine appearances for the Rainiers this season, posting a 0.96 ERA with 12 strikeouts and six walks. The left-hander was acquired by Seattle from the Miami Marlins in exchange for cash considerations on Feb. 16 and spent time with the Mariners in spring training this year.

He made 31 appearances in the majors for Miami in 2025, going 4-2 with a 7.34 ERA with 36 strikeouts and 22 walks. He made his big league debut on June 21 and recorded his first win five days later, on June 26.

Simpson was originally selected by the Marlins in the 32nd round of the 2019 MLB First-Year Player Draft out of Columbia University. He is one of 23 MLB players all-time from Columbia University, a list that includes Hall of Famers Lou Gehrig, Sandy Koufax, and Eddie Collins.

Brash, 27, was removed from Wednesday’s game during his relief appearance at Minnesota. In his 14 appearances this season, Brash is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA with eight strikeouts and two walks, allowing just one unearned run. The Mariners are 12-2 when Brash appears in a game.

The right-hander has appeared in four major league seasons with Seattle, going 16-11 with 8 saves and a 3.10 ERA with 235 strikeouts and 82 walks in 184 games. He missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

Brash was acquired by Seattle as the “player to be named later” from the San Diego Padres in a deal that sent right-hander Taylor Williams to the Padres on Aug. 31, 2020. Brash has been one of the most effective relief pitchers in the game since joining the Mariners, leading the Majors in appearances (78) in 2023 and going 1-0 with a 1.46 ERA in 11 postseason appearances between 2022 and 2025.

The Women’s National Team has booked a ticket to Rockford, Illinois in July for the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage. Photo: Baseball Canada

May 1, 2026

Baseball Canada

CAROLINA, Puerto Rico - The Women’s National Team has booked a ticket to Rockford, Illinois in July for the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage after sweeping Puerto Rico in three games to win the WBSC Americas qualifying series between the two nations.

After a convincing 14-0 win on Thursday, Canada used a strong start on the mound from Michelle Roche (Burnaby, B.C.) in an 8-3 win before blanking Puerto Rico 10-0 to clinch the series on a strong pitching performance from Alli Schroder (Fruitvale, B.C.), strengthened by an inside-the park home run from Sena Catterall (Pierrefonds, Que.).

Canada will be one of six teams in Rockford from July 22-26 along with host USA, Australia, Hong Kong, Korea and Mexico. The top three teams will qualify for the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals, also to be held in Rockford in July 2027.

Game 1: Canada 8, Puerto Rico 3

In the first game of the doubleheader Roche tossed five scoreless innings shutting down Puerto Rico’s offence, only allowing two hits while striking out five. 

In the early going, Canada took a three-run lead in the first inning showing strong plate discipline forcing a bullpen move from Puerto Rico. The bats were hot in the second inning with four singles, two of them being run-scoring hits from Madison Willan (Edmonton, Alta.) and power hitter Andréanne Leblanc (Mont-Saint-Hillaire, Que.).

Willan finished the game with three RBIs while Leblanc had two bringing her two-game total to five after belting a three-run homer on Thursday.

Canada got into their own bullpen for the first time in the series in the sixth with lefty Liz Gilder (Port Moody, B.C.) coming in for an inning of relief in the sixth and allowing one run before Mikael Fields (Shortts Lake, N.S.) came out to close the game off in the seventh allowing two runs with one strikeout.

Three players had perfect performances from the plate in Mia Valcke (St. Marys, Ont.), Willan, and Alizée Gélinas (Trois-Riviéres, Que.). Valcke went 3-for-3, with a walk, four runs scored, and crushed a triple in the sixth inning. Gélinas was 2-for-2 on the day with two walks, an RBI, and came around to score once. 

Game 2: Canada 10, Puerto Rico 0

Canada put up four runs in the second inning keyed by a Catterall two-run single and rode the right arm of Schroder who tossed five scoreless innings in a 10-0 victory.

Catterall added an inside-the-park home run in the sixth to put Canada ahead by seven on a ball that she drilled to centre field and finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs.

Schroder scattered just two hits and a walk while striking out five batters.  

Canada would add a pair of runs in the fourth with Claire Eccles (Surrey, B.C.) using a leadoff single to later score on a wild throw from the catcher on a steal of third, while Lucie Anctil (La Pocatiére, Que.) drove in another on a fielder’s choice. 

After Catterall’s homer in the sixth, Ela Day-Bedard (Gatineau, Que.) tripled in two runs before scoring on Emily Baxter’s (Toronto, Ont.) single to put Canada up by 10.

With the 10-run mercy rule looming, Jaida Lee (St. John’s, Nfld.) came out of the bullpen and worked a scoreless inning that included a strikeout to end the game.

WBSC Americas tournament website

May 2, 2026

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

The future of Canadian baseball has been on the rise over the past few years, and you can see the results on fields both in Canada and south of the border.

Over 1,200 Canucks are playing for various post-secondary programs across the United States and another 700 in Canada, the number of pro minor leaguers continues to grow each season. Travel teams and academies from coast to coast continue to pop up, with skilled and experienced former players and coaches bringing those talents homeward bound. With this newfound success, another league has emerged in Ontario.

While the Canadian Premier Baseball League and the Premier Baseball League of Ontario (PBLO) have dominated the central provinces in recent years, the folks at New Balance are trying to change the mould with their new Future Stars Series (FSS) Canada Scout League.

It’s a grassroots movement starting in Ontario and includes five teams in this, its inaugural season, with the Durham Stallions, Mississauga Tigers, Ontario Kobras, Vaughan Vikings and the Midwestern Ontario Bearcats.

“For us, we started to really get the Durham guys to be able to play at a high-level close to home,” said Jeff Sharpe, general manager for the Durham Stallions. “This new league gave us the opportunity for a newer program such as ours to focus on developing players in this region—those who want to take their game to the next level. Youth who want more training and to play competitive ball.”

Greg Byron, head of college placement for the Mississauga Tigers, is on the same page as Sharpe.

“For our organization, this represents a new opportunity to showcase the program against some top talent,” said Byron. “(Sean) Travers and I have done the CPBL and the PBLO before, and both those leagues are great in their own ways, but this new opportunity through the Future Stars Series aligns with the goals we’ve set for our program—to get our players competing through the window of opportunity in Canada during the summer months and get them prepared for post-secondary opportunities down the line.”

The development of amateur ball has been a priority for many pro organizations over the years, with high school players seeking new ways to showcase their skills on the diamond. For Canadians, that has meant playing with a travel team or finding a program under various umbrella organizations such as Perfect Game. Those at the top of their game have found themselves playing for the Junior National Team or in front of scouts at the Canadian Futures Showcase.

With the Future Stars Series branching into Canada this year, development remains at the forefront and now includes the addition of advanced technologies and programs that take things to the next level when it comes to players’ futures.

This new loop will feature SmartPark technology at each of the five teams’ ballparks, along with other tech advancements such as Synergy, Infinite Sky, and Ntangible. These tools are complemented by FSS’s partnership with the NJCAA, focusing on development and predictive analytics under the JUCO wing that is spilling into this league.

To the average fan, these programs and tools might go over their heads. But for those who break the game down frame by frame, trying to squeeze every ounce out of an at-bat or pitch, it’s a game-changer. With baseball becoming more analytical by the hour, there are clear advantages for programs willing to buy into what FSS is offering.

“All of the fields are getting these technologies put in place, and it not only helps with player development but also allows college coaches who subscribe to these programs to access all the data at their fingertips within a day,” said Sharpe.

Schedule for Canadian leg of May’s Scout Day events:

May 11 – Midwestern Ontario Bearcats; Jack Couch Field – Kitchener, Ont.

May 12 – Durham Stallions; Vaughan Grove Sports Park — Field 1 Woodbridge, Ont.

May 12 – Vikings; Vaughan Grove Sports Park — Field 1 Woodbridge, Ont.

May 13 – Ontario Kobras; Athletic Kulture Stadium – Minesing, Ont.

May 14 – Mississauga Tigers; Meadowvale Sports Park – Mississauga, Ont.

Mississauga North’s Greg Byron

Byron calls it a major advancement.

“We’re getting our players in front of coaches and scouts from across the U.S.,” echoed Byron. “If a college coach isn’t able to attend one of our games due to scheduling, he can pull up specific counts, key moments, and everything in between from real, in-game footage. They’re able to evaluate players in real-time game action without having to leave their office.

“Coaches get all the angles they need to assess a player’s profile—at the plate, on the mound, and in the field. For programs looking to set these youth up for the next step, whether it’s development-wise or potential scholarships, it’s a huge step forward.”

For the Midwestern Ontario Bearcats, that connection between development and exposure to college coaches was a key reason for joining the league.

“We were approached by last summer after many successful seasons in the PBLO,” explained Mark Couch, president of the Midwestern Ontario Bearcats. “We wanted to provide more high-level exposure to our players in front of U.S. colleges, and FSS helps immensely with the technologies they bring to the field. These advancements feed through FSS to schools and scouting departments that subscribe to the programs, and that was an important factor in our decision to join.”

As for the league itself, the schedule is still being finalized as permits are secured and teams are confirmed for this season. The first pitch begins this Saturday with an intrasquad matchup featuring the Tigers. By next week, all teams are expected to be fully underway, playing at various facilities for approximately four to five games per week between the different teams.

The schedule will run from May through June, with teams branching out in July to compete on their own schedules. For example, the Stallions will travel southeast to Georgia and Louisiana, while the Tigers will head to Texas.

The goal is for all five teams to reconvene in August for a weekend tournament to crown a champion across the respective divisions. One key advantage is that all teams are located within an hour’s drive of the GTA, helping reduce travel time and expenses for families already investing heavily in youth sports.

Another notable development is the league’s division structure. Rather than strict age restrictions, teams will operate within three categories: Senior (17/18), Junior (15/16), and Prospect (14U). Players may move between levels based on skill and development needs, and the teams will manage these movements internally and hold each other accountable if things go awry.

The goal is to have as many competitive games as possible,” said Sharpe. “We want to avoid blowouts and instead reflect the strength of these teams as the season progresses. Our focus is on development rather than standings. Combined with reduced travel and overall expenses, this league brings a lot of positives.”

League plays still allows teams to make trips south of the border.

“We can still do our own trips—like Texas or our fall schedule—while playing competitive ball during May and June without it costing an arm and a leg,” added Byron. “We understand that in the first year, there will be learning curves. But every program involved is focused on player development and exposure. We’re all on the same page, and that will help grow this league from a grassroots movement into something much bigger.”

The final number of teams across all divisions is still being determined, with estimates currently around 22. Previously, FSS operated in Canada primarily through scouting events, focusing on drills and highlight videos — something that is becoming less relevant over time. With the launch of the league, all five teams are fully invested in the development of players at the forefront, while being supported by modern technology and real-game exposure.

“This is great for baseball in Canada,” said Byron. “You only get so many months each year to play outdoors here. The more footage, games, and opportunities we can provide to develop these players and build the future, the better. That will always be a win.”

May 2, 2026

Atlantic Academies unite to form Frontier Baseball Club

By Ryan Sweeney

A team comprised of the best players in Atlantic Canada is completing its final preparations for the Road to Okotoks, attending the Ontario qualifier beginning May 28.

The program was founded by Premier Sports Academy in Newfoundland, One Last Rep Training in Nova Scotia, Atlantic Baseball Academy in PEI, and Maritime Rapids Academy in New Brunswick.

It’s no secret that Atlantic Canada has produced talented players, with the best regularly being recruited by top academies across the country each year. Cole and Chase Tucker, (St. John’s, Nfld.) along with AJ Rogers (Dartmouth, N.S.), who headed to the Okotoks Dawgs Academy, and Jaxon George (Belnan, N.S.), a Vauxhall Academy Jet. With the Frontier bringing the best in Atlantic Canada together, that talent is finally wearing one jersey.

“Having a team of athletes you don’t work with every day is a challenge for any coach,” said Frontier and One Last Rep’s Cory Boutilier. “But when we got the group together, we were able to see how quickly they gelled and bought into the vision we, as a coaching staff, had for the program. It’s something we feel we can continue to build on.”

Competitive reps for your team before a major event is a concern for all coaches, but the way Boutilier sees it, it’s another opportunity for Atlantic Canadians to prove their value, saying: “While they may not have the same amount of time together as other programs, every one of these athletes is talented and has something to prove. When they come together to play later this month, I think it’s going to be pretty seamless, and they’re going to compete.”

The depth and talent are both real. The roster includes a dozen arms running fastballs in the mid-to-upper 80s, with at least four around the 90-mph mark. But it’s not limited to the mound; more than half the team runs a sub-seven, 60-yard dash, and most players produce exit velocities in the 90–100 mph range.

Statistical analysis aside, this team has real experience and players who have succeeded in big moments. No less than 17 players on the roster competed at the 2025 Canada Games, including five from PEI, who narrowly missed a medal after defeating powerhouse British Columbia in the playoff game following the round robin.

Jake Trask (New Minas, N.S.) can run his fastball up to 91 mph and is currently representing PBR at the Best of the West in British Columbia. Alex McGrath (St. John’s, Nfld.) delivered arguably one of the greatest individual days at the Canada Games, making a catch in right field and firing a 275-foot throw to nail a runner at home in a bases-loaded situation, and later that night hitting a three-run home run off an 86-mph fastball from Minot State’s Thomas Mitchell (Halifax, NS) in front of 4,000–5,000 hometown fans.

Then there are players like Evan Mabey (Stratford, P.E.I.) who was selected to attend the prestigious Blue Jays Futures Showcase at the Rogers Centre in 2025, and Carter Cooling (Quispamsis, N.B.) a consistent threat at the plate during national events each year.

It’s a diverse roster, with players in every high school grade, along with a few who have reclassified, and no less than nine already committed to playing university or college ball next season.

Todd Price (Saint John, N.B.), with Rapids Academy out of New Brunswick, is no stranger to watching Atlantic Canadians compete on the national stage, having coached the 17U provincial team on multiple occasions.

“This tournament levels the playing field for Atlantic Canadian athletes,” he said. “Collaboration among the four provinces allows us to unite our strengths and showcase our remarkable talent.”

Those factors, along with others, Price feels, put the Frontier team in a good position heading into the qualifiers.

“What sets Atlantic Canadians apart is not only their skill and passion for the game, but also their resilience, work ethic, and commitment to excellence,” said Price. “Our athletes have shown time and again that they can compete with the best, and now they have the chance to do so as one region.”

The staff and players view the qualifier as the next step in the evolution of baseball in Atlantic Canada. With travel less than a month away, they head to Ontario with one goal: to punch their ticket on the Road to Okotoks for a chance to compete for the Morneau Cup.

The group will travel to Ontario a few days early to prepare for the qualifier, getting pre-tournament work in at Royal Field, the Great Lakes Canadians facility, along with scheduled exhibition games against 22U junior teams from the area.

After the Road to Okotoks qualifier, the team will remain in Ontario to compete at the Perfect Game Canadian National Championship, maximizing travel and exposure opportunities for Atlantic players.

Other Road to Okotoks articles

Terriers

Etobicoke Rangers

Mississauga North Tigers

Home Run Sports

North Toronto Athletics

Elliott: The best will compete on the Road to Okotoks and in the Morneau Cup — Canadian Baseball Network

Wilson: WCBL to showcase teams to young talent during Road to Okotoks — Canadian Baseball Network

Wilson: Morneau appreciates team-first focus of Road to Okotoks national championship — Canadian Baseball Network

Sweeney: Atlantic provinces prep for Road to Okotoks — Canadian Baseball Network

May 1, 2026

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

In April, the Junior National Team (JNT) went down to Florida on their extended spring training trip, playing eight games against the FCL Pirates, FCL Yankees, FCL Phillies, FCL Blue Jays (three games), and the Ft. Lauderdale Stars (two games).

This is an annual trip for the JNT, and it gives the players a chance to play against some tougher competition. It also gives scouts in the Grapefruit League a chance to see some of Canada’s top young players. College scouts are also in attendance.

With this in mind, here are four players who stood out in their recent trip:

Sean Duncan – LHP

Port Coquitlam, B.C.

When Sean Duncan takes the mound, the scouting world takes notice – and with good reason.

The Vanderbilt commit is the top-ranked Canuck heading into this summer’s draft, ranked by MLB Pipeline at No. 75 in their latest update.

Duncan drew a huge crowd of scouts in his outings, and the southpaw delivered. Duncan pitched six innings in two starts and allowed just four hits and one earned run on 91 pitches. He struck out eight compared to four walks. His command was a bit more shaky compared to his outings last year, but Duncan continues to be the top Canuck prospect. On this trip, he posted a 1.17 ERA with a 1.333 WHIP while holding opposing bats to a .182 average.

He sits in the low 90s with his fastball but has hit 95 mph, and he mixes his pitches well with his repeatable delivery on the mound.

He should be the first Canadian taken in the draft this summer unless the siren songs of Nashville are playing too loud.

Elliot Lascelles – INF

Toronto, Ont.

A product of the Toronto Mets program, Elliot Lascelles is no stranger to the JNT and the middle infielder put on an impressive show at the extended spring camp.

Lascelles led the squad in batting average (.348), going 8-for-23 with a double and a triple. He finished the week with a .901 OPS and a .423 OBP, walking three times compared to two strikeouts. Lascelles also topped the team with five RBIs.

Lascelles’ draft stock definitely improved, and he’ll get a chance to pad his stats before July rolls around when the JNT heads to the Dominican Republic and also competes in the MLB Draft League. He has a commitment to Yale University, but the Mets product will get some serious draft consideration this year.

Calum Andersen – RHP

Calgary, Alta.

Calum Andersen is a bit newer on the JNT scene, but the right-hander is going to be an arm to watch over the next two years.

The Vauxhall Jets product already stands at 6-foot-5 and is touching the low 90s with his fastball. He commands the zone well, and this recent trip showcased his abilities. Similar to Duncan, he made two starts and pitched six innings, and finished with an identical 1.17 ERA but allowed fewer hits (2) while striking out four. His command was a bit wilder compared to the older left-hander (six walks), but he was able to keep them in check, allowing just the one earned run on 99 pitches.

Andersen is quickly establishng himself as an arm that could play at the next level, and scouts are starting to take interest in the 2027 grad. He impressed at the Future Stars Underclass Elite event last fall, earning Most Outstanding Pitcher honours.

Andersen has a commitment to the University of Oklahoma, but if he continues to impress, he will likely sign a pro contract.

Maxime Blain – OF

Repentigny, Que.

Quebec product Maxime Blain is newer to the JNT squad, but the left-handed hitter impressed in this recent Florida trip.

Blain led the team in OPS (.943) and went 5-for-15 at the plate (.333 average) with two doubles. He suited up in seven games and finished just behind Lascelles in RBIs (four) but led the squad in runs (four) and walks (five) while also chipping in with a sac fly. The outfielder also recorded an outfield assist while adding 12 putouts.

His game still needs some polish, but the Wabash Valley CC commit is making a splash against pro talent in his last year of eligibility.

Quick hits:

-Zach McDonald (Lacombe, Alta.) was the lone player to hit a home run on this trip.

-Josh Mills (Leduc, Alta.) led the team in strikeouts with nine in 5 2/3 innings in two starts.

-Desmond Tregaskis (Delta, B.C.) and Austin Blair (Victoria, B.C.) were strong out of the bullpen, with each pitcher allowing one earned run in four innings (apiece).

May 1, 2026

Official Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame News Release

St. Marys, Ont. – The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum opens for the season today.

“On behalf of our board of directors and our staff, I’m excited to open our doors for our 29th season in St. Marys,” said Scott Crawford, the Hall’s director of operations. “We are committed to celebrating the rich history of Canadian baseball and I’m looking forward to sharing our new artifacts with our visitors.”

Some of the new artifacts on display will include:

-A very special loan of the Toronto Blue Jays’ original Home Run Jacket from 2021
-A display of Blue Jays artifacts in celebration of the team’s 50th season, including a base from the team’s first season in 1977
-The cap Owen Caissie wore in his 2025 MLB debut
-The scorecards from the first Women’s Baseball Game at the Canada Games in 2025, as well as the first home run ball
-The trophy won by the London Tecumsehs baseball team in 1877
-A lineup card from the game when Cade Smith recorded his 100th strikeout of the 2025 season
-A collection of objects from the Blue Jays’ 2025 season, including a base from the “Springer Dinger”
-A selection of artifacts from our 2026 induction class

Renovated in 2018, the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum also houses dozens of other one-of-a-kind artifacts. The museum features interactive exhibits, a gift shop and the Centre for Canadian Baseball Research, the country’s leading baseball resource centre.

The facility also offers rental space, including the R. Howard Webster Foundation Visitors Lounge, which overlooks King Field, and is ideal for work, team and personal events and functions for up to 55 people. For information about how your group can host an event at the museum, click here.

The museum is also located on a picturesque 32-acre site that includes outdoor walking trails and four premier baseball fields.

Museum Hours
May 1 to June 30 – Wednesdays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
July 1 to August 31 – Seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
September 1 to September 30 – Fridays through Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission Prices
Adult: $12
Senior/Student: $10
Children (age 9 to 17): $9
Children 8 and under: Free
Family (2 adults & 2 kids): $35
Groups of 10 or more: $9 each person

Tickets can be purchased at the door or online here.

April 30, 2026

Baseball Canada

FAJARDO, Puerto Rico - It took an extra day and a game one location change for the WBSC Americas Women’s World Cup Qualifying Series to begin but when it did Canada came out swinging, pounding out 12 hits including a three-run homer off the bat of Andréanne Leblanc (Mont-Saint-Hillaire, Que.) for a convincing 14-0 win over host Puerto Rico.

Canada now leads the best-of-five series 1-0 with a doubleheader set for Friday at Roberto Clemente Walker Stadium in Carolina beginning at 2 p.m. E.T.

Box Score: Game 1 Canada 14, Puerto Rico 0 (5 innings)

On the mound, Raine Padgham (Abbotsford, B.C.) started for the Canadians, pitching a five-inning complete game with the mercy rule in effect after the fifth.

Padgham recorded seven strikeouts while only allowing one hit which came in the fourth inning.

Canada’s offence got going right from the start as they built a three-run lead in the top of the first getting RBIs from Mia Valcke (St. Marys, Ont.), Alizée Gélinas (Trois-Rivières, Que.) and Cassie Matlock (Edmonton, Alta.).

Gélinas, who was celebrating her 21st birthday, was a sparkplug for the Women’s National Team, leading the squad going 2-for-4 with four RBIs, and coming around to score twice. 

With Canada leading 5-0 in the second inning, Leblanc came to the plate with two runners aboard and drilled a 2-2 offering over the wall in right field to give her team a commanding eight-run lead. 

The veteran duo of Valcke and OF Claire Eccles (Surrey, B.C.), who were a part of the WNT silver medal performance in the 2016 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup, showed off their experience on the national stage, combining for four hits, five RBIs, four runs scored, and two extra-base hits.

Valcke went 2-for-2, with three RBIs, hitting a double in the first, driving in the first run of the game and came around to score three times. Eccles was also 2-for-2 on the day, with two RBIs, one walk, hitting a triple in the fourth and came around to score once.

How to follow

WBSC Americas tournament website

April 30, 2026

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

The Florida Complex League is one of the two remaining leagues still awaiting its first pitch, with the Dominican Summer League also on the horizon.

That changes on Saturday for the FCL Blue Jays, who will begin their campaign at the Bobby Mattick Complex against the FCL Phillies at 10:00 am E.T.

For those who follow Canucks in the pro rankings, there are five players listed on the Blue Jays FCL roster to begin the 2026 season.

Aiden Taggart – RHP

Grimsby, Ont.

Of the group listed in this article, Aiden Taggart is the only player to make his pro debut since being signed as an undrafted free agent early in the 2025 season.

In 10 relief appearances last year, Taggart allowed eight earned runs and one home run in 11 2/3 innings, while striking out 13 batters.

The Blue Jays also had Taggart make one appearance for the class-A Dunedin Blue Jays this season, then sent him back to the FCL. The right-hander pitched against the Clearwater Threshers on April 19. He tossed a clean frame, getting a fly out before fanning the next two batters. In that appearance, Taggart threw 12 pitches and was hitting the low-90s with his sinker and using a cutter, changeup and slider.

If Taggart can similarly attack the strike zone in the FCL, the Ontario product will likely end up in class-A before the end of the year.

Owen Gregg – SS

Oakville, Ontario

Last year was supposed to be the debut for infielder Owen Gregg but an injury sidelined him for the entire campaign. The Oakville, Ont., native signed with the Blue Jays as an amateur free agent following the 2024 draft. He didn’t appear in affiliated ball that year, instead, he was allowed to suit up for Canada at the U-18 Pan American Championship.

While he hasn’t appeared in an affiliated game, Gregg recently played against the Junior National Team during their Extended Spring Training camp trip. The right-handed hitter belted a solo home run in that contest.

The 19-year-old FieldHouse Pirates alum still has time on his side. He has a late December birthday that saw him drafted at 17 years old. Healthy heading into the year, Gregg is a player to keep an eye on.

Tim Piasentin – 3B

Coquitlam, B.C.

The Blue Jays selected two Canadians in the 2025 MLB draft and Tim Piasentin found himself heading to pro baseball after hearing his name called in the fifth round.

Piasentin was the highest-ranked Canadian prep player heading into the 2025 draft, and with good reason. The Junior National Team grad excelled at the Canadian Futures Showcase in the fall of 2024, winning the Home Run Derby. He features an easy swing from the left side.

Similar to Gregg, he faced the JNT squad earlier this month, going 1-for-4 with a double. This will be Piasentin’s debut season after the Blue Jays kept him in the complex following the draft, and the 20th-ranked prospect in the farm system should get regular reps at third base.

Sam White – 3B

Aurora, Ont.

Keeping the undrafted free agent signing train rolling, the next to get on board is Sam White, a versatile player that can hit for both contact and power.

White spent three years with the West Virginia Mountaineers and was the club’s go-to second baseman entering the 2025 season. A shoulder injury forced him to the DH spot during the season. This likely hurt his draft stock. In his junior season, White led the team in batting average (.361) and hits (69) while ranking second in RBIs (46), runs (47), and doubles (17), earning ABCA All-East Region First Team honours.

That shoulder injury may have played a part in the Blue Jays deciding to keep White on the sidelines following the signing, as he finished the year on the IL. Look for White to be a quick mover in the Blue Jays' farm system if the bat can transfer from his D1 playing days.

Micah Bucknam – RHP

Abbotsford, B.C.

It was a bit interesting to see a college arm like Micah Bucknam listed on the FCL Blue Jays roster heading into the 2026 season, but now we know why.

The right-hander was placed on the full-season injured list on March 26. We don’t know the extent of the injury.

The outcome is unfortunate for Bucknam, who was looking solid after spending his junior season at Dallas Baptist University. He made 13 starts for the Patriots, posting a 4.62 ERA with 32 runs allowed in 62 1/3 innings while striking out 80, authoring an 11.6 K/9 with an impressive 3.6 BB/9.

Things were trending in the right direction for Bucknam, a name the Blue Jays liked so much they drafted him twice (first back in 2021, a 16th-round selection out of high school). Now fans will have to wait one more year to see the former Abbotsford Cardinal and the Jays current No. 18 ranked prospect.

April 29, 2026

Baseball Canada

CAROLINA, Puerto Rico - Game 1 of the 2026 WBSC Americas Women’s Baseball World Cup Qualifying Series between Canada and Puerto Rico got off to a wet start and was cancelled due to excessive rain. 

The game will be moved to Thursday, where the National Team will now play in Fajardo at Concepción Pérez Alberto Stadium starting at 2 p.m. E.T., with a doubleheader scheduled for Friday back in Carolina at Roberto Clemente Walker Stadium with the first game slated for 2 p.m. E.T.

How to follow

WBSC Americas tournament website

April 30, 2026

By Trevor Fitzpatrick

Canadian Baseball Network

Despite the upcoming Road to Okotoks only holding regional qualifiers in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C., the other provinces won’t go without a representative in the tournament.

Making the trip from Manitoba to the Ontario regional qualifiers is the Home Run Sports Training Centre (HRSTC) team out of Winnipeg. The training centre, which is the only indoor training space specialized for baseball in the city, will feature a 19U team which will compete at the tournament.

“Greg Hamilton reached out to our director Jon Ali, and said, we want there to be representation (for Manitoba),” explained the team’s director of player development, Landen Bourassa (Lethbridge, Alta.). “With us not being a baseball hotbed yet per se, but being hand chosen to represent this region was super exciting.”

Bourassa, a national team grad, is an imposing 6-foot-4 right-hander from Lethbridge who played for the San Francisco Dons in college. Following his four seasons there, he landed with the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association.

He’ll be returning to the Goldeyes for their 2026 campaign while he continues his work with the HRSTC. He posted a 4.20 ERA across 15 starts for the Goldeyes in 2025.

The team is hoping that their advantage of being a baseball hub for the province will give them an edge for the upcoming tournament.

“How many high school academy teams get the chance to face four pro pitchers in one evening?” asked Bourassa, referring to the Goldeyes players and Winnipeg baseball alumni who often stop by. “It’s great to give our guys that chance to see what baseball looks like at the next level and take away any of the shock value.”

HRSTC’s roster will consist of mostly their own players, but also a few from other programs. Just a few that Bourassa wanted to highlight include:

LHP Aidan Shepherd (Winnipeg, Man.): “He’s a true pitcher. He can mix speeds and throw the fastball to all four quadrants of the zone.”

Had a great week in Tucson with @HRSTC_WPG I was able to get 2 starts against great competition in Langley and Delta. Across my 6 innings of work I lived in the zone striking out 13, and only walking one batter. FB lived mid 80’s working in the SPL and SL in the mid to upper… pic.twitter.com/cr8STjZzHk

— Aidan Shepherd (@aidanshepherd27) March 17, 2026

McCook Community College commit RHP/SS Lincoln Carriere (Winnipeg, Man.): “He’s been really figuring out a changeup and been up to 91 on his fastball. It’s cool when guys have that light bulb moment.”

Fellow McCook commit C Cole Adamson (Winnipeg, Man.): “He has to be one of the best athletes at the catching position in the country without a doubt.”

I’m excited to announce my commitment to McCook Community College, Nebraska. I want to thank my coaches, teammates, family and the McCook coaching staff for giving me this opportunity to continue my baseball journey. #rolltribe💙@MCCBaseba11 @HRSTC_WPG @WWMBA_Baseball @BaseballMB pic.twitter.com/VDU9cvpBE3

— Cole Adamson (@ColeAdamson_5) December 11, 2025

“Across the board, everybody has been talking about competing against the best players across the country,” said Bourassa. “It’s super exciting not only that they are getting the opportunity, but they all realize how big this opportunity is.”

The qualifying round will take place May 28-31, with the pool play winners going on to play in Okotoks from July 14-19. Of all the teams across the four Ontario qualifying sites, only seven will proceed to the next round.

As Bourassa puts it, for the class of 2026 players on the team’s roster, this tournament will be one of their last big ones before they all head their separate ways for post-secondary.

Looking at the tournament with an even wider lens though, it should be an excellent opportunity for Canadian baseball to continue its rapid growth from recent years.

“It almost feels like we export all of our baseball, right? There’s so many good players here (in Canada) and they all get exported,” said Bourassa. “Having a tournament like this to centralize and tie everybody together, I think it’s really cool.”

Other Road to Okotoks Articles

Terriers

Etobicoke Rangers

Mississauga North Tigers

North Toronto Athletics

Elliott: The best will compete on the Road to Okotoks and in the Morneau Cup — Canadian Baseball Network

Wilson: WCBL to showcase teams to young talent during Road to Okotoks — Canadian Baseball Network

Wilson: Morneau appreciates team-first focus of Road to Okotoks national championship — Canadian Baseball Network

Sweeney: Atlantic provinces prep for Road to Okotoks — Canadian Baseball Network

April 30, 2026

Official Ottawa Titans News Release

Ottawa, Ont. - The Ottawa Titans have set a new Frontier League single-game attendance record by selling out its 2026 Home Opener on Friday, May 8, at 10,278 tickets sold.

Heading into year five in Canada’s Capital, the Club has broken a 29-year-old Frontier League single-game attendance record and achieved the first sellout of Ottawa Stadium since the Ottawa Lynx in September of 2002. With first pitch at 7:00 p.m. against the four-time defending Frontier League champion Québec Capitales, Opening Day 2026 will mark a milestone as an exciting new campaign gets underway.

“We’re incredibly proud of the support Ottawa-Gatineau has shown,” said Martin Boyce, general manager of the Ottawa Titans. “I can’t think of a better city – or better fans – to set a new league attendance record.”

The previous mark for the highest-attended Frontier League game was set on July 4, 1997, by the Johnstown Steal with 10,250 fans.

The celebration is in full swing with live pre and in-game entertainment, food trucks, and a jersey giveaway to the first 5,000 fans who enter Ottawa Stadium. Note, all jerseys are size XL and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

As a message to the great sports fans of the National Capital Region, Boyce added: “The game hasn’t even started, and you’ve already made history. Your passion is incredible, and we’re proud to call this city home.”

Fresh off welcoming nearly 100,000 fans through home games alone, the club increased total attendance by 16% from the previous season. It was the third consecutive year – every year of the team’s existence – with double-digit percentage growth in attendance, underscoring the National Capital Region's growing love for a traditional summer pastime.

With the sellout, the club also has its sights set on the largest single-day fundraising event for the Ottawa Titans Field of Dreams Foundation to date. Fundraising includes auctions throughout the game, donation opportunities, and the largest 50/50 draw – the record funds raised will support children’s charities in the National Capital Region.

Since its inception, the Ottawa Titans Field of Dreams Foundation has distributed more than $100,000 to registered children’s charities throughout the National Capital Region.

Frontier League Commissioner Steve Tashler will be in the ballpark to certify the historic event with a special presentation during a between-innings break.

“We congratulate the fans of the Ottawa Titans for setting the Frontier League's single-game attendance record,” outlined Steve Tashler, commissioner of the Frontier League. “Selling out Ottawa Stadium is a great way to open the 2026 season. We appreciate the support that the Ottawa-Gatineau region has shown for the Titans and Frontier League baseball.”

After the final out of the home opener, fans will be treated to spectacular fireworks. Following the show, fans can head to Autograph Alley at the bottom of Section OO to meet and greet their favourite Ottawa Titans players.

The Ottawa Titans encourage fans to arrive early, take in pre-game festivities, and bring the energy inside the ballpark as the team launches a new season.

Fans will receive a comprehensive know-before-you-go email with all game-day information and logistics to ensure a great, seamless fan experience at the ballpark.

“We’ve come a long way since 2022, growing this great fanbase and turning Ottawa Stadium into a true summer destination,” finalized Boyce. “Next Friday will be a historic night for our community – but it’s only the beginning of what’s ahead.”

Since opening its doors in 1993, Ottawa Stadium has not seen a home crowd for professional baseball exceed 10,000 since September 1, 2002. Originally home to the International League’s Ottawa Lynx, who were the Triple-A affiliate of the Montreal Expos (1993-2002), Baltimore Orioles (2003-2006), and Philadelphia Phillies (2007), the Lynx sold out 59 home games during their 15-year tenure, including 43 in their inaugural 1993 season.

April 27, 2026

Official Bellevue University News Release

HELENA, Mont. -- Bellevue University senior first baseman Carter Claerhout (Red Deer, Alta.) and junior left-handed pitcher Kody Butt (Saskatoon, Sask.) have been named the Frontier Conference Baseball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, as announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon.

Claerhout and Butt led the Bruins to a four-game series sweep of Bismarck State College last week, as the Bruins put the finishing touches on an unbeaten 24-0 regular season. BU is ranked third nationally with a 44-3 overall mark on the year.

Claerhout was an offensive juggernaut over the four-game stretch, recording multiple hits and at least one extra-base hit in every contest. He batted a blistering .600 with a 1.886 OPS, driving in 10 runs and scoring 11 times. The award comes amidst a 25-game hitting streak, during which Claerhout has maintained a .621 average and launched 15 home runs.

On the season, Claerhout leads the NAIA and the Frontier Conference in nearly every major statistical category, including: hits, home runs, total bases, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS. Additionally, he leads the Frontier Conference in runs, RBIs, sacrifice flies and on-base percentage.

Butt earned Pitcher of the Week honours following a historic performance on the mound against Bismarck State. In an 18-0 shutout victory, Butt struck out a career-high 17 batters in just six innings of work, allowing only three hits. The 17-strikeout performance ranks as the fifth-highest single-game total in the history of the Bellevue University program.

On the mound this season, Butt has been a force for the Bruins' rotation, pitching to a 6-1 record with a 3.17 ERA. He leads the team with 12.33 strikeouts per nine innings and has totaled 74 punch outs on the year. Opponents are hitting just .224 against him and he has compiled a 1.19 WHIP.

Bellevue returns to action in the upcoming Frontier Conference Tournament which begins Thursday from Community Bank & Trust Ballpark in Dickinson, N.D. where they will be the top seed and shooting for a fifth-consecutive conference tournament crown. Their first game is set for 5 p.m. against the winner of No. 4 Dakota State University vs No. 5 Mayville State University.

April 28, 2026

Official Okotoks Dawgs News Release

Don Seaman, principal donor, visionary and Dawgs legend, was inducted into the Okotoks Hall of Fame yesterday in recognition of his contributions to sport and community in Okotoks.

One of Don's daughters, Marilou, accepted the award on his behalf.

At the April 27 Regular Council Meeting, Sandi Kennedy, Wayne Meikle and Don Seaman were announced as the 2025 Hall of Fame Inductees. Those able to attend were presented with commemorative plaques and formally recognized by mayor and council.

“Sandi, Wayne and Don each represent what it means to lead with vision, generosity and service,” said Mayor Tanya Thorn. “Their contributions have helped shape Okotoks into the community we know today, and we are honoured to recognize their lasting legacies through the Okotoks Hall of Fame.”

Don Seaman was posthumously nominated in the sports category for his role in helping establish Okotoks as a premier youth baseball development community and a national hub for youth and collegiate baseball. Made possible through his generous support for community facilities including Seaman Stadium and the Duvernay Fieldhouse—which together welcome more than 120,000 fans each year—Don’s impact lives on in the venues that bear his name, and the generations of young athletes whose lives he helped shape.

Each inductee will be honoured with a plaque on the Okotoks Hall of Fame wall, located at the Okotoks Recreation Centre outside the Murray Arena.

The nomination and selection process occurs every four years, with nominations closing June 30 of each nomination term and the Okotoks’ Governance and Priorities Committee serves as the selection panel.

April 28, 2026

By Danny Gallagher

Canadian Baseball Network

Laval, Que. -- At one table were the famous Canadian-born Expos battery mates from 1993: Joe Siddall and Denis Boucher.

Next to them was another fine Canadian, Bill Atkinson.

Then there were two 1970s fireballers at the same table: Balor Moore and Don Demola, the latter of whom is nicknamed "Three Digits'' by Steve Rogers, referring to his 100 mph velocity.

This was the scene at Expos Fest, the magnificent fund-raiser held each year at the Embassy Plaza in the Montreal suburb of Laval with proceeds going to the Kat Demes Pavilion at Montreal Children's Hospital.

Before the autograph festival started, there was a long lineup for Marquis Grissom, making his first appearance at the extravaganza in many years.

"Grip!'' I shouted to him before he went to his table. He turned around, recognized my voice and hugged me and said, "Call me anytime.''

Felipe Alou, 90, a former Expos player, coach and manager, drew a lot of A-lou, A-lou calls.

I went up to this familiar face and said, "How are things in Vermont?'' Bill Lee looked up and said, "I know you.''

We hugged and my wife Sherry, eager for a photo with him, hugged him. Both my wife and Spaceman are into spirituality so, there's a connection between the two.

Lee looked at the cover of my new book and said, "Willie Davis! He played in the 1973 all-star game. I was the only guy on the American League not used. Dick Williams was the manager.''

Tom Foley, Mike Fitzgerald and Andy McGaffigan, close friends since the 1980s, were aptly placed at one table for autographs. Foley purchased my book and I told him his chapter was No. 21.

Randy Johnson was the star of the show during the day and at night at the gala. Bidding on his uniform, with encouragement from announcer Pat Laprade, reached a sold decibel of an amazing $9,300. Pedro Martinez made an appearance at the banquet but he didn't sign autos during the day.

Pedro isn't that keen on large-group autograph gigs but it was still a thrill to see him. Big Unit and Pedro are the only Expos to be inducted into Cooperstown the same year. Felipe managed Johnson in the minor leagues and Pedro in the majors.

Like every year, there was a special lineup for Bill Stoneman and Steve Rogers.

Elias Sosa, a solid pitcher from the late 1970s, was there. I told him I'd tried to get a hold of him several times over the years with no luck.

Bosom buddies Cliff Floyd and Rondell White were on hand again side by side. I keep telling people they are so-close they live on the same street in Davie, Florida.

George Kobitsakis, brother-in-law of the brilliant Expos Fest operator Perry Giannias, told me the cool story of how Rondell was scheduled to fly back to Florida on Sunday but George told him he had tickets for the Canadiens game against Tampa Bay at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Rondell called his wife and got permission to hang around Montreal for another day.

There was the great Moises Alou, fireballer Javier Vazquez, soft-tossing lefty Kirk Rueter, reliever Dave Veres, Cool Lou Frazier, Michael Barrett, Claude Raymond, catcher renown Darrin Fletcher and hulking Fernando Seguignol, whose big-mitts handshake would make you never forget.

Montreal Canadiens great Larry Robinson, so appreciative of Giannias' fund-raising efforts, was on hand to sign autographs and even at the banquet, he could be seen walking around to tables and shaking hands and posing for photos. One fan, carrying one skate at the gala, approached Big Bird to see if he would sign it with a white marker. He did.

There were changes made this year to speed up the autograph lineups. No posed photos were allowed with signees and no selfies were permitted. Seasoned attendee like Frank Michaelis skirted the rules a bit by walking away from each subject to take a long-range selfie. In one instance, Michaelis was moved along by a staffer but Johnson recognized his plight and smiled at his camera.

I want to thank Perry, his sister Dina Bourdakos and all their families and many volunteers for such a tremendous event. There's a guy from St. Thomas, Ontario, who comes every year to volunteer and pick up/drop off players at Pearson Airport.

I also want to thank Perry and Dina for allowing me to set up shop and sell books. It was a blast. I sold a slew of books and made a $65 donation toward the Kat Demes Pavilion.

Danny Gallagher's new book The Tragic Story of Willie Davis: and More Expos Vignettes will be officially released at bookstores across Canada on May 5

April 28, 2026

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

The 2026 baseball season is about to hit the one-month mark, and it’s been an exciting month for players tied to the Great White North.

Over 60 Canadians have suited up in the minor leagues to open up the year, and that number will only grow when the respective Rookie Ball Leagues open up in early May.

Team Canada showed that there is a horde of talent coming from north of the border with their World Baseball Classic run this spring, and now numerous players across different minor league levels are starting to showcase what they can do.

Here are a few standouts early into the season.

Eric Hartman – OF

High-A Rome (Atlanta)

There’s a fairly easy argument to be made that Eric Hartman has been the top minor league Canuck to begin the 2026 season.

The St. Albert, Alta. product has been a home run hitting machine, blasting eight round trippers in 19 games and 76 at-bats. That number of knocks has him sitting tied for third across all minor league systems, and he’s the only High-A player to reach that mark. He also leads the Braves’ farm system (with fellow Canuck David McCabe (Oshawa, Ont.) sitting right behind him with six).

On top of the power, Hartman owns a .316/.388/.711 slash line with a 1.099 OPS, while also walking seven times and adding eight stolen bases. There’s still a learning curve in the outfield with two errors committed between left field and centre field, but the 19-year-old is off to an incredibly strong start to begin the year.

Nathan Flewelling – C

High-A Bowling Green (Tampa)

Sticking in High-A (and Alberta), the Tampa Bay Rays are seeing what Nathan Flewelling (Innisfail, Alta.) can do after his first full pro-season in the Rays’ farm system last year.

The backstop has been off to a scorching start at the plate, posting a .345/.441/.672 slash line that includes two doubles, one triple, and five home runs. His 1.113 OPS ranks 19th across all qualified minor league players, and he’s showcasing his eye at the plate with nine walks.

Behind the plate, the 19-year-old has tossed out 18.8% of base stealers and has five assists to his name.

Garrett Hawkins – RHP

Triple-A El Paso (San Diego)

Garrett Hawkins showed up in a big way last season, and the right-hander from Saskatoon, Sask. is continuing to shine at the top level of the minors.

In eight outings, spanning 8 2/3 innings, Hawkins has allowed just six hits and two earned runs with one hold. He’s punching out opponents at an 8.3 K/9 clip, and if it weren’t for some command issues this past month (nine walks), he would likely be in the Padres’ bullpen right now.

Hawkins will need to reel that in if he wants to make the jump to San Diego, but he continues to show why he was worth the 40-man roster spot.

Thomas Ireland – LHP

Triple-A Round Rock (Tex)

Another Saskatchewan product is off to a strong start to begin the campaign. Left-hander Thomas Ireland has made four appearances while bouncing between High-A and triple-A to begin the year (two apiece). Across both leagues, Ireland has allowed eight hits, three earned runs, and four walks while punching out 15 batters (13.1 K/9).

Ireland’s movement around the Rangers’ system is a bit odd, and he did experience the same type of movement last year, splitting time between three different leagues. He’s in triple-A right now, and the left-hander has quietly been one of the top relievers in the system. His 1.99 FIP ranks third in the Rangers’ farm system among pitchers with 10+ innings.

Mitch Bratt – LHP

Triple-A Reno (Ariz)

This is Newmarket, Ont., native Mitch Bratt’s first full season in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ system after being traded at the 2025 deadline, and the southpaw is pitching well at the top level.

Across five outings and 19 innings, Bratt has allowed just six earned runs and has held opponents to a .182 average with a .544 OPS. Opponents are struggling to put hard contact on his offerings, and he’s allowed two or fewer runs in all but one outing. Bratt has seen a quiet drop in his K/9 (7.6) while seeing an increase in his BB/9 (4.3) out of the gate, but he finds ways to keep the runs off the board (2.84 ERA).

Bratt is knocking on the door to the big leagues this year and that’s one of the main reasons he stayed behind from the World Baseball Classic.

Dylan O’Rae – SS

Double-A Biloxi (Milwaukee)

You want speed? Then, Sarnia, Ontario product Dylan O’Rae is going to be one guy to keep an eye on.

With 15 stolen bases, O’Rae ranks seventh across all minor league players, and backs up that plus baserunning with a contact-heavy swing that is showcasing some sneaky pop as well. Across 77 at-bats, the left-handed hitting Brewers prospect owns an impressive .338/.453/.455 slash line with four doubles, one triple, and one home run.

While his OPS (.908) is lower than others mentioned in this article, with O’Rae’s speed, a single or a walk (16 so far) turns into a double or more very quickly.

Connor Caskenette – C

High-A Beloit (Miami)

Turning our attention to the West Coast, Connor Caskenette is repping Duncan, B.C. in a big way to begin the 2026 season.

Starting the year in High-A Beloit, Caskenette has authored a .298/.484/.489 slash line through 47 at-bats. While he hasn’t hit for much power, the backstop is an on-base machine, posting a 18.8% walk rate while also putting forth a .364 BABIP and 167 wRC+.

April 28, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

The Philadelphia Phillies have fired manager Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.).

Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies president of baseball operations, made the announcement on Tuesday morning after the team has gotten off to a 9-19 start.

Bench coach Don Mattingly will take over as Phillies manager for the remainder of the 2026 campaign.

The Phillies issued the following statement:

The 62-year-old Thomson was in his fifth season with the Phillies. He finishes with a 355-270 regular season record with the club.

Thomson guided the Phillies to a 96-66 record and a National League East division title in 2025 before they were ousted in four games by the eventual World Series-winning Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Division Series.

When Thomson took over as manager of the Phillies on June 4, 2022, he became the first full-time Canadian big league manager since George Gibson (London, Ont.) with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1934.

After becoming the Phillies’ skipper, Thomson led the team to four straight postseason appearances.

He piloted the Phillies to a National League pennant in 2022 and a National League Championship Series berth in 2023. He then guided the Phillies to back-to-back division titles in 2024 and 2025.

Prior to joining the Phillies, Thomson, a catcher on the 1984 Canadian Olympic team, spent close to three decades as a coach in the Yankees’ organization and earned five World Series rings. He was the Bombers’ third base coach on their most recent World Series-winning squad in 2009. He was also a bench coach on multiple Yankees squads that advanced to the postseason.

Thomson was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.

April 28, 2026

Baseball Canada

CAROLINA, Puerto Rico—The Women’s National Team (WNT) is in Puerto Rico to compete in the Women’s Baseball Qualifying Series with the final spot in the 2026 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage up for grabs.

The WNT will face Puerto Rico in a best-of-five series from April 29 to May 3 with all games taking place at Roberto Clemente Walker Stadium.

Team Canada Roster

The winning team will advance to the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage in Rockford, Illinois from July 22 to26, 2026.

Schedule (All times eastern)

• Wednesday, April 29 @ 1PM ET

• Thursday, April 30 @ 1PM ET

• Friday, May 1 @ 7PM ET

• *Saturday, May 2 @ 7PM ET

• *Sunday, May 3 @ 1PM ET

*If necessary

How to follow

WBSC Americas tournament website

Okotoks Dawgs Academy alum Eric Hartman (St. Albert, Alta.) has been named the Canadian Baseball Network’s Minor League Player of the Week after he had five home runs and 10 RBIs in six games for the Atlanta Braves’ High-A Rome Emperors. Photo: Minor League Baseball

April 28, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Eric Hartman (St. Albert, Alta.) belted three home runs in a game for the Atlanta Braves’ High-A Rome Emperors on Tuesday and five homers in total last week.

That power outburst has earned him the Canadian Baseball Network’s Minor League Player of the Week (April 21 to April 26).

Hartman started the week with a bang, going 5-for-5 with three home runs, two singles, a walk, four runs and five RBIs to lead the Emperors to a 15-6 win over the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

It was the first three home run game of Hartman’s pro career.

The Canadian outfielder followed that up with a single, a run and two stolen bases on Wednesday to help the Emperors to a 9-5 victory over the Grasshoppers.

The following day, he belted his fourth homer of the week, while also contributing a single and two runs to the Emperors’ 13-6 win.

He then went 1-for-3 with a single, two runs and two walks to help the Emperors to their fourth straight win over the Grasshoppers on Friday.

Hartman socked his fifth home run of the week in the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday - a three-run blast - to help the Emperors to a 6-4 triumph.

In total, in six games last week, he went 11-for-23, good for a .478 batting average, a 1.130 slugging percentage and a 1.666 OPS.

2026 CBN Minor League Player of the Week winners

Opening Day to April 5 - Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.), Rangers

April 7 to April 12 - Dante Nori (Toronto, Ont.), Phillies

April 14 to April 19- Matt Wilkinson (Surrey, B.C.), Guardians

April 21 to April 26 - Eric Hartman (St. Albert, Alta.), Braves

Top Canadian Minor League Batters (April 21 to April 26)

Top Canadian Minor League Pitchers (April 21 to April 26)

April 28, 2026

By Mark Whicker

Canadian Baseball Network

It’s been roughly a month.

And for some of baseball’s oligarchs, it’s been a rough month indeed.

But the good thing about April is that you can proclaim that you can see trends with the full knowledge that they’ll dissipate by May Day.

Here’s some of the leading developments in baseball’s least meaningful month:

THE OTHER 95 PERCENT

Pittsburgh began the season with two losses. Through April 26, it had not lost two consecutive games again. The Bucs were 16-12 which, surprisingly, only left them third in the N.L. Central, where all five teams are over .500 and the Reds, despite an MLB-worst batting average of .213, are leading.

The Cubs are the only big-buck team in the Central and they have been hot, despite the loss of potential ace pitcher Cade Horton. The Pirates made some small withdrawals and bought Brandon Lowe and Ed O’Hearn, and both have brought significant offence. The biggest news on that side is the belated emergence of Oneil Cruz, the 6-foot-7 ex-Dodger prospect who could hit a river-bound home run in the bottom of the inning and jeopardize the health of first-base-line fans with his throws in the top. The Pirates rescued Cruz from the shortstop position and put him in the outfield last year. At the moment he has eight home runs with an .838 OPS.

Most people suspected Pittsburgh would pitch. Paul Skenes continues to roll, leading the N.L. in WHIP. But the Pirates have a viable bullpen even with David Bednar in Yankee Stadium. Dennis Santana was one of baseball’s best relievers last year and hasn’t missed a beat as the closer, and he, Gregory Soto, Isaac Mattson and Yohan Ramirez have given up two home runs all told.

ANY MORE PINK SLIPS?

Alex Cora got fired on Saturday and maybe a half-dozen managers started sitting with their backs to the wall. The Red Sox skipper became an immediate candidate for the Mets and the Phillies. But Boston did make the playoffs last year and had legitimate hopes this year, and they got stuck in neutral from the beginning and haven’t recovered. It was nice of Garrett Crochet to point out that his bad pitching has been a big of a hurdle as Boston has, but it was also absolutely true.

Brayan Bello has given up 22 earned runs in 22 innings and has an unfathomable WHIP of 2.273 and a hit rate of 15.1 per nine innings. The pitching has been so bad that closer Aroldis Chapman has gotten into just nine of the first 28 games.

The fans want to know why the Red Sox didn’t sign Alex Bregman, who opted out after one season. Of course they’d still like to know why they don’t have Chris Sale, Mookie Betts or Rafael Devers. Pitchers Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.), Nathan Eovaldi and Eduardo Rodriguez have slipped out of town, too, as have shortstop Xander Bogaerts and even Kyle Schwarber. Some of those players have run into problems in their new homes, and some weren’t performing much at Fenway, either, but the youngsters were supposed to fill those gaps. Roman Anthony and Marcelo Meyer have a total of two home runs and 10 RBIs.

Craig Breslow is calling the shots in Boston these days. He was a pitcher on the 2013 world champions and is widely-known as the smartest man in baseball, since he graduated with a degree in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale and was admitted to NYU medical school. Of course, “smartest man in baseball” is roughly the equivalent of “funniest man in a Cormac McCarthy novel.” Smarts, as most people define them, have little to do with spotting a real baseball player that lives inside a gangly 17-year-old body, or visualizing a 26-man roster that has all the answers.

It also has nothing to do with human interactions. Breslow & Co. fired five of Cora’s coaches, including Red Sox near-lifer Jason Varitek, and batting coach Pete Fatse and third base coach Kyle Hudson, a baserunning expert. The Red Sox kept Andrew Bailey, who is in charge of the compost heap of pitchers.

The new manager is Chad Tracy, whose dad Jim did distinguished work in Colorado, Pittsburgh and the Dodgers, and who managed several of the Sox in the minors. He is well-recommended. And there’s nothing that says the Sox can’t get it together in the 130 or so games that remain. But it reinforces the point about money in baseball. It helps you win. It guarantees nothing.

DESOLATION ROW

Misery usually loves company, but Philadelphia fans have a special strain of anger-laced despair that defies all vaccines. Particularly when the Phillies start out 9-19, which happens to be the Mets’ record as well, not that it comforts anyone in Citizens Bank Park. It’s bad enough that Trea Turner has an OBP of only .303, Alex Bohm is hitting .218, and Schwarber has only 11 hits that aren’t home runs. At one point the Phillies had 26 at-bats with men in scoring position, over six games, and went 0-for-26.

Even a fire-breathing offence would have trouble overcoming a starting rotation that has given up a .307 batting average and ranks dead last in National League WHIP. This, after the Phillies failed to keep Ranger Suarez (Red Sox). Like Chapman, closer Jhoan Duran has become a 26th wheel.

The long knives are waiting for manager Rob Thomson (Corunna, Ont.), but Hall of Fame-bound general manager Dave Dombrowski isn’t a mayoral candidate either. Zack Wheeler came back from thoracic outlet decompression surgery and pitched well in Atlanta Saturday, but that’s just a bread crumb for Phillies’ fans.

MY CITI WAS GONE

And then there’s the Mets, with a .625 OPS that’s easily the worst in baseball. They, the Phillies and Red Sox are a combined 30-55, with payrolls that rank first, fourth and 12th, respectively. New York said goodbye to Brandon Nimmo, Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz in the offseason, and the replacements haven’t overcome an alarming slump by shortstop Francisco Lindor.

So far the Mets have been swept at home by Colorado and the Athletics. This has dimmed the long-term future of manager Carlos Mendoza, who was hailed for his restraint and perspective when New York got to the NLCS two years ago.

NO MORE MILE HIGH ERAs

Colorado has the 11th-best ERA in the National League. That wouldn’t prompt a stampede to the box office, except that the Rockies have never finished a season better than eighth, and an 11th-place finish would be the third-highest in Rockies history.

Whether it’s the teachings of first-year coach Alon Leichman or just a mountain mirage, it’s certainly different. The current ERA is 4.07. Last year it was 5.97. Former starter Antonio Senzatela is in the bullpen and has given up eight hits in 18 innings. Former first-round pick Chase Dollander has become the bulk reliever, and has a 2.25 ERA in seven games. He did start in New York Sunday and gave the Mets nothing in seven innings. Michael Lorenzen pitched seven one-run innings against the Mets as well.

Leichman became the first Israeli-born coach in MLB history when Cincinnati hired him. He’s calling the pitches from the dugout and hoping that a new voice, plus a lineup full of promising young hitters, will drain the bad memories from veteran Kyle Freeland. He also won’t tell the young pitchers that Coors Field isn’t Cape Canaveral.

WHO DOES HE PLAY FOR?

The Player of the Week Awards don’t spark a lot of baseball conversation, but the two winners this week will cherish them. This is Ildemaro Vargas’ third go-round with Arizona, and he’s been with four other clubs, too. He’s a 5-foot-11 switch-hitter with 26 home runs in 10 major league years. But Vargas has six homers this year already and is hitting .367 for the Diamondbacks, and he’s put together a 23-game hitting streak that goes back to 2025.

The American League winner was Carlos Cortes of the Athletics, and it’s a highlight for him too. He was a third round pick of the Mets, from South Carolina, but signed with Oakland as a free agent before he surfaced. Last year Cortes got minimal time and hit .309, but this year he is hitting .377 with a 1.121 OPS. He’s also known as a switch-thrower — righthanded on the infield, lefthanded on the outfield. Everybody’s got something to offer, and everybody’s welcome in April.

April 28, 2025

By Trevor Fitzpatrick

Canadian Baseball Network

As the all-new Road to Okotoks tournament approaches, the Mississauga North Tigers are ready to defend their home field as one of the regional qualifier host teams.

While some teams may only send one age group plus one or two players from the announced draft, the Tigers are planning to play multiple of their age groups to fill out their roster. (There will be a one round national draft for the 16 teams qualifying for Okotoks.  All 16 can select one player.)

“We’re going to send our best players from the program, not just one team,” explained Sean Travers, the Tigers’ director of player development. “Unless there’s some unforeseen situations, I don’t see us partaking in the draft because we want this to be a Tigers only thing.”

The program is looking to build on what was an impressive 2025 season. Their 15U team won the Mississauga North Baseball Association tournament, and the 18U team took home silver at the Baseball Canada National Championships.

Meanwhile in the states, the 16U and 17U squads put up great runs at the Five Tool Texas Houston Classic, posting 3-1 and 4-0-1 records respectively.

With the Road to Okotoks upcoming, the Tigers are looking at it as an exciting chance to compete against the very best that Canada has to offer, who they don’t normally get to play against.

“You can’t hide the fact that there’s a better league than the one we play in,” Travers said. “The CPBL is the superior league (compared to the OBA), at least at the top end, than we’ve played in in the past. When you get a chance to compete against the guys that are known as the superior league, that has to be exciting if you’re a competitor.”

He continued, “If you make it to the next round, you get to compete against teams from different provinces. As soon as I heard about it, I was extremely excited. It will pull all the talent together. You can talk all you want to talk, but results on the field are the results on the field.”

Headliners of the Tigers roster include Midland Community College shortstop commit Joey Khananisho (Kleinburg, Ont.), Kansas State pitcher commit Max Nantais-Vlahovich (Mississauga, Ont.), and Northeast Texas Community College middle-infield commit Jacob Berney (Mississauga, Ont.).

One of Travers’ personal favourite players though is middle-infielder and pitcher Ramsey Chung (Mississauga, Ont.). The Canadian Futures Showcase alumni is expected to be a cornerstone for the Tigers during the Road to Okotoks.

“When you put everything he does together, he’s an ace on the mound and then a very good shortstop,” said Travers.

“I don’t think there’s anybody else in the country that can offer what Ramsey does. He’s a little unsung, he hasn’t gotten a chance on Team Canada, but I hopefully say ‘yet’ to that. I think he’s looking at this tournament as a time to go out there and prove that he should be on that team.”

@ramseyc_18
I am honored to receive the award for Elite Clutch performer at the Canadian Futures Showcase hosted by the @BlueJaysAcademy@byrongreg @sixfourclub @HppTigers pic.twitter.com/lObKpxVzjA

— Ramsey Chung (@ramseyc_18) September 20, 2025

The Road to Okotoks regional qualifiers are set to run from May 28-31, with the championship planned for July 14-19.

“I’m very thankful to Greg Hamilton of Baseball Canada and that he recognized us as a program that should host an event. We’re super excited to compete. There’s something out there to win, we’re not just going to play in front of scouts, this is a chance for these guys to learn how to win and learn how to be a team.”

Other Road to Okotoks Articles:

Terriers

Etobicoke Rangers

Home Run Sports

North Toronto Athletics

Elliott: The best will compete on the Road to Okotoks and in the Morneau Cup — Canadian Baseball Network

Wilson: WCBL to showcase teams to young talent during Road to Okotoks — Canadian Baseball Network

Wilson: Morneau appreciates team-first focus of Road to Okotoks national championship — Canadian Baseball Network

Sweeney: Atlantic provinces prep for Road to Okotoks — Canadian Baseball Network

Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team grad Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) has been designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels.

April 27, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday.

The move came after the veteran reliever was roughed up for four runs in 2/3 of an inning by the Kansas City Royals on Saturday, which boosted his season ERA to 10.13.

With the move, the Angels have seven days to trade, release or waive the Canuck righty.

After starting the season 4-for-4 in save oppportunities and not allowing a hit in his first five outings, Romano has surrendered nine earned runs in three innings in his last six appearances.

The 32-year-old right-hander signed a one-year, $2-million deal with the Angels in December after a rough 2025 campaign with the Philadelphia Phillies.

After inking a one-year, $8.5-million contract with the Phillies in December 2024, the ex-Blue Jay proceeded to post an 8.23 ERA and record eight saves in 49 relief appearances before he was sidelined by a season-ending finger injury in late August.

Prior to his tenure with the Phils, Romano recorded 105 saves and was a two-time All-Star in his six seasons with the Blue Jays.

Originally chosen in the 10th round of the MLB draft by the Blue Jays in 2014, the Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum is entering his eighth major league season.

April 26, 2026

By Ian French

UBC Communications

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds are Cascade Collegiate Conference regular season champions for a second straight year after sweeping their season-ending doubleheader at Tourmaline West Stadium on Sunday.

The T-Birds took down the Bushnell Beacons twice, earning an 8-3 win in game one, then following with a dramatic, 9-8 walk-off victory in game two, to finish the year with an identical conference record to Lewis-Clark State, splitting the regular season title. The Warriors hold the head-to-head tiebreaker and will therefore host the conference championship tournament next weekend.

UBC's ballpark was packed for Senior Day, as multiple Thunderbirds in their final year of eligibility were suiting up for their last home games in the blue and gold uniform. Daniel Orfaly (White Rock, B.C.), James Brock (Burnaby, B.C.), Oliver Duthie, Otis Pritchett, Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.), Josh Cote (Midland, Ont.), and Jaden Lamothe (Langley, B.C.) were all recognized for their T-Bird tenures, posing for pictures with coaches and family to close out the 2025-2026 campaign.

"Some of these kids have been here for four or five years, so it's really weird to think we won't have them around next year. It's emotional, I know some of them probably found it hard to focus," reflected UBC head coach Chris Pritchett. "At the same time, we have so much to look forward to this coming week. I don't think it's really hit me yet. We're still grinding, but it was definitely a bittersweet day."

Starring for the 'Birds in the doubleheader was David Krahn (Langley, B.C.), who combined for four hits and two RBIs across both games. Oliver Clements (Vancouver, B.C.) chipped in with four hits of his own and scored three runs over the course of the day. T-Birds' starter Myles Chamberlain (Victoria, B.C.) improved his record to 9-1, striking out four over five innings of two-run ball to earn the victory in game one.

Game 1

After a quick top of the first, the bottom half saw the 'Birds go to work. A hit-by-pitch led off the inning, and a subsequent passed ball put a runner on second base. Braedon Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) and Krahn followed with a pair of deep singles to tally two early runs for UBC.

The Beacons wasted no time responding, starting the second with a pair of walks followed by an RBI-single from Dylan Carson. A few plays later, Danny Womack laid down a successful squeeze bunt leading to a close play at the plate, with the runner ruled safe to tie the game at two apiece.

The score held until the bottom of the fourth where, after UBC put two runners in scoring position, Matt Vrlak (Vancouver, B.C.) shot a single into centre field to drive in both and re-establish the home side's two-run lead.

The 'Birds loaded the bases to start the bottom of the sixth and managed to tack on two runs with a sacrifice fly and a single. Then, with two outs, Cote stepped into the box and crushed one down the left field line for a two-RBI double, inflating his team's lead to 8-2.

The Beacons managed to add on another run in the seventh, and had several hitters reach base, but they could not bring them home, falling 8-3.

Game 2

After a quiet start to this one, the Beacons continuously capitalized on fielding errors to slowly work up a healthy 5-2 advantage deep into this ball game.

In the bottom of the seventh, the T-Birds answered with a run before Bourne stepped up with the bases loaded and belted a single through the infield and into shallow right, scoring two to tie the game once again in his final game at Tourmaline West. A pair of Bushnell errors scored another two for the T-Birds as they stormed back to take a 7-5 lead by the time the inning was done.

The 'Birds tacked on another in the bottom of the eighth for a three-run advantage, but just as it looked as if UBC had a win in hand, Bushnell fired back in the top of the ninth. The Beacons put two men on, but things still looked bleak as they were facing their final out. Then, Mana Heffernan and Davis Grawey stepped up in the clutch and delivered a pair of singles to even the score at eight and send the Beacons' dugout into a frenzy.

However, as the T-Birds have done all season, they responded in the bottom half of the ninth. Clements led off with a single, and after an error and a bunt, he made his way to third. Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.) followed and bounced a dribbler up the third base line, giving enough time for Clements to cross the plate and score the game's winning run in walk-off fashion, earning the T-Birds a 9-8 victory.

Despite UBC winning both of their final games of the season, the Lewis-Clark State College Warriors (38-7, 30-7) also earned a victory on their home field on Sunday to solidify the two as co-regular season champions. With LC State holding the tiebreaker, they will host the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship Tournament next week, meaning the Thunderbirds will head to Lewiston, Idaho, to take on the College of Idaho Yotes on May 1 at 2:30 p.m. P.T. for their first game of the double-elimination event.

"[The Yotes] had a good season, some pretty good offensive players that can run. There are many ways they can beat you. We're just going to get to work on trying to neutralize all of those factors," said coach Pritchett. "If we play well, that's all I'm worried about. As long as we go out there and play good baseball and whatever happens after that, as a coach, you feel good about it."

*This article was originally published on Alberta Dugout Stories on April 24, 2026. You can read it here.

April 26, 2026

By Joe McFarland

Alberta Dugout Stories

They’re competitive, but Turner Zdunich says there is no sibling rivalry between he and his three brothers.

That being said, he may still be reveling in the fact that he has eclipsed his older brother, Tucker, in a couple of career milestones at Colby Community College.

Over the course of three seasons (one shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic), the elder Zdunich hit .317 with 20 home runs and 86 runs batted in over 119 games with the Trojans.

With two weeks left in his second spring at Colby, Turner now has a career batting average of .386 to go along with 22 round trippers and 103 RBIs in 97 games.

While there might be some friendly ribbing around the family dinner table during special occasions, the younger brother is quick to give credit where its due.

“Tucker gave me tonnes of advice and it was all very helpful,” Zdunich told Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast.

“He kept me comfortable with school and ball stuff, and just gave me the expectation there is in college and how things work.”

It’s that brotherly advice, along with a team-first mentality, that continues to guide the young utilityman as he looks to his future and potential four-year school opportunities.

BIG CLEATS TO FILL

With four boys growing up loving sports all in the same household, you would expect to hear about nothing but pandemonium.

But Zdunich says life on the farm near High River wasn’t all that intense, as it was more of a true blue brotherhood with Tucker, Tyler and Tanner.

“I think our family is more based on just helping each other out and just trying to make each of us better than the other one,” he said.

“I’ve definitely learned a lot from all my brothers and I really appreciate them with all their help they have given me over the years.”

Following in the same path as Tucker – who later went onto star at Reinhardt University and is now playing professionally with the London Majors – Zdunich went to Dawgs Academy in Okotoks to take his baseball skills to the next level.

“They turned us into great young men over there,” he said.

“We worked hard and, compared with other high schools I’ve heard of, the Dawgs are definitely elite and top of the game.”

The move paid off, as the pitcher and outfielder earned a commitment to Colby.

A COLLEGE STAR IS BORN

To say that Zdunich had a breakout freshman season with the Trojans feels like a major understatement.

At the plate, he hit .407 with nine homers and 57 RBIs in 55 games, while posting a 3-4 record with a 4.17 earned-run average and 39 strikeouts in 14 appearances as a pitcher.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound southpaw earned numerous accolades, including Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference West Division Freshman of the Year, West Division First Team, and All-KJCCC Second Team.

A Canadian Baseball Network All-Canadian Third Teamer and a member of the 2025 ADS All-College Team, Zdunich was modest about all the attention he was getting.

“I just stuck to my approach at the plate and on the mound,” he said.

“I got help from coaches and worked a lot on the mound, which helped me throughout the season.”

Zdunich admits he was nervous early on but found his stride as he got more comfortable in his new surroundings away from home.

MODEL OF CONSISTENCY

With the bar set very high heading into sophomore season, Zdunich says he wanted to focus on staying consistent and getting stronger.

He started working on that goal last summer as he suited up with the Western Canadian Baseball League’s Saskatoon Berries, posting a .171 average with five RBIs and five stolen bases in 25 games while going 1-0 with an 8.30 ERA in seven games on the mound.

While the numbers weren’t overly flattering, it gave him some insights on what to work on to face higher level talent.

Through his first 42 games back at Colby, Zdunich is hitting .358 with 13 dingers and 46 RBIs, and while his average has dipped slightly, his walks have increased from 18 to 28, meaning his on-base percentage has stayed consistent (.472 in 2025 and .476 in 2026).

Turner Zdunich had a monster week at the plate, earning Player of the Week honors as the Trojans took the series against Garden City. He hit .556 on the week, including three home runs and a walk-off blast. #BleedBlue pic.twitter.com/itNBAm2oL8

— Colby Trojan Athletics (@TrojanAthletic) April 21, 2026

The Trojans will finish off their regular season on May 1 before the quest for the NJCAA World Series begins.

In the meantime, the KJCCC West Division Player of the Week for April 13-20 is weighing his options for the summer ahead as well as his future school plans.

And maybe the biggest question of them all: will he continue to be a two-way player?

“I’m definitely game to do both as long as they let me,” Zdunich said. “I’d say I’ve become more of a hitter, but yeah, whatever works.”

So far, so good for a young man who is enjoying every minute of his baseball journey, including some bragging rights over his older brother.

April 25, 2026

By Ian French

UBC Communications

VANCOUVER – The University of British Columbia Thunderbirds kicked off senior weekend by splitting a Saturday doubleheader against the Bushnell Beacons at Tourmaline West Stadium, earning a 10-0 victory in game one, followed with a 3-1 loss in game two – snapping their winning streak at nine.

The T-Birds were led by starting pitcher Will Anderson (Delta, B.C.), who conceded just two hits over six innings of work while striking out 11 – matching his season high – to earn the win in game one.

The Beacons secured the victory in game two through pinpoint pitching from starter DJ Kauahi, who conceded just one run while tossing all nine innings.

"[Anderson] was trying to overthrow the ball a little bit and get in some hitters' counts," said UBC head coach, Chris Pritchett. "Then once he settled in, guys like that, if they settle in, it gets tough for the hitters. He started to have all his pitches working, and it was fun to watch."

Game 1

Pitching set the tone early in this one, with scoring at a premium in the first several innings. Beacons starter, Kai Keamo, continuously tied up hitters to induce pop-ups or ground outs, while UBC's Anderson pounded the strike zone to rack up eight punch-outs through the first four innings.

With the game still scoreless in the bottom half of the fourth, UBC looked to make some noise. After a pair of walks, an error, and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases with only one out, Braedon Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) and Matt Vrlak (Vancouver, B.C.) connected on back-to-back singles to drive in two runs. A wild pitch, another single, and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.) capped a scoring explosion for UBC, handing the home side a 6-0 lead.

Over the next two innings, UBC tacked on three more runs, highlighted by a pair of doubles in the sixth from Yip and Josh Cote (Midland, Ont.) to inflate their lead to 9-0.

In the bottom of the seventh, UBC needed just one more run to walk things off due to the mercy rule. With runners on first and second, Oliver Clements (Vancouver, B.C.) stepped into the box and looked to deal damage. After blasting two foul balls that had home run distance to either side of the field, he connected on the next pitch and sent it deep to the gap in left centre, scoring Kansai Sugimoto to establish a 10-0 lead, sealing the win for the T-Birds.

Game 2

The bats stayed hot for UBC to start game two. After a walk and a subsequent double from Yip that put two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the first, Cote launched a moonshot to centre field to hand the home side an early 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly.

The Beacons posed threats on the base paths early, but with one out and a runner on second in the top of the third, Albert Jennings blasted one that split the gap in left to score his squad's first run of the day. Nate Stevens and Dylan Carson wasted no time and followed with a pair of singles shortly after to hand Bushnell a 2-1 lead.

Through solid pitching and sound defence in the field, the Beacons' narrow advantage held all the way until the top of the seventh, where Nigel Fahland stepped up to the plate to lead off the frame. On the seventh pitch of the at-bat, the Beacons' shortstop drilled a double down the left field line. Shortly after, Jennings swatted an RBI single through the left side for his third hit of the game and a 3-1 lead.

Throughout the final three innings, the 'Birds consistently made contact but couldn't seem to string hits together to generate offence, ending the game with a 3-1 loss.

"At this point in the year, there's not a lot of coaching advantage, and they know what's at stake," reflected Pritchett. "We're hoping that all the work we put in starts to show up in all the different areas at this point of the season. You can't be pitching well but not hitting; it's got to be everything."

Both sides will return to the field Sunday for more doubleheader action. First place in the Cascade Collegiate Conference remains up for grabs, but it requires UBC to win both against Bushnell while also needing Warner Pacific to win their series finale at Lewis-Clark State.

First pitch for senior day at Tourmaline West Stadium is scheduled for 11 a.m.

April 26, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes:

Hicks continues to be RBI machine

Miami Marlins catcher Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) drove in six more runs this week and now has 24 RBIs this season. That leaves him just five behind National League leader and Cincinnati Reds first baseman Sal Stewart.

Hicks is also tied with Atlanta Braves backstop Drake Baldwin for most RBIs by a major league catcher this season.

On top of his impressive RBI total, Hicks is batting .313 with a .530 slugging percentage in 26 games.

The Toronto Mets alum is in his second big league season.

Soroka continues to excel for D-Backs

On Thursday, Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) continued his strong start to the season when he permitted just one run in five innings to the Chicago White Sox. He got a no-decision, but he lowered his season ERA to 2.60 ERA.

In five starts this season, Soroka is 4-0 with 34 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings. Those 34 strikeouts are tied for the seventh most in the National League.

The 28-year-old Calgary Redbirds grad is in his seventh major league season.

Sabrowski, Smith shut down Blue Jays

In the Cleveland Guardians’ 8-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Friday, left-hander Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning to register a hold before right-hander Cade Smith (Abbotsford, B.C.) retired the side in the ninth to collect a save.

This represented the first regular season game that the two Canadians hurlers recorded a hold and a save respectively against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

The hold was Sabrowski’s American League-leading 10th of the season. Smith’s save was his sixth, which is tied for second in the AL, one behind the Yankees’ David Bednar.

It was also Smith’s first save in Canada against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.

I should also note that Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) was catching Sabrowski and Smith on Friday.

Guerrero Jr. made his MLB debut seven years ago

It was seven years ago today that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Montreal, Que.) made his much anticipated MLB debut with the Blue Jays.

Batting fifth and playing third base, he went 1-for-4 in the Blue Jays’ 4-2 win over the Oakland A’s in front of 28,688 fans at Rogers Centre.

His first MLB hit was a double off Yusmeiro Petit in the ninth inning.

Brash still putting up zeroes

Seattle Mariners reliever Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) has yet to allow a run in his 12 appearances this season.

The M’s set-up man has surrendered just three hits, while striking out six, in 10 1/3 innings. Opponents are hitting just .100 off him.

The M’s were cautious with the 27-year-old right-hander this spring after he experienced some mild inflammation in his throwing arm early in the off-season.

A Kingston Thunder grad, Brash is in his fourth campaign with the Mariners.

Guerrero Sr. hit 100th MLB homer 26 years ago

Twenty-six years ago today, Vladimir Guerrero Sr. belted his 100th career home run with the Montreal Expos.

It was a solo blast in the eighth inning off Julian Tavarez in the Expos’ 9-2 win over the Colorado Rockies at Olympic Stadium.

Guerrero went on to hit 234 home runs as an Expo before signing with the Los Angeles Angels as a free agent after the 2003 season.

Pop on 15-day injured list

The Philadelphia Phillies placed right-hander Zach Pop on the 15-day injured list on April 13 with a right-calf strain.

Pop (Brampton, Ont.), who had signed with the Phillies in December and cracked their Opening Day roster, had posted a 3.68 ERA in seven appearances in 7 1/3 innings before being sidelined

The 29-year-old right-hander split the 2025 season between four major league organizations – the Blue Jays, Mariners, New York Mets and Chicago Cubs – making just five big league appearances.

Chosen in the seventh round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Toronto Mets alum is in his sixth MLB season.

O’Neill activated from IL by Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles activated outfielder Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) from the seven-day injured list on Friday.

He had been out since April 9 with a concussion.

O’Neill returned to the O’s lineup on Saturday. Batting fifth and playing right field, he went 1-for-4 and scored the O’s sole run in their 17-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

The Langley Blaze and Junior National Team alum is 8-for-33 (.242 batting average) with a home run and four RBIs in 11 games for the O’s this season, his ninth as a big leaguer.

Emslie died 83 years ago

What pitcher holds the record for most major league wins in a season by a Canadian?

The answer is St. Thomas, Ont., native Bob Emslie, who won 32 games for the American Association’s Baltimore Orioles in 1884.

Emslie passed away 83 years ago today.

Emslie’s strong pitching arm began garnering attention while he was toiling for an amateur club in Harriston, Ont., that won a Canadian championship in 1880. But it was on a barnstorming tour of the U.S. with a semi-pro squad from St. Thomas that Emslie would catch his big professional baseball break. At the end of the tour, he inked a deal with a semi-pro club in Camden, N.J., and when that team disbanded, he was picked up by the American Association’s Orioles.

In Baltimore, the then 25-year-old right-hander would win 32 games in 1884, while tossing over 455 innings. Unfortunately, that season took its toll on his arm and he was out of the big leagues by the end of 1885.

Following his playing career, Emslie became one of the most respected National League umpires in MLB history, working games from 1891 to 1923.

A field in St. Thomas is named in his honour.

Hartman homers three times in a game

On Tuesday, centre fielder Eric Hartman (St. Albert, Alta.) belted three home runs, and had five hits in total, to lead the Atlanta Braves’ High-A Rome Emperors to a 15-6 win over the Greensboro Grasshoppers.

It was the first, three-home run game of Hartman’s pro career.

Batting third in the Emperors’ lineup, Hartman clubbed a two-run homer in the top of the first inning and added solo shots in the third and ninth innings.

The 19-year-old Canadian also had two singles, a walk, four runs and five RBIs in the contest.

Hartman now has seven home runs in 17 games this season. That home run total eclipses the five he hit in 90 games in his first pro season in 2025.

Selected in the 20th round of the 2024 MLB draft out of the Okotoks Dawgs Academy, Hartman has a .710 slugging percentage and 1.107 OPS this season. He also has eight stolen bases.

A Junior National Team alum, Hartman comes from an athletic family. His older brother, Max, also a Dawgs alum, is currently starring at Washington State University.

Twenty-nine years ago, Johnson recorded first MLB save

On this date 29 years ago, Mike Johnson (Edmonton, Alta.) earned his first MLB save with the Orioles.

He threw three scoreless innings in relief of O’s starter Jimmy Key against the Red Sox in the O’s 14-5 win at Camden Yards.

It was the third relief appearance of Johnson’s career.

Black called up by Brewers

The Milwaukee Brewers recalled infielder Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) on Friday and batted him cleanup in his first contest with the big league club this season.

DHing for the Brewers, he went 0-for-3 in the Brewers’ 6-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday. Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes allowed just one hit in seven innings to earn the win.

Black then batted in the same spot on Saturday and went 2-for-5 with a double and a run in the Brewers’ 6-3 loss.

Prior to his call-up, Black was hitting .282 with a .378 on-base percentage in 10 games with the triple-A Nashville Sounds. He had two doubles, a home run and two stolen bases.

The left-handed hitting Canuck also spent the bulk of 2025 with the Sounds, where he had a .369 on-base percentage with four home runs and 22 stolen bases in 61 games. He also hit .250 with an RBI in five games with the big-league Brewers.

He made his MLB debut with the Brewers in 2024. In 18 big league games that season, he went 10-for-49 with two doubles, three stolen bases and seven walks.

Chosen 33rd overall by the Brewers in the 2021 MLB draft, the Toronto Mets grad is in his sixth season in the Brewers’ organization.

Anniversary of Maranda’s MLB debut

Sixty-six years ago today, right-hander Georges Maranda (Levis, Que.) made his MLB debut with the San Francisco Giants.

With Willie Mays, Willie McCovey and Orlando Cepeda in the field behind him, Maranda relieved Sam Jones with two outs in the first inning and tossed 3 2/3 scoreless innings against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

He notched his first MLB strikeout in the bottom of the second inning when he fanned Cardinals shortstop Daryl Spencer.

The Cardinals won the game 4-2.

April 25, 2026

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

He may be from Abbotsford, but Cleveland Guardians closer Cade Smith is no stranger to Toronto.

Smith’s first trip to the city was back in 2016 when he was selected to participate in the Canadian Futures Showcase (then known as Tournament 12). His 10 strikeouts over five scoreless innings propelled Team BC Orange to a 6-2 victory over Team Prairies Purple, securing a spot in the semifinal.

That was followed by a visit with the Junior National Team prior to the U18 World Cup in 2017 in Thunder Bay.

In 2024, he spun a scoreless inning each in a 3-1 win and 7-6 loss when the Guardians visited the Rogers Centre. The next season, he tossed another scoreless inning in a 5-4 victory.

On Friday night, a decade after arriving as a teenager for T12, he locked down his first ever major league save in his home country to secure an 8-6 victory.

After back-to-back hits from Kazuma Okamoto and Andres Giménez to lead off the ninth inning, Smith induced a double play off the bat of Eloy Jiménez and got Davis Schneider to pop out to second base for his sixth save of the season.

In typical good teammate fashion, he was quick to give credit to the tidy work of the Guardians’ defence.

“It was fun,” Smith said of pitching in Game 1 of the Guardians series at Rogers Centre.

“It’s a huge confidence boost to have a defence behind you playing well, playing hard.”

Smith, and the rest of the Guardians relievers, have a fan in manager Stephen Vogt. Vogt has had a front row seat to watch Smith and fellow Canadian Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) over the past three seasons.

“We love our bullpen,” Vogt said.

“They’ve been great all year, a few hiccups like every bullpen has, but for the most part they’ve been lockdown.”

Veteran catcher Austin Hedges also heaped praise on Cleveland’s two Canadian relievers.

“The work ethic, the consistency, that’s really what it’s about in this game,” Hedges said of both Smith and Sabrowski.

“You play so many games, so many days, to be the same guy everyday is really hard. Those two guys are, they’re the same guy every single day. You know exactly what you’re going to get and we’re proud of them for that because I know that’s really difficult to do.”

Smith acknowledged it’s always special coming to Toronto and back home to Canada, even if it’s a long way from Abbotsford. His father, Tim, is from just outside Mississauga.

Being able to do it alongside Sabrowski and catcher Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) makes it even better.

Although he’d never say it, Smith is a role model for Canadian pitchers looking to follow a similar path.

His advice? Spend time finding what makes you successful.

“Pitching is so individualized,” Smith said.

“It’s a matter of what works for you.”

April 25, 2026

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

Erik Sabrowski has been on plenty of flights, pitched in a lot of ballparks and explored a slew of major cities over parts of three big league seasons.

But this Thursday’s travel schedule was special.

When Cleveland’s plane touched down in Toronto for their three-game series at Rogers Centre, it was the first time the Guardians left-hander had been to the city.

The next night, Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) experienced another first on home soil when Guardians manager Stephen Vogt summoned his high leverage lefty from the bullpen in the eighth inning with his team clinging to an 8-6 lead.

Sabrowski delivered by getting Myles Straw to line out to centre field, striking out Lenyn Sosa and sitting down Daulton Varsho on a line out to left. It would end up being his 10th hold of the season.

“It’s been 10 or 11 years since I’ve heard the Canadian anthem before a game,” Sabrowski said prior to Game 2 of the series.

“So that was cool. Being able to be on that mound, a place where I feel like I’ve been, but haven’t been before.”

Prior to Friday night, the only time Sabrowski had experienced a baseball game at Rogers Centre was on television and radio.

He recalled travelling back from a high school baseball tournament in the fall of 2015 listening to Jose Bautista hit his bat flip home run that’s etched in Blue Jays history. The bus “went wild.”

Sabrowski is an example that few careers are linear.

He never pitched for the Junior National Team or at the Canadian Futures Showcase, nor was he a high-end Division I recruit. He played his college baseball, like many Canadians before and after him, at Cloud County Community College in Concordia, Kansas.

His under the radar path also hasn’t been without its fair share of adversity. Sabrowski had to work his way back from not one, but two Tommy John surgeries. The first caused him to miss the 2019 season after being drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 14th round, 411th overall the year prior.

The COVID-19 pandemic wiped out his 2020 season. Then, in 2021, he went under the knife a second time for Tommy John, the same year Cleveland scooped him up in the Rule 5 draft.

Through it all, he found a way, making his big league debut on Sept. 4, 2024. He tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings and fanned two in a 4-1 loss in Kansas City.

Add in the recent the birth of his daughter in February, and Sabrowski has plenty of perspective to keep him grounded.

“The time away from baseball, the surgeries, allowed me to be a student of the game,” Sabrowski said.

“Realizing a bad day while you're playing is so much better than a good day when you're rehabbing.”

Every offseason, Sabrowski makes his way home to workout at Absolute Human Performance in St. Albert and can often be found helping the youth players at the academy. It’s a way to remain grounded in his provincial roots.

For AHP coaches Ethan Elias and Taylor Burns, Sabrowski isn’t just an example of what’s possible, he’s the ultimate example.

“It’s inspiration,” Elias said.

“He did it. You can do it. It’s possible to do, it’s not just a dream.”

Elias made the trip east to watch his friend pitch in Toronto. Watching his pal run in from the bullpen was “surreal.”

“It’s the coolest thing in the world,” Elias said.

“For us, he’s just Erik, one of our best friends. It’s really special.”

Following Sabrowski in the opener of the series was right-hander Cade Smith (Abbotsford, BC), who locked down his sixth save of the season, and first in Toronto. It was done with catcher Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) behind the plate.

In the heat of the moment with the game on the line, it’s all business, but being able to help grow the game in Canada is a point of pride.

“The number of Canadians in the league keeps growing,” Sabrowski said.

“But still, it’s a smaller group and to be able to say I’m a part of that group is pretty special to me and something I’m proud of.”

April 25, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

The Milwaukee Brewers recalled infielder Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.) on Friday and batted him cleanup in his first contest with the big league club this season.

DHing for the Brewers, he went 0-for-3 in the Brewers’ 6-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes allowed just one hit in seven innings to earn the win.

Prior to his call-up, Black was hitting .282 with a .378 on-base percentage in 10 games with the triple-A Nashville Sounds. He had two doubles, a home run and two stolen bases.

His triple-A assignment to begin the season couldn’t have been based on his performance this spring with the Brewers. In six Cactus League games, he went 11-for-20 (.550 batting average) and had two doubles, two triples, a home run, three stolen bases and 14 RBIs.

Also in March, the 25-year-old Black made his national team debut at the World Baseball Classic. He went 1-for-10 but scored two runs and had two RBIs in the tournament.

The left-handed hitting Canuck spent the bulk of 2025 with the triple-A Sounds, where he had a .369 on-base percentage with four home runs and 22 stolen bases in 61 games. He also hit .250 with an RBI in five games with the big-league Brewers.

He made his MLB debut with the Brewers in 2024. In 18 big league games that season, he went 10-for-49 with two doubles, three stolen bases and seven walks.

Chosen 33rd overall by the Brewers in the 2021 MLB draft, the Toronto Mets grad is in his sixth season in the Brewers’ organization.

April 24, 2026

Official Toronto Blue Jays News Release

The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired C Willie MacIver from the Texas Rangers in exchange for cash considerations.

MacIver has been optioned to the triple-A Buffalo roster.

MacIver, 29, has appeared in 14 games for Texas’ triple-A squad in Round Rock this season, slashing .170/.333/.255 while throwing out four of nine potential base stealers.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pound catcher was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the ninth round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Washington. MacIver made his MLB debut for the Athletics in 2025, hitting .186 across 33 games with five doubles, three home runs, and nine RBIs.

The Pleasant Hill, Calif, native has suited up for 597 career minor league contests between the Rockies, Athletics, and Rangers organizations, slashing .262/.350/.438 with 116 doubles, 17 triples, 74 home runs, and 335 RBIs (.788 OPS).

To make room on the 40-man roster, INF Tyler Fitzgerald has been designated for assignment.

April 24, 2026

By Liam LaChapelle-Yonson

Canadian Baseball Network

The son of ex-professional minor-league pitcher Reggie Rivard, Rogan Rivard is creating his own path as a modern-day hitter.

Rogan has the ability to slap the ball to left, to centre and to right. He’s slap-happy -- especially when his hits find the green of the outfield.

When asked about which major-leaguer he’d compare to his style of game most, Rogin answered, “Corbin Caroll,” the Arizona Diamondbacks centre fielder.

“I’m fast, I like to get on base,” said Rogan (Bonnyville, Atla.). “I like to cause havoc around the bases, and do the little things right, and do things for the team, like laying a bunt down or moving a guy over.”

While his game is not necessarily tailored to tremendous power, Rogan is still finding ways to create it in the aggregate, whether on the base paths by stretching singles into doubles, stealing bases, or maybe occasionally running into home runs.

This was all seen as the outfielder faced Pittsburgh Pirates RHP Jared Jones, who was on a rehab assignment for the Pirates’ Florida Complex League team. The slap hitter managed to put a ball in play against the fire baller, who made 22 starts for the 2024 Pirates, while in an exhibition game for the Junior National Team.

“He competes really hard,” said Vauxhall Academy Jets coach Les McTavish of Rivard. “It’s refreshing to be around players where it means a lot to go out and compete every day, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a Tuesday practice or a final game of a tournament on Saturday, he plays the game like it’s meant to be played.”

The young man’s work ethic has also landed him a commitment to the Kansas State Wildcats. So, one option completed and he could hear his named called in the 2027 draft.

The outfielder continues to show the qualities coaches love. He is continually working to improve his game, particularly on his outfield defence by trusting his reads and instincts more.

Rogan comes from a baseball family. His father, Reggie, was a pitcher signed by the Texas Rangers as an undrafted free agent prior to the 2000 season. After four seasons in the Rangers’ minors, Reggie moved on to the Milwaukee Brewers’ organization, reaching triple A with the Brewers before turning to the independent leagues (Edmonton and Calgary) for six years.

“He has always pushed me to do more.” Rogan said. “He knows I’m on top of things, but he is always giving me advice and telling me important information. He has been the best role model I could have asked for.”

Still a year away from finishing high school, Rogan has one last Canadian Futures Showcase before turning to either division one or pro ball, should his name be called in the 2027 draft.

April 22, 2026

Official University of Portland News Release

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Portland Pilots right-handed pitcher Will Labonte continues to earn national recognition, being named a semifinalist for the College Baseball Hall of Fame 2026 National Pitcher of the Year award.

Labonte's the first Pilot to be named a semifinalist for the award since Brett Gillis in 2022.

Labonte is one of just two freshmen out of 43 pitchers as well and one of just two that hail from the West Coast Conference. It is one of four awards presented by CBF, including the Brooks Wallace Player of the Year Award, the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year and the Buster Posey Collegiate Catcher of the Year award.

Another Pilots player, Trey Swygart, was named to the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Watch List in February.

Labonte has been an ace for the Pilots in his first year of collegiate action. Labonte has appeared in 10 games for Portland with nine starts, throwing a team-high 51 2/3 innings with a 2.26 ERA and 45 strikeouts. Labonte currently ranks second in the conference in ERA and 33rd nationally, with his ERA ranking third among all freshman.

The Montreal native has allowed the fewest earned runs of any freshman with over 50 innings thrown and is one of just two freshmen nationally to have thrown that many innings. No Pilot true freshman has thrown as many innings as Labonte since Eli Morse in 2018. Labonte has twice earned WCC Freshman of the Week honours and is the only Pilot to have earned multiple weekly honours this year

The Pilots are sitting at 22-16 overall and 8-7 in WCC play. They will take on the Santa Clara Broncos on the road for a three-game series starting on Friday.

April 23, 2026

By Nicklaus Korim

Baseball Canada

On Thursday, the Junior National Team lost 9-2 to the Toronto Blue Jays EXT squad in the finale of their extended spring camp.

Box Score

OF Maxime Blain (Repentigny, Que.) hit a clutch two-run double in the fifth inning to account for the JNT’s runs.

Another strong performance came from C Rhys Whiteford (Duncan, B.C.) who had a double and a single and scored a run.

INF Cohen Miller (Calgary, Alta.) also went 1-for-3 with a single.

On the mound, RHP Calum Anderson (Calgary, Alta.) started for the Juniors and tossed three solid innings, allowing only one hit and one run.

Another notable performance came from RHP Lucas St-Laurent (Ascot Corner, Que.), who entered the game in the fourth inning and struck out three in two innings.

INF Elliott Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.) finished the camp with a .348 batting average to lead the Juniors, while Blain topped the team with a .943 OPS.

The Juniors’ only home run of the camp was clubbed by INF Zach MacDonald (Lacombe, Alta.).

LHP Josh Mills (Leduc, Alta.) topped JNT pitchers with nine strikeouts, while LHP Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) and RHP Calum Anderson (Calgary, Alta.) tied for the lowest ERA (1.67) (minimum six innings pitched).

Next up for the Juniors is the Dominican Pro Tour from May 11 to May 21.

April 24, 2026

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Anyone who saw the late Buck Reed catch Bob Johnstone knew that the catcher had huge mitts.

Johnstone’s nickname might have been “Flakey” in the 1960s, but few Ontario right-handers threw harder.

Anyone who shook the hands of Buck Reed (Scarborough, Ont.) knew he had huge hands. He was the late Alfie Payne’s best friend and they had nicknames for each other. I don’t remember any of them as they went back decades, but I recall a guy shaking hands with Buck Reed at Brian McRobie’s 70th birthday in Brockville 10 years ago and the man said to Buck Reed, “Hello Bear Claws.”

That’s how big the man’s hands were.

Big Buck, a mammoth man, with a heart almost as big, played for legendary Leaside coach and fungo magician Joe Irvine -- the best I have ever seen since California Angels’ coach Jimmy Reese, who roomed with Babe Ruth ... or as Reese would correct us “his suitcase.” Irvine’s license plate was FUNGO and his cat answered to the same name.

His son, John Reed, never picked up the game, but he gained his father’s love of the game. He spends part of the year north of Peterborough (Buckhorn, Ont.) and most of the rest of the time he is in Conway, S.C.

Why Conway?

Well, John Reed is part of One Teal Nation -- a big-time fan of the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.

John Reed pulled off a Buck Reed moment on April 18 seated down the left field line in Conway. In the top of the first Georgia State’s Walker Mitchell hit a line drive foul ball in a Saturday night game, a national TV game on ESPNU. Seated in area fans yelled: Look out!”, “down scope,” and “incoming.”

Seated in the front row just behind the Diamond Girl (ball girl), John Reed calmly reached up with his right hand and caught the rocket.

“The broadcast didn’t catch it clearly but there is a clip of the video,” said John Reed.

“You can see the slight movement of my hands going up to the left side of my head and nothing else moving. I responded to the photographer I gave zero reaction and went back to watching the game because I could hear my father saying ‘Act like you’ve been there before.’

Buck Reed was not a fan of two-run double celebrations that cut a team’s deficit to 9-3.

You can still see the ball in his right hand in the enlarged picture. Fans behind him applauded his highlight-reel catch, which we are guessing would have been on every highlight show from MLB Network, Sportsnet and ESPN - had the cameraman been able to follow the ball on time. John Reed eventually gave the ball to a youngster.

The Chants won the game 7-2 before 3,854 fans.

(In an attempt to eliminate emails, we answer your question right now. What is a Chant? “A Chanticleer is a proud, fierce rooster, most famously known as the character in Geoffrey Chaucer’s ‘The Nun’s Priest’s Tale’ from The Canterbury Tales.”)

John Reed asked, “Do you think my father would have been proud of me?”

I answered “Buck caught Bob Johnstone with a mitt, you caught a liner off an aluminum bat with your bare hand. John, Buck was always proud of you.”

April 22, 2026

Official Ottawa Titans News Release

Ottawa, Ont. - The Ottawa Titans Baseball Club announced today its four picks from the 2026 Frontier League Draft.

Round 1: RHP Nelson Mercado
HEIGHT: 6-2 | WEIGHT: 225 lbs | BIRTHDAY: 2003-01-09
HOMETOWN: Brampton, Ont. | SCHOOL: Arkansas-Monticello
2025: Guelph (IBL): 15 G, 2-1, 6.15 ERA, 26.1 IP, 27 BB/35 K

Round 2: LHP Ryoya Oe
HEIGHT: 5-11 | WEIGHT: 190 lbs | BIRTHDAY: 2003-09-17
HOMETOWN: Osaka, Japan | SCHOOL: Osaka Tech

Round 3: INF Austin Gurney
HEIGHT: 6-2 | WEIGHT: 215 lbs | BIRTHDAY: 2002-06-07
HOMETOWN: Campbell River, B.C. | SCHOOL: Pikeville
2025: Moose Jaw (WCBL): 55 G, .364 AVG, 15 2B, 6 HR, 61 RBI, 30 BB/20 K

Round 4: UTIL/RHP Shane Stossel
HEIGHT: 6-4 | WEIGHT: 245 lbs | BIRTHDAY: 2002-02-07
HOMETOWN: Harrisburg, Pa. | SCHOOL: Mansfield
2025: Mansfield (NCAA DII): 42 G, .300 AVG, 9 2B, 8 HR, 31 RBI, 19 BB/19 K

All four players will report to camp with the rest of the club. The first practice is slated for Wednesday, April 29.

The Ottawa Titans will open the 2026 season on Friday, May 8, at 7:00 p.m., hosting the Québec Capitales at Ottawa Stadium.

April 22, 2026

Official Canadian Baseball League News Release

Toronto, Ont. — April 23, 2026 — The Toronto Maple Leafs of the Canadian Baseball League (CBL) have announced that they have come to terms with former Los Angeles Dodger, Yasiel Puig, for the 2026 CBL Season.

Best known for his dynamic tenure with the Dodgers, over parts of seven major league seasons, Puig compiled a .277 batting average, 132 home runs and 415 RBIs, while adding 79 stolen bases. His standout campaign came in 2017, when he hit .263 with 28 home runs and 74 RBIs, helping lead the Dodgers to an NL pennant and being named an NL All-Star in the process.

Puig burst on to the MLB scene in 2013 with an unforgettable rookie season, batting .319 with 19 home runs and 42 RBIs in just 104 games. His immediate impact earned him a second-place finish in National League Rookie of the Year voting.

Puig’s signing continues a growing trend of high-profile talent joining the CBL. This marks the second consecutive season that the league has featured a former MLB All-Star, following Fernando Rodney’s appearance with the Hamilton Cardinals last season.

Puig will be in the starting lineup for the Toronto Maple Leafs on opening day on May 10 at 2 p.m. at Christie Pits. There will be extensive pre-game festivities and surprises for fans in attendance in the first game since the league’s transition to the Canadian Baseball League.

April 22, 2026

By Nicklaus Korim

Baseball Canada

The Junior National Team was edged 6-5 by the Baltimore Orioles EXT squad on the second-last day of their extended spring camp at the Toronto Blue Jays Player Development Complex on Wednesday.

Box Score

The Juniors’ offence shone in the contest, registering 10 hits and three extra-base hits.

Standout performances came from INF Elliott Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.), C Aiden Kilshaw (Saskatoon, Sask.) and OF Maxime Blain (Repentigny, Que.). They combined for seven of the JNT’s 10 hits. Lascelles went 3-for-3 with two singles, a double and two RBIs. Kilshaw and Blain both went 2-for-2 with a single, double and an RBI each. Kilshaw’s double in the seventh inning gave the JNT a 5-4 lead at the time.

INF Cohen Miller (Calgary, Alta.), INF/RHP Zach MacDonald (Lacombe, Alta.) and INF Noah McIntosh (Dartmouth, N.S.) each had a single.

On the mound, ace lefty Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) started and battled for three innings, allowing one run, while striking out five.

The best performance from the bullpen came from RHP Max Nantais-Vlahovich (Mississauga, Ont.). He came in in relief in the sixth and pitched two innings, striking out five and permitting only one run.

On Thursday, the JNT will face the Toronto Blue Jays EXT for the rubber match of a 1-1 series to close out their extended spring camp.

April 22, 2026

Official Baseball Ontario News Release

The Ontario Baseball Association (OBA) has announced a leadership transition.

Ray Merkley has been appointed president, following the resignation of Ed Quinlan from the role of president.

Ed informed the board of directors of his decision to step back from the presidency for personal reasons, effective April 15, 2026. While his term was scheduled to continue through next year, the board fully respected Ed’s decision and greatly appreciated the thoughtful, transparent and principled manner in which he approached this transition.

Ed has been a dedicated volunteer and leader within the OBA for more than three decades, serving the organization with distinction in numerous roles including 17 years as treasurer, more than a decade as supervisor of umpires, six years as vice president, and president since 2019. His admiration for the organization, belief in its mission, and unwavering commitment to its members and stakeholders have been evident throughout his service.

Under Ed’s leadership, the OBA experienced significant organizational growth, expanding from three staff members to eight, strengthening its financial foundation, and increasing its capacity to support baseball across Ontario. His steady leadership, integrity, and long-term perspective helped position the organization in a strong and stable place for the future.

While stepping away from the presidency, Ed remains deeply supportive of the OBA and its direction. He will continue his involvement with the organization in the role of past president, maintaining his connection and ongoing commitment to the sport and the association.

In accordance with the Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) and the OBA’s bylaws, the board of directors appointed Ray to fill the presidential vacancy for the remainder of the term. Ray has served the organization for many years, most recently as vice president, and brings extensive experience, continuity, and a strong understanding of the organization’s governance and strategic priorities.

“Ed has always led with integrity, care, and a deep respect for this organization,” said Ray. “Those of us who have had the privilege of working alongside him know how much the OBA means to him. I am grateful for his leadership and mentorship, and I am committed to building on the strong foundation he and the Board have established.”

The OBA extends its sincere thanks and appreciation to Ed for his decades of service, leadership, and enduring dedication to baseball in Ontario, and looks forward to continuing its work under Ray’s leadership.

April 22, 2026

Baseball Canada

OTTAWA—Baseball Canada is excited to announce the 2026 Women’s National Team roster that will compete in the 2026 WBSC Americas Women’s Baseball World Cup Qualifier. 

The team will be traveling to San Juan, Puerto Rico for a best-of-five game series against Puerto Rico from April 29 to May 3 with the winner earning a spot in the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage. 

The Women’s National Team will feature a veteran roster of 20, with 16 returning players in Lucie Anctil C , Emily Baxter UTL, Sena Catterall OF, Ela Day-Bédard INF/RHP, Claire Eccles OF, Alizée Gélinas 1B/RHP, Liz Gilder LHP, Andréanne Leblanc 1B, Jaida Lee RHP, Cassie Matlock OF, Raine Padgham RHP/OF, Sarah Pengelly RHP/OF, Michelle Roche RHP, Alli Schroder RHP, Mia Valcke INF/OF, and Madison Willan INF. 

Two members of the roster, Mia Valcke and Claire Eccles, were part of Canada’s silver medal performance at the 2016 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup - Eccles has competed in three World Cups and one Pan Am Games for the National Team.

Five roster members, Claire Eccles, Liz Gilder, Alli Schroder, Mia Valcke, and Madison Willan helped Canada earn bronze at the 2018 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup.

Fourteen players on the roster also competed and helped the national team earn bronze at the 2024 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals: Lucie Anctil, Emily Baxter, Sena Catterall, Ela Day-Bédard, Alizée Gélinas, Liz Gilder, Andréanne Leblanc, Cassie Matlock, Alli Schroder, Mia Valcke, Madison Willan, Raine Padgham, Michelle Roche, and Jaida Lee. 

Newcomers looking to make their international debuts for the National Team include Ariane Domingue OF, Frédérique Noël RHP/INF, Julianna Scott C, and 16-year-old RHP/INF Mikael Fields.

The winning team will advance to the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Group Stage and will be grouped with U.S.A., Mexico, Hong Kong, Australia and Korea in Rockford, Illinois from July 22-27, 2026. The group of six will narrow down to the top three teams that will then advance to the final stage of the tournament where they will meet the top three teams of the Tainan, Taiwan group in August.

This all leads to the WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup Finals that will be held in Rockford, Illinois in 2027.

Head coach Anthony Pluta, who has been with the team since 2023 and was part of the 2024 World Cup squad, will be joined by veteran pitching coach Aaron Myette, who has been with the program since 2016. Alongside the veterans the National Team welcomes back coaches Kristy Watson, Brittney Langlais, and Logan Wedgewood who made their debuts with the program last fall during the Women’s National Team Development Camp held in Cary, North Carolina.

ROSTER

April 22, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Centre fielder Eric Hartman belted three home runs, and had five hits in total, to lead the Atlanta Braves’ High-A Rome Emperors to a 15-6 win over the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Tuesday.

It was the first three home run game of Hartman’s pro career.

1st inning: Eric Hartman homer.
3rd inning: Eric Hartman homer!
9th inning: ERIC HARTMAN HOMER!

The @Braves prospect delivers @GoEmperors' first 3-homer game in at least two decades 🐧 pic.twitter.com/FwpOo6DBEA

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 22, 2026

The St. Albert, Alta., native now has six home runs in 14 games this season to lead the South Atlantic League. That home run total eclipses the five he hit in 90 games in his first pro season in 2025.

Batting third in the Emperors’ lineup, Hartman clubbed a two-run homer in the top of the first inning and added solo shots in the third and ninth innings.

The 19-year-old Canadian also had two singles, a walk, four runs and five RBIs in the contest.

Selected in the 20th round of the 2024 MLB draft out of the Okotoks Dawgs Academy, Hartman has a .724 slugging percentage and 1.089 OPS this season. He also has six stolen bases.

In his first pro season last year, Hartman batted .240 with five home runs, 42 RBIs and 48 stolen bases between Rookie Ball and Class-A.

A Junior National Team alum, Hartman comes from an athletic family. His older brother, Max, also a Dawgs alum, is currently starring at Washington State University.

April 21, 2026

By Nicklaus Korim

Baseball Canada

On day seven of their Extended Spring Training Camp, the Junior National Team (JNT) was defeated 15-3 by the New York Yankees EXT at the Yankees’ minor league complex in Tampa Bay.

Box Score

The Yankees bats were hot in this contest, but the Juniors had seven hits of their own, with three players recording extra-base hits.

Once again INF Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.), INF Robert Omidi (Mississauga, Ont.) and OF Sam Ellis (La Peche, Que.) were offensive standouts, each recording an RBI. Lascelles went 2-for-3, Ellis 1-for-3 and Omidi 1-for-3 with a double in the first, scoring Lascelles to give the Juniors a 1-0 lead.

Other Juniors with notable offensive performances were INF Jalen Jacob (Maple, Ont.), INF Zach MacDonald (Lacombe, Alta.), and C Rhys Whiteford (Duncan, B.C.). Jacob went 1-for-3, while Macdonald and Whiteford recorded doubles.

On the mound, lefty Josh Mills (Leduc, Alta.) started for the Juniors and tossed three innings. He was followed by RHP Gabe Fink (Edmonton, Alta.), LHP Ethan Reason (Stouffville, Ont.) and RHP Will Zielinski (Victoria, B.C.).

A notable performance came from Reason who held the Yankees to one run and one hit in two innings.

On Wednesday, the JNT heads back to the Toronto Blue Jays Player Development Complex in Dunedin to face off against the Baltimore Orioles EXT for the second last day of camp.

April 21, 2026

Official Frontier Conference News Release

HELENA, Montana. – Valley City State’s Connor Martin was awarded Frontier Conference Pitcher of the Week after throwing a complete game shutout against Mayville State.

Pitcher of the Week: Connor Martin, Valley City State (N.D.)

Martin (Nesbitt, Man.) was named the Pitcher of the Week.

With his 10-0 complete game shutout victory over Mayville State, Martin extended his scoreless streak to 13 innings for Valley City State. It was his first complete game and first shutout of the season.

Martin now has 96 strikeouts in 66 innings this season. His 96 strikeouts are fourth-most in school history. He is on a pace to set the school record which was set back in 1987.

This is Martin’s first career Erck Hotels/Frontier Conference Pitcher of the Week award.

Player of the Week: Carter Claerhout, Bellevue (Neb.)

1B Claerhout (Red Deer, Alta.) was named Player of the Week.

Claerhout batted .682 (15-of-22 at the plate) with a 2.060 OPS and 1.364 slugging percentage on the week as No. 3 ranked Bellevue (Neb.) secured the Frontier Conference baseball regular season outright title with a five-game series sweep of Dakota State. He hit four home runs, drove in 10 runs, and scored 10 runs.

Claerhout had three hits four times during the week and produced extra base hits four times. He currently leads the NAIA in batting average and hits and ranks second in both OPS and slugging percentage. Claerhout extended his hitting streak to 21 games.

This is Claerhout’s fourth career Erck Hotels/Frontier Conference Player of the Week award.

April 21, 2026

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

The Toronto Blue Jays' farm system made a huge jump after a successful 2025 season.

MLB Pipeline ranked the organization’s minor league system at No. 27 heading into the 2025 campaign and they entered the 2026 season up 12 spots to No. 15.

This jump also includes losing multiple prospects via the trade deadline last summer, such as Alan Roden, Kendry Rojas, Khal Stephen and Juaron Watts-Brown.

Trey Yesavage was the main prospect of interest, as the right-hander went from Single-A all the way to making a start in the World Series. Other standouts include Gage Stanifer, Arjun Nimmala, Johnny King and Juan Sanchez, who helped the Jays take a massive step forward on the prospect side.

Entering 2026, the club got a boost with the addition of JoJo Parker, their first-round selection in 2025, while the likes of Ricky Tiedemann and Jake Bloss will return to the fold this year after spending most of last season on the IL.

While the Jays don’t hold a first-round pick this summer because of their World Series run and subsequent 10-spot drop for exceeding the CBA, the Jays have a chance to continue padding their farm system through development, and a few players are standing out right from the get-go.

JoJo Parker – SS

Dunedin Blue Jays

The Jays' top position player prospect is off to a roaring start in Dunedin. Through 13 games, he owns a .298/.459/.553 slash line with six doubles, two home runs, and 11 RBIs. He also has 12 walks compared to 13 strikeouts while ranking seventh in the organization in OPS (1.012) and fifth in wRC+ (186). On top of his impressive play at the plate, he has yet to make an error on the field at the shortstop position.

Nolan Perry – RHP

Dunedin Blue Jays

After missing all of 2025, right-hander Nolan Perry is back and pitching with a vengeance. Across three outings (two starts), Perry has allowed just four hits and two earned runs through 13 innings.

His most recent outing against Clearwater was outstanding, with the righty hurling five innings of relief and surrendering just one hit while striking out 12. For his efforts, he earned Florida State League Pitcher of the Week honours for last week. Perry ranks second in the Jays' farm system in strikeouts (22).

Tucker Toman – 3B

Vancouver Canadians

This is Tucker Toman’s fifth season in the pro ranks since being drafted in the summer of 2022, and the infielder is finding a groove at the plate this season in Vancouver.

Toman has been solely swinging from the left side and is finding better results, posting a .368/.500/.579 slash line through 11 games and 38 at-bats. He has two doubles, two home runs and a 1.079 OPS, which ranks fourth in the farm system.

Carter Cunningham – OF

Vancouver Canadians

Carter Cunningham can’t stop swinging the power bat. The 25-year-old left-handed hitting slugger is on a tear in Vancouver, collecting three doubles, one triple, and six home runs through 58 at-bats. He’s also hitting for positive contact, amassing a .310/.438/.707 slash line with a 1.145 OPS, which ranks second in the organization.

A trip across the coast is likely if he keeps up the power. He currently leads the Blue Jays' farm system with his six round-trippers and 21 RBIs.

Johnny King – LHP

Vancouver Canadians

The Jays needed a southpaw to emerge from the depths of the farm system, and Johnny King seems to be the guy in line to own the title.

Through three starts this season, King has permitted just one earned run through 7 1/3 innings, with the club keeping his starts in check with a pitch count that is gradually building up. He has 15 Ks to his credit and has allowed just four hits to begin the campaign. Walks are a bit of a problem (five free passes), but King will continue to develop in a hitter-friendly league while facing competition almost four years older than him.

Danny Thompson Jr. – RHP

Vancouver Canadians

Of all the Jays' minor league pitchers with 10+ innings, right-hander Danny Thompson Jr. is the lone standing arm that hasn’t allowed a run in 2026.

Across 11 1/3 innings, Thompson has surrenderd just four hits and three walks while striking out 19 and holding opponents to a .103 average. His 0.62 WHIP is tied with Perry for the best in the farm system, and Thompson sits second in K/BB (6.33).

Daniel Guerra – RHP

Vancouver Canadians

The Vancouver Canadians continue to boast a strong pitching staff, and right-hander Daniel Guerra ranks well among the group.

In his fifth pro season, the 22-year-old Venezuelan has made three starts and allowed five earned runs through 14 1/3 innings. Guerra leads Blue Jays minor league pitchers in strikeouts (23). He fanned 11 against Spokane last week in five innings, earning Pitcher of the Week honours for the NWL.

Sean Keys – INF

New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Another left-handed bat in the Jays system is finding a power stroke right out of the gate.

Sean Keys is smacking the ball around in the Eastern League with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, amassing three doubles and five home runs. He also has 15 RBIs and a .356/.482/.756 slash line with a 1.238 OPS. He leads the Jays' farm system in numerous offensive categories, including OPS, wRC+ (206), and ISO (.400).

Jackson Hornung – 1B/OF

New Hampshire Fisher Cats

Across 12 games, outfielder Jackson Hornung is off to a strong start in the 2026 season.

Through 58 at-bats, the right-handed hitter is bordering on a .400 average and is tied with Keys for second in the system in RBIs (15). Hornung also has six doubles, one triple, and one home run with a .586 SLG and a 1.012 OPS. He has been seeing more time at first base this season.

Chad Dallas – RHP

Buffalo Bisons

Welcome back, Chad Dallas.

The right-handed starter missed all of the 2025 season due to Tommy John, and the Buffalo Bisons starter is off to a roaring start in Triple-A.

The buildup has been slow (four starts, 13 1/3 IP), but he’s been efficient on the mound, allowing 10 hits and two earned runs compared to 15 strikeouts. Dallas has also kept the walks in check (four) and has held opponents to a .224 SLG and a .488 OPS. While he still needs to get built up, if Dallas keeps impressing in the minors with his 1.35 ERA and 2.03 FIP, he’ll likely earn a big league call-up.

Charles McAdoo – 3B/1B

Buffalo Bisons

It’s easy to see why Pittsburgh Pirates fans were upset that the club traded Charles McAdoo two summers ago: this guy can hit.

After registering a .731 OPS and belting 16 home runs last season in Double-A, McAdoo has made the jump to Buffalo and is swinging a hot bat at the top level. Across 18 games and 63 at-bats, McAdoo has four doubles and three home runs with 11 RBIs and eight walks. The strikeout numbers are a bit high (15) but he’s consistently putting the ball in play, evidenced by his .333/.408/.571 slash line and a.979 OPS.

Josh Kasevich might have stole the show in Spring Training, but McAdoo is putting up the numbers to begin the 2026 season. He is splitting time between first base and third base.

*This article was originally published on Alberta Dugout Stories on April 20, 2026. You can read it here.

April 21, 2026

By Joe McFarland

Alberta Dugout Stories

Coming to the ballpark for a game day looks a lot different for Ryan Kucy than it did when he first started going to college.

The Edmonton native came out of AHP Academy as a highly regarded infielder and performed very well in his first two seasons at Northeastern Junior College.

Everything was going according to plan when he made the move to St. Bonaventure University and was getting regular playing time at third base.

However, a month into his junior season, the Bonnies’ pitching staff ran into injury troubles, leaving head coach Jason Rathbun to find some reinforcements.

Enter Kucy, who had pitched in a couple of games for the Edmonton Prospects during the summer of 2024.

Playing catch with a teammate, they started “goofing around” and, before long, his pitching coach took notice of the infielder’s submarine-style delivery and asked Kucy if he thought he could replicate it on the mound.

“I, being a little bit confident in all of my abilities, told him, ‘Of course I can,’” Kucy told Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast. “And I honestly, to this day, threw the best bullpen in that very moment.”

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Listen to Alberta Dugout Stories interview Ryan Kucey here.

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It might not have been the decision he wanted to make, but he’s now, as a senior, in the midst of his first season as a full-time pitcher, looking to enjoy the ride as long as he can.

DEBUT TO REMEMBER

The idea of becoming a pitcher was something Kucy could never have imagined in a million years, especially at the NCAA Division I level.

When he took to the hill with the Prospects, he says he just knew he could go in and throw strikes in an emergency or a blow-out.

“Even being a shortstop and third baseman, I had an average arm,” Kucy said. “I didn’t know how well it would translate to a stop-and-go position on the mound.”

On March 21, 2025, the 6-foot-2, 215-pound righthander made his debut on the bump in the ninth inning down 19-1 to George Mason University

With nothing really to lose, Kucy induced a ground out and pop out from the first two hitters he faced, then allowed a single and a hit-by-pitch.

One runner then scored on an error, and another scored on a single before the new hurler got Tripp Capers to ground it back to him to end the inning.

All told, he allowed two unearned runs on two hits and no walks in one inning of a 21-2 loss.

While it’s not the result the team wanted, it was a moment Kucy won’t soon forget.

“That was one of the coolest moments in my life as my family was there to see me,” he said. “It was really cool.”

It also gave Kucy the confidence he needed knowing he could actually pitch at the collegiate level, something he has carried with him ever since.

REFINING HIS STUFF

Kucy made a total of four appearances out of the bullpen for the Bonnies in 2025, going 0-1 with a 12.15 earned run average, striking out three in 6 2/3 innings.

While the ERA stands out, he is also quick to point out how one bad inning can skew the number dramatically.

After spending the summer with the Wenatchee AppleSox of the West Coast League, Kucy went into the offseason looking to build on his arsenal at home under the tutelage of Taylor Burns and Ethan Elias at AHP, who he says helped build him into the player he became.

The former Brooks Bomber infielder wanted to focus on pitches like the sinker and change-up which could “drop off the table” for hitters who were already uncomfortable facing his below-the-belt delivery.

“Taylor was also a guy who threw from my arm slot, so I was always picking his brain, telling him what something feels like, how it’s working, how it’s breaking, and he helped me understand feels and stuff like that,” said Kucy.

“Ethan was a really big help for me in just figuring out how to move my body like a pitcher, how to train like a pitcher, and then also how to recover like a pitcher.”

Because there aren’t a lot of submarine pitchers, Kucy says he didn’t really try to emulate anyone as much as it was trying to be comfortable in his own skin, especially entering his final year of college.

GRATEFUL FOR THE JOURNEY

Coming into this spring, Kucy says he just wanted to help the team in any way he could.

Even in developing new pitches, he says being a senior allows him to have the mindset of “whatever they want me to have, I’ll have.”

It’s worked out so far for Kucy, who is 1-1 with a 7.36 ERA in nine games, striking out six in 11 innings of work.

One point of pride he has is that he’s only allowed four walks, which shows he has good control of his arsenal.

However, it’s not about numbers in his eyes.

“I just want to win,” Kucy said. “I want to go out there with my guys and go to battle every day, have fun, and just cherish the time that we have playing together. You can’t take it for granted.”

It won’t be long before the Archbishop Jordan Catholic School graduate also crosses the stage as a university graduate as he looks to get into policing with the RCMP soon.

If this is where his baseball journey ends, the 22-year-old is grateful for all the experiences he’s had, which allows him to provide his own guidance for the next generation of athletes looking to end up where he’s been.

“Never take the game too serious because, at the end of the day, it’s a child’s game played by grown men,” he pontificates. “Cherish your time, cherish where your feet are at, and always just have fun as it’ll be gone before you know it.”

Okotoks Dawgs alum Matt Wilkinson (Ladner, B.C.) threw five perfect innings for the double-A Akron RubberDucks on Sunday. Photo: Akron RubberDucks

April 21, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Matt Wilkinson threw five perfect innings in his start for the Cleveland Guardians’ Akron RubberDucks against the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on Sunday.

His effort was part of a combined no-hitter by five RubberDucks pitchers in a 4-0 victory.

That alone would’ve been enough to earn Wilkinson (Ladner, B.C.) the Canadian Baseball Network’s Minor League Player of the Week award, but he also permitted just one run in 4 1/3 innings in a start against the Rumble Ponies earlier in the week.

In that start on April 14, the Okotoks Dawgs alum scattered six hits and struck out five batters, while walking just one, in an eventual RubberDucks’ 8-7 victory.

But it was Sunday’s start in which Wilkinson really shone. In that contest, he fanned six and didn’t allow a runner to reach base. He threw 44 of his 70 pitches for strikes to earn his first win of the season.

He also lowered his season ERA to 1.35 in three starts. He has 17 strikeouts in 13 1/3 innings.

2026 CBN Minor League Player of the Week winners

Opening Day to April 5 - Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.), Rangers

April 7 to April 12 - Dante Nori (Toronto, Ont.), Phillies

April 14 to April 19- Matt Wilkinson (Surrey, B.C.), Guardians

Top Canadian Minor League Batters (April 14 to April 19)

Top Canadian Minor League Pitchers - April 14 to April 19

April 20, 2026

Official Bellevue University Athletics News Release

HELENA, Montana. -- The Frontier Conference announced on Monday that Bellevue University's Carter Claerhout has been named the Frontier Conference Player of the Week for the fourth time during the 2026 season.

Claerhout (Red Deer, Alta.), a senior first baseman, helped lead the No. 3-ranked Bruins to a five-game series sweep over Dakota State University this past week.

The sweep allowed Bellevue to clinch the Frontier Conference regular-season title outright, moving the Bruins to 40-3 overall and a perfect 20-0 in league play.

Claerhout was the offensive catalyst for the Bruins throughout the week, batting .682 (15-for-22) with four home runs and 10 RBIs. He also scored 10 runs, produced seven extra-base hits, and posted a 2.060 OPS and a 1.364 slugging percentage over the five-game stretch.

Claerhout recorded at least three hits in four different games during the week and extended his current hitting streak to 21 games. He currently leads the NAIA in both batting average (.488) and hits (81). His season totals now include 19 home runs, 56 RBIs, an OPS of 1.463, a .934 slugging percentage, .529 on-base percentage, 15 doubles, and he is 10-for-11 in stolen base attempts.

The Bruins return to action this weekend with a four-game series against Bismarck State College to close out the regular season. With a less-than-ideal forecast for Bismarck, N.D., the final schedule for the series will remain fluid.

April 20, 2026

By Nicklaus Korim

Baseball Canada

The Junior National Team had trouble keeping up with the Toronto Blue Jays EXT offence in a 11-2 loss in the fifth game of the extended spring camp in Dunedin, Fla., on Monday.

Box Score

The loss evened the Juniors’ record against the Blue Jays at 1-1.

Offensively, INF Noah McIntosh (Dartmouth, N.S.) drove in the JNT’s first run with a single in the eighth inning. INF Kadyn Armitage (Surrey, B.C.) and OF Rogan Rivard (Bonnyville, Alta.) also singled in that frame. Rivard later came around to score on a sacrifice fly from OF Maxime Blain (Repentigny, Que.).

INF Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.) also notched a single in the seventh inning to finish 1-for-4.

On the Blue Jays side, two Junior National Team grads turned in solid offensive outings. INF Owen Gregg (Oakville, Ont.) went 1-for-3, blasting a solo home run, while INF Tim Piasentin (Coquitlam, B.C.) hit a double in the eighth inning. These two Canucks covered the left side of the infield for the Junior National Team program for a good chunk of the 2024-2025 season.

On the mound, righty Cole Dorland (Langley, B.C.) started and pitched the first three innings. RHP Logan Cummins (Mississauga, Ont.) and LHP Oscar Leah (Maple Ridge, B.C.) followed in relief, both pitching one and two-thirds innings.

RHP Desmond Tregaskis (Delta, B.C.) then closed out the contest, working the final two innings.

On Tuesday, the JNT will head to the New York Yankees Minor League Complex in Tampa to face the Yankees EXT squad.

April 20, 2026

By Matt Betts

Canadian Baseball Network

It’s hard to believe INF Evan Morrison didn’t have any offers to play college ball south of the border out of high school.

Through 40 games this season, his senior campaign with Grand Valley State University in Michigan, Morrison) is hitting .423 with a 1.091 OPS and 21 stolen bases.

So, it begs the question; how did a player of his calibre get overlooked?

Part of it was education, and part of it was opportunity.

“My junior and senior years of high school were during Covid so going south for tournaments was impossible, which made getting in front of American schools difficult,” said Morrison ( (Wheatley, Ont.)..

“I didn’t have a single offer, partly because at the time all I could do was send showcase clips and video of swings. Still now, but especially coming out of high school, I wasn't a showcase player. In games is where I thrived and showed my skills, so it kind of made sense I didn’t get any offers because my showcase numbers weren’t great.”

At that point it would have been easy, and understandable, to pursue a different path away from the game.

But, that’s when University of Waterloo head coach Ben Norris sold him on the Warriors program and Ontario University Athletic. Combine it with getting into the school’s computer engineering program, and it seemed like a good match.

Skip ahead to the summer of 2023 and Morrison was plying his trade with another Waterloo team, the Bucks, of the Northwoods League as a then pitcher-only. There, he connected with McPherson College and after the following fall season back home, he joined the Kansas school over the Christmas break.

His first season for the Bulldogs went better at the plate than on the mound. As a pitcher, Morrison made four appearances with an 8.56 ERA over 13 2/3 innings. In the box, he hit .438 with a 1.111 OPS in 36 games, 21 of which he started.

While he enjoyed his experience, it wasn’t a great fit, he said.

Another summer, this time as a two-way player, for the Waterloo Bucks helped him land at Grand Valley State University.

“GVSU has been such a great opportunity to get better for me,” Morrison said.

“Our facilities are insane and this is the highest level of coaching I’ve had. That mixed with the culture here has pushed me to put everything I have into this team and has made me a much better overall player and leader.”

Make no mistake, GVSU has benefitted too.

Morrison’s first season in Allendale, Mich., saw him hit .341 with a .916 OPS

“I think as a whole, my play style has remained pretty similar throughout my college career, but I’ve continued to get stronger and more explosive, which has translated to more power,” Morrison said.

“I’ve also become much more aggressive in my approach at the plate and on the bases, which I think has just come with confidence over time. I’ve played enough college baseball games to know what I can do on the field when I’m at my best.”

Morrison admits there’s significant differences between college baseball in Canada versus the United States, mainly around funding, but has nothing but positive things to say about his time back home.

In his opinion, it played an important role in forming the player he is today.

“I loved my experience at the University of Waterloo,” he said.

“We travelled on a glorified school bus and didn’t have our own field to practice on, which looking back, helped make that bond with the team so much better. I’ll never forget how close and how fun our team was.”

April 20, 2026

By Neil Munro

Canadian Baseball Network

When Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Michael Soroka defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in his start against them on Friday, it was his third career win against the Blue Jays.

It also represented the 60th win by a Canadian pitcher against the Blue Jays overall.

Kirk McCaskill (Kapuskasing, Ont.) has the most wins by a Canadian pitcher against the Blue Jays with nine.

On Friday, Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) started and allowed just two runs on five hits, while striking out five, in seven innings to lead the D-Backs to a 6-3 victory.

Soroka was just seven years old when the Montreal Expos ceased to exist, so, needless to say, he never had a chance to pitch against them. But over the years, Canadian pitchers also registered 35 wins against the Expos.

Not suprisingly, Fergie Jenkins (Chatham, Ont.) led the way with 10 wins against the Expos. The Canadian pitching legend recorded a combined 16 victories against the Expos and Blue Jays.

Here’s a summary of wins by Canadian pitchers against the Blue Jays and Expos:

April 19, 2026

By Jake McGrail

UBC Communications

KLAMATH FALLS – It was a quite successful Sunday for the UBC Thunderbirds, as in less than eight hours they defeated the Oregon Tech Owls three separate times.

That unique situation came about because of the second game of the series being suspended due to darkness the previous night with just four more outs to play.

The high-scoring numbers from Saturday carried over to the following day, with the Thunderbirds scoring at least 11 runs in all four games in the series overall, boasting too much firepower for the Owls to handle.

Calvin Warrillow (Toronto, Ont.) was the star of the weekend for UBC, in all totalling three home runs, nine RBIs and eight runs scored while going 9-for-15 at the plate. David Krahn (Langley, B.C.) was also supremely productive. He was 7-for-20 with nine RBIs and seven runs scored.

GAME ONE (continued)

After the dramatic events of Saturday evening, the two teams came out Monday morning to resume play in the following situation: UBC up 16-12 in the top of the ninth, with a runner on second and two outs.

While the T-Birds immediately gave up that out on a Josh Cote (Midland, Ont.) pop-up, they also didn't allow the Owls to get too much momentum going in the bottom half of the inning. Despite giving up a lead-off single, Kaden Douglas-Pluff (North Vancouver, B.C.) was able to record three outs in the next three at-bats, including a game-ending double play.

GAME TWO

The 'Birds again came out firing to begin the third game of the series. Oregon Tech only recorded an out on one of the first six batters, and that was a Cote sacrifice fly that scored Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.).

That was the T-Birds' second run of the opening inning, following a Krahn RBI single the previous at-bat. Warrillow then stepped right into the box and delivered an RBI single of his own that brought home Krahn.

Krahn then launched his seventh home run of the season on his next plate appearance, putting the blue and gold up 4-0 to begin the third. Once again, however, the Owls refused to fold. A three-run fourth inning cut the deficit to just one, giving UBC still plenty of work to do.

They certainly went to work in the sixth, with Stephen Waters (Toronto, Ont.) capitalizing on a fielding error to race home to make it 6-4. A Yip bases-clearing double followed immediately after by an RBI single from Krahn put the lead up to five.

That lead was then yanked right back in the bottom of the eighth, when again the Owls scored four runs in an inning. Strangely, none of them came from a swing of a bat – first was a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, then two bases loaded walks, and then a passed ball.

Escaping to the ninth still holding a slim lead, Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.) and Braeden Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) gave UBC a bit of breathing room with back-to-back RBI singles, putting the T-Birds into double digits once again. Lucas Huynh (Vancouver, B.C.) then earned his second save of the weekend, clinching the series victory.

GAME THREE

That left one more game to go, and this time the Thunderbirds left no doubt as they mercy ruled the Owls to earn the sweep. Again, they were helped by a big first inning, beginning when Oliver Clements (Vancouver, B.C.) stole third only to then scamper home due to a throwing error by the Owls' catcher.

Cote then stepped up to deliver a two-run homer, and while the hosts did score three of their own in the bottom half of the frame to tie the game, the 'Birds soon pulled away for good.

That burst began with a UBC run off another Oregon Tech error in the top of the third, followed soon after by a Warrillow RBI double and a two-run single by Scott. Bourne provided an RBI single of his own in the fifth, before a five-run sixth inning put the game fully out of reach.

Krahn, Cote and Bourne all continued their big days with RBIs in that big sixth, with Bourne also coming around to score off yet another Owls error. Two more runs in the seventh prompted the mercy rule, with the T-Birds in all scoring 55 runs over the course of the four games this weekend.

The 'Birds now have just four games remaining in the regular season, coming at home against Bushnell next weekend. Sunday's doubleheader action will also serve as UBC's Senior Day, as they hope to have the chance to claim a second straight CCC regular season title.

April 18, 2026

By Jake McGrail

UBC Communications

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – On a day that featured 52 runs scored between the UBC Thunderbirds and the Oregon Tech Owls, a doubleheader that began at noon had to be suspended due to darkness before the second game could be completed, setting up another monster day of baseball on Sunday.

The T-Birds were an out away from defeat in the first game of the series, before a massive ninth inning rally put them out in front for good. They took the lead in the top of the ninth of the second game as well, before a pause was enacted with play to resume in the morning.

GAME ONE

The series opener featured some crazy momentum swings, with the two teams trading big innings. First, it was the Owls putting three on the board in the bottom half of the first, including a two-run homer from Logan Macy.

Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.) then answered back in the top of the second with a three-run home run of his own, and the 'Birds tacked on two more to take the lead before they were hit with a third out. Their fourth score came following a throwing error from the Owls' infield, and after loading the bases Braeden Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) was hit by a pitch to make it 5-3.

That lead didn't last for long, however, as Oregon Tech hit back with a four-spot in the bottom of the third, and took a lead that they would hold onto for the rest of the game.

That was certainly not due for a lack of fight on the UBC side, as they kept fighting to try and push themselves back in front. A Lou Fujiwara run off a fielder's choice in the sixth was followed by another pair of runs from the Owls in the bottom half of the inning, but the Thunderbirds again got themselves within one following RBIs from Jordan Stewart (Vancouver, B.C.) and Kansai Sugimoto in the seventh.

Hope temporarily seemed to be lost when another Macy long ball made it 11-8 for the home team entering the final inning, but the 'Birds had one more rally in them.

With two outs, the bases loaded, and the game on the line, Scott fired a two-run single up the middle to again cut the lead to just one. Calvin Warrillow (Toronto, Ont.) then decided he'd get more than one more, as the pinch-hitter stepped into the box and launched just his second homer of the season to put UBC in front.

Lucas Huynh (Vancouver, B.C.) closed out a 1-2-3 inning for the save – his fifth of the year – to complete the fantastic comeback.

GAME TWO

The 'Birds – not wanting to have to rely on the same type of late heroics – got off to a strong start in the second game of the day. After Warrillow and Bourne both got on base to begin the second inning, Stephen Waters (Toronto, Ont.) opened the scoring with an RBI single to left. A Matt Vanslyke (Whitby, Ont.) sacrifice bunt then set up Fujiwara for a single of his own that scored Bourne, putting UBC up 2-0.

The parade of RBI singles continued from David Krahn (Langley, B.C.) and Josh Cote (Midland, Ont.) in the top of the fourth, before Warrillow interrupted it with another homer that made it a seven-run ballgame and more than doubled his previous season-high for most RBIs in a single weekend series.

The Owls fought back, however, and got themselves right back in the game in the bottom half of that same inning. After loading the bases, Aidan Corkery brought home two runs with a single of his own, the start of an eight-score inning capped off by a Dylan Edwards two-run hit that gave the hosts the lead.

The roller coaster of a day continued when Bourne and Stewart teamed up to give UBC the lead back in the sixth with a pair of RBIs of their own, only for the Owls to score another four runs in their half of the same inning to make it 12-9.

It was all UBC from there, however, as yet another Warrillow bomb put two more runs on the board in the seventh, and the top of the ninth bore fruit once again with a Bourne homer, Vanslyke scoring off a wild pitch and Krahn smacking a two-run double.

Up 16-12 and still with a man on second with two outs, the Thunderbirds weren't able to continue their run before play was stopped. The game will resume from that point at 10:30 a.m. (P.T.) on Sunday, followed by two more games to end the series.

April 18, 2026

By Nicklaus Korim

Baseball Canada

The Junior National Team defeated the Toronto Blue Jays EXT 3-1 on Saturday for their first win of their extended spring camp.

Box Score

The pitching was outstanding for the Juniors, holding the Jays to one run.

RHP Calum Anderson (Calgary, Alta.) started and struck out two in three scoreless innings.

RHP Lucas St-Laurent (Ascot Corner, Que.) and RHP Damarcus Rideau-Carter (Brampton, Ont.) followed Anderson, each throwing two innings before RHP Austin Blair (Victoria, B.C.) closed out the contest with two scoreless frames to earn the save.

Offensively, the JNT took a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

First baseman Zach MacDonald (Lacombe, Alta.) led the JNT offence, driving in the first run of the game on a sac fly and then later belting the JNT’s first home run of their extended spring camp.

INF Kadyn Armitage (Surrey, B.C.) also had a good day at the dish, going 1-for-2 with a single, a stolen base and a run.

OF Rogan Rivard (Bonnyville, Alta.) continues to find his way on base; he finished 1-for-3.

The JNT’s next game will be on Monday when they play the Jays EXT at the Blue Jays Player Development Complex again.

April 19, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes

Soroka earns fourth win of the season

Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) started and allowed just two runs on five hits, while striking out five, in seven innings to lead the D-Backs to a 6-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays at Chase Field on Friday night.

His performance earned him his fourth win of the season, which is one more than he recorded all of last year.

The 28-year-old Canuck’s start on Friday represented the first time since August 22, 2019 that he has thrown seven innings in a major league game.

In four starts in 2026, Soroka is 4-0 with a 2.78 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings.

Quantrill earns first win with Rangers

On Wednesday, the Texas Rangers called up veteran right-hander Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.).

He picked up a win the following day when he tossed a scoreless ninth in a 9-6 win over the Athletics.

Prior to his promotion, the 31-year-old Canadian made three starts for the triple-A Round Rock Express.

Quantrill signed a minor league deal with the Rangers on January 30 after finishing the 2025 season by posting a 1.64 ERA and striking out 14 batters in 11 innings in two starts in triple-A for the Rangers.

The Rangers were the third organization Quantrill played with in 2025 after beginning the season with the Miami Marlins and then making two starts for the Atlanta Braves.

The Ontario Terriers alum has also had tenures with the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians and Colorado Rockies. He is in his eighth major league season.

Pivetta sidelined long term with a right elbow flexor strain

On Tuesday, the San Diego Padres placed Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation.

An MRI on his elbow revealed a flexor strain that, according to Padres manager Craig Stammen, could sideline Pivetta for months.

The 33-year-old Canadian, who was the Padres’ Opening Day starter, left his start against the Colorado Rockies last Sunday with right elbow stiffness after tossing three perfect innings. It was Pivetta’s fourth start of the campaign.

After signing a four-year contract with the Padres in February 2025, Pivetta proceeded to lead all Canadian big league pitchers in wins (13), starts (31), innings pitched (181 2/3), strikeouts (190) and WAR (5.3) last season. He was also fourth among all major league pitchers in opponents’ batting average (.195), ninth in ERA (2.87) and 10th in quality starts (19). For his efforts, he finished sixth in the National League Cy Young Award voting.

The Victoria Eagles and Junior National Team grad is in his 10th MLB season.

Naylor belts first two homers of the season

On Monday, Seattle Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) belted his first two home runs of the season to propel the M’s to a 6-2 win over the Houston Astros at T-Mobile Park.

Naylor socked a three-run homer in the first inning and added a two-run blast in the third, giving him a five-RBI game.

It was the sixth, two-home run game of Naylor’s big league career and his first with the Mariners.

It was also the fourth time in his MLB career that he has knocked in five runs in a game.

Hicks just shy of NL RBI lead

Miami Marlins catcher Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) knocked in five more runs this week to boost his season total to 18.

This leaves him just three behind Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages for the National League lead.

Hicks leads all Canadian big leaguers in home runs (4) and RBIs (18) this season. The 26-year-old Toronto Mets alum is in his second big league campaign.

Lopez continues to swing hot bat for Marlins

While Hicks sits just three back of Pages for the NL lead in RBIs, his Marlins and Canadian national team teammate Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) is just two back of Pages and Braves catcher Drake Baldwin for the NL lead in hits.

Lopez has 26 hits this season and is riding a seven-game hitting streak.

The Marlins infielder ranks in the top 10 in the NL in several other offensive categories, including tied for second in triples (2) and batting average (.342) and 10th in OPS (.959).

He has also been outstanding defensively at shortstop for the Marlins.

Mets place Young on injured list

The New York Mets placed Jared Young on the 10-day injured on Wednesday due to a meniscus tear in his left knee.

Young (Prince George, B.C.) will undergo surgery and is expected to be sidelined for six-to-eight weeks.

The Canuck first baseman/outfielder had been out of the Mets’ lineup with knee discomfort since last Saturday, but prior to that he had been one of the Mets’ best hitters, going 7-for-20 (.350 batting average) with two doubles in 11 games.

Signed by the Mets in December 2024, Young spent the majority of 2025 in triple-A but he also clubbed four homers in 22 games with the big league Mets.

Chosen in the 15th round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs, the Okanagan Athletics alum also played parts of parts of two seasons with the Cubs in 2022 and 2023.

O’Neill out with concussion

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) was placed on the seven-day injured list last Sunday (retroactive to April 9) with a concussion.

He had been fighting an illness and it’s believed he sustained the concussion after he became dehydrated and fainted on the O’s off-day on April 9.

The 30-year-old slugger was eligible to come off the injured list on Saturday, but O’s manager Craig Albernaz told reporters that O’Neill needs more time.

O’Neill is 7-for-29 (.241 batting average) with a home run and four RBIs in 10 games for the O’s this season, his ninth as a big leaguer.

Rest in peace, Garret Anderson

My condolences to the family of former Los Angeles Angels slugger Garret Anderson who died suddenly of a heart attack on Thursday at the age of 53.

“The Angels Organization is mourning the loss of one of our franchise’s most beloved icons, Garret Anderson,” said Angels Owner Arte Moreno in statement on Friday. “Garret was a cornerstone of our organization throughout his 15 seasons and his stoic presence in the outfield and our clubhouse elevated the Angels into an era of continued success, highlighted by the 2002 World Series Championship.

“Garret will forever hold a special place in the hearts of Angels fans for his professionalism, class, and loyalty throughout his career and beyond. His admiration and respect for the game was immeasurable.”

A two-time Silver Slugger Award winner and three-time all-star, Anderson is the Angels’ all-time leader in several offensive categories, including hits (2,368), total bases (3,743), extra-base hits (796), doubles (489) and RBIs (1,292). He also ranks third in home runs (287). He was inducted into the Angels’ Hall of Fame in 2016.

Prior to starring for the Angels, Anderson played parts of three seasons with the triple-A Vancouver Canadians. His best campaign with the Canadians came in 1994 when he batted .321 with 12 home runs and 102 RBIs in 123 games.

The Angels will honour Anderson with a memorial patch on their jerseys for the rest of the season.

Romano struggles

Naturally, the day after I declared Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) reborn as a closer with the Los Angeles Angels – and pointing out that he was 4-for-4 in save opportunities – he was shelled by the New York Yankees in the ninth inning.

On Monday, Romano entered the game with the Angels leading 10-8 and allowed a leadoff single to Jazz Chisholm and then a two-run home run to Trent Grisham to tie the game. José Caballero followed with a double and after Romano walked two batters, Caballero scored the game-winning run on a wild pitch.

It was Romano’s first blown save of the year.

Two days later, he blew another save against the Bronx Bombers. But this one was not really his fault. He was once again summoned into the game in the ninth, this time to protect a 4-3 lead. After he got Giancarlo Stanton to line out to left, Chisholm lifted any easy infield fly ball that dropped between shortstop Zach Neto and third baseman Oswald Peraza. Romano then walked catcher Austin Wells and Caballero doubled home both runners to complete a come-from-behind win.

To his credit, Romano was back on the mound on Friday and struck out the side and hurled a scoreless ninth in the Angels’ 8-0 win over the Padres.

Francis, Martin made history 11 years ago today

Eleven years ago today, Jeff Francis (North Delta, B.C.) and Russell Martin (Montreal, Que.) formed the first all-Canadian battery in Toronto Blue Jays’ history.

Francis entered the game in the fifth and tossed 3 1/3 scoreless innings with Martin catching.

The Blue Jays lost 5-2 to the Braves.

Four Canadians participated in MLB’s 2026 Girls Baseball Development Trailblazer Series

Four Canadians were selected to participate in Major League Baseball’s 2026 Girls Development Trailblazer Series that took place on Friday and Saturday at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla.

Presleigh Lawson (Calgary, Alta.), Marisa Shah (Mississauga, Ont.), Reagan Jane Allard (Beamsville, Ont.) and Mingqian Chloe Yang (White Rock, B.C.) were among the more than 90 girls from ages 12 to 14 to participate.

The two-day event provided participants with daily development, on-field games and off-field programming.

The Trailblazer Series offered the four Canadians an opportunity to train under several highly esteemed coaches, including U.S. National Team alumni Michelle Cobb, Amanda Gianelloni, Alex Hugo and Meggie Meidlinger. Off the field, the players could also attend panel discussions, one of which featured former professional players Maybelle Blair and Jeneane Lesko who starred in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL).

Happy Birthday Spike Owen!

Happy 65th Birthday to Spike Owen!

The switch-hitting shortstop was one of my favourite players when I was growing up. He began his career with the Mariners and when I was 12, I wrote him a fan letter and mailed it to the Kingdome. He responded with this autographed postcard (below). It was the first major league autograph I ever received and I still have it and cherish it.

In total, in 1,544 games in 13 big league seasons with the Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Montreal Expos, New York Yankees and California Angels, Owen batted .246 and accumulated 1,211 hits.

Some Blue Jays trivia and a birthday

In 1998, Shawn Green had 35 home runs and 35 stolen bases for the Blue Jays to become the first 30-30 player in Blue Jays’ history.

Who was the second Blue Jays player to record 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season?

The answer is Jose Cruz Jr., who in 2001 had 34 home runs and 32 stolen bases. That would be his best of six seasons with the Blue Jays between 1997 and 2002.

Cruz Jr. turns 52 today.

Happy Birthday to him!

April 17, 2026

By Nicklaus Korim

Baseball Canada

On Friday, the Junior National Team (JNT) lost 8-3 to the Philadelphia Phillies EXT at the Carpenter Complex in the third game of their extended spring camp.

Box Score

INF Robert Omidi (Mississauga, Ont.) led the offence, going 2-for-2 with a walk, a stolen base and a run, one that gave the Juniors a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. INF Jalen Jacobs (Richmond Hill, Ont.) went 1-for-2 with a walk. His hit was a line drive single in the second.

The Juniors’ biggest offensive play, however, came from INF Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.), who had a two-run single to centre field in the fifth inning after a clutch stolen base from OF Sam Ellis (La Pêche, Que.).

On the mound, Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) started and tossed three scoreless innings. He fanned three batters and only allowed one hit.

RHP Joseph Pereira (Etobicoke, Ont.) then made his Junior National Team debut and struck out three batters in 1 2/3 innings in relief.

RHP Max Nantais-Vlahovich (Mississauga, Ont.) followed with another 1 2/3 innings before RHP Noah Powell (Toronto, Ont.) pitched the final two frames and registered three strikeouts.

The Juniors now head back to Dunedin, Fla., to face the Toronto Blue Jays PDC on Saturday.

April 17, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Former major leaguer and longtime umpire Ossie Chavarria has been elected to the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame.

The provincial sports shrine unveiled its class of 2026 on Wednesday.

Chavarria will be inducted in the Builders-Coaches category.

“Ossie’s impact on baseball in B.C. and across the country is truly unmatched,” said B.C. Baseball in a statement. “A well-deserved honour for a lifetime dedicated to the game.”

The induction ceremony will take place on a yet to be determined date in the fall.

The B.C. Sports Hall of Fame’s 2026 induction class will consist of five athletes, three builder-coaches, one team, one pioneer and one media member. A full list of the inductees can be found here.

Born in Panama but a longtime B.C. resident, Chavarria was a highly respected umpire for more than four decades — from international to local levels.

His excellence as an umpire came after a successful 15-season pro career as an infielder that included two major league campaigns with the Kansas City Athletics (1966-67) and three seasons with the triple-A Vancouver Mounties (1965, 1967-68).

Among Chavarria’s career highlights as an umpire are officiating baseball at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona and at the 1983 and 1999 Pan Am Games.

In total, Chavarria served as an umpire at the national and provincial levels for 40 years, from 1977 to 2017.

On top of his accomplishments as a player and umpire, he also served as an assistant coach for Canada’s men’s national team at the 1987 Pan Am Games and 1988 Olympics. He was also a coach at the Vancouver-based National Baseball Institute from 1986 to 1990.

Chavarria also worked as a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1984.

For his efforts, he was inducted into the Burnaby Sports Hall of Fame in 2004 and the B.C. Baseball Umpires Association Hall of Fame in 2015.

Induction into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame is considered the highest sporting honour in the province. Since 1966, the B.C. shrine has inducted 462 individuals and 71 teams.

“After months of anticipation, we’re energized to begin telling the stories and marking the outstanding achievements of our Class of 2026,” said Tom Mayenknecht, chair of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame. “Honouring the past – and inspiring the future – is at the very heart of the mission of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame and this year’s honourees truly exemplify the best of sport in this province and beyond.”

April 16, 2026

By Nicklaus Korim

Baseball Canada

On Thursday, the Junior National Team was edged 4-3 by a team of Pittsburgh Pirates prospects at LECOM Park in the second game of their extended spring training camp.

Box Score

Both teams agreed to an extended game for developmental purposes.

OF Rogan Rivard (Bonnyville, Alta.) was an offensive sparkplug for Canada, going 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the 10th inning and a line-drive single to right in the fifth.

INF Kadyn Armitage (Surrey, B.C.) went 1-for-2, driving in the first run for Canada in the top of the fifth.

INF Jalen Jacob (Richmond Hill, Ont.) doubled to collect the only extra-base hit for the Canadians. He later came around to score, finishing 1-for-3 with one walk.

OF Maxime Blain (Repentigny, Que.) also went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run, while OF Sam Ellis (La Pêche, Que.) also had a hit and a walk. C Rhys Whiteford (Duncan, B.C.) reached on an error in the eighth, allowing Blain to score.

On the mound, left-hander Josh Mills (Leduc, Alta.) got the start, and recorded five strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. The bullpen featured Junior National Team debuts by RHP Gabe Fink (Edmonton, Alta.) and LHP Ethan Reason (Stouffville, Ont.), alongside RHP Will Zielinski (Victoria, B.C.). The trio combined for six scoreless innings in relief.

Fink struck out four in two clean innings. Reason then followed with a similar performance, striking out one in two scoreless frames. Zielinski kept the Pirates off the scoreboard for the final two innings, registering two strikeouts.

On Friday, the JNT will head to the Carpenter Complex to face the Philadelphia Phillies.

April 14, 2026

By: Toby Nosker

Cloud County Sports Information Director

Cloud County Community College redshirt freshman Simon Baker was named the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) West Division Player of the Week, the conference announced on Tuesday, April 14.

The product of Cochrane, Alberta was red-hot last week, helping the T-Birds go 5-0.

Baker batted .688 for the week, going 11-of-16 with eight extra-base hits while driving in 13.

Hitting four home runs in the team's four-game KJCCC sweep over Butler Community College, Baker also tallied three triples and finished the week with a 1.875 slugging-percentage and a .783 on-base percentage.

Baker, who also played his first games as a starting outfielder last week, is hitting .421 on the season and leads the T-Birds with 16 home runs and eight triples.

April 16, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

The New York Mets have placed Jared Young on the 10-day injured due to a meniscus tear in his left knee.

Young (Prince George, B.C.) will undergo surgery and is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.

The versatile Canadian had been out of the Mets’ lineup with knee discomfort since Saturday, but prior to that he had been one of the Mets’ best hitters, going 7-for-20 (.350 batting average) with two doubles in 11 games.

On April 5, Young had the first three-hit game of his major league career when he recorded two singles and a double in the Mets’ 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park.

His hot start came after he played two games for Canada at the World Baseball Classic in March. It was his second appearance for Canada at the tournament.

Signed by the Mets in December 2024, Young spent the majority of 2025 in triple-A but he also belted four homers in 22 games with the big league Mets.

Chosen in the 15th round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs, the Okanagan Athletics alum also played parts of parts of two seasons with the Cubs in 2022 and 2023.

The Mets have recalled MJ Melendez from triple-A to replace Young on the roster.

Young is the third Canadian to land on the MLB injured list in the past week. He joins San Diego Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) who’s out with a flexor strain in his right elbow and Baltimore Orioles slugger Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) who’s shelved with a concussion.

April 15, 2026

Official Texas Rangers News Release

West Sacramento, Calif. — The Texas Rangers announced the following transactions prior to Wednesday night’s game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park:

-Right-handed pitcher Luis Curvelo placed on 15-day Injured List (right biceps strain)

-Right-handed pitcher Chris Martin placed on 15-day Injured List (right shoulder impingement)

-Right-handed pitcher Cal Quantrill (#44) contract selected from Triple-A Round Rock

-Right-handed pitcher Gavin Collyer (#65) contract selected from Triple-A Round Rock

To make room for Collyer and Quantrill on the Rangers 40-man roster, left-handed pitcher Cody Bradford has been transferred to the 60-day Injured List and right-handed pitcher Marc Church has been designated for assignment.

Curvelo, 25, exited the mound after throwing two pitches during the seventh inning of Texas' 2-1 defeat to the Athletics last night at Sutter Health Park. The Venezuela native has yielded three earned runs in five innings spanning four relief appearances for the Rangers since being recalled from Round Rock on April 5 after Carter Baumler was placed on the Injured List.

Martin, 39, most recently appeared last night against the A's, entering with two outs in the top of the fifth inning and fanning his lone batter faced (Max Muncy). The 11-year Major League veteran has posted a 7.11 ERA with no walks and seven strikeouts over eight relief appearances for Texas in 2026, including scoreless outings in three of his last four games since April 5.

The 24-year-old Collyer is seeking his major league debut after he was re-signed by Texas to a minor league contract on December 16, 2025. In six relief appearances with Round Rock this season, the right-hander has gone 1-0 with one save, a 2.70 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, .208 opponent batting average, and just two walks compared to 11 strikeouts. He has yet to permit a run in April after yielding a single tally in each of his first two outings of 2026.

After receiving an invitation to Texas' 2026 Major League Spring Training camp, Collyer appeared eight times for the Rangers in Cactus League play and pitched to a 4.15 ERA while notching one save. His four-seam fastball averaged 98.0 mph in those outings, the highest mark among Rangers hurlers this spring, ahead of Jacob deGrom (97.4 mph). The Lawrenceville, Georgia native is in his seventh professional season (all with the Rangers organization) and owns a career 19-24 record, 18 saves, and 4.33 ERA in 180 games (44 starts) with Texas affiliates after he was selected in the 12th round of the 2019 MLB draft from Mountain View (Ga.) H.S.

Quantrill, 31, has made three starts for Triple-A Round Rock this season, posting a 5.14 ERA (8 ER/14.0 IP), 1.07 WHIP, .212 opponent batting average, four walks, and 13 strikeouts. The right-hander has permitted just one earned run in 12 innings over his last two starts for the Express on April 4 vs. Gwinnett (5.0 IP, 0 ER) and Friday at Oklahoma City (7.0 IP, 1 ER), as the latter outing netted him Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week honours for April 6-12. He currently ranks ninth among PCL qualifiers in both opponent batting average and WHIP.

Signed by Texas as a non-roster invitee to 2026 Major League Spring Training camp on February 1, Quantrill started three Cactus League 'A' games for the Rangers this spring in addition to one start for Team Canada in the 2026 World Baseball Classic on March 11 at Cuba (W, 5.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R-0 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, 67 pitches/43 strikes). He had previously signed with Texas as a minor league free agent on September 7, 2025, and reported to Round Rock where he made two starts for the Express from September 11-17, 2025.

The Port Hope, Ont., native will be seeking his Rangers debut and his first major league action since 2025 when he amassed 24 starts with Miami and Atlanta. Quantrill has appeared in the majors in each of the last seven seasons (2019-25), posting a 47-46 career record with a 4.35 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and .263 opponent batting average over 187 games (149 starts) for San Diego (2019-20), Cleveland (2020-23), Colorado (2024), Miami (2025), and Atlanta (2025).

Bradford, 28, was originally placed on the 15-day Injured List on March 25, retroactive to March 22, while recovering from left elbow surgery, performed in June 2025.

Church, 25, went 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in five relief appearances for Round Rock this season after he was optioned to Triple-A from Texas’ Major League Spring Training on March 16. The Rangers have seven days to trade, release, or outright Church to the minor leagues.

With today’s transactions, the Rangers remain at the 40-man limit on the club’s major league roster, along with two players on the 60-day Injured List (LHPs Cody Bradford and Jordan Montgomery).

April 15, 2026

By Nicklaus Korim

Baseball Canada

The Junior National Team (JNT) opened camp on Wednesday with a 6-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies extended team at the Toronto Blue Jays Player Development Complex in Dunedin, Fla.

Box Score

Right-handed pitcher Cole Dorland (Langley, B.C.) had an impressive start, tossing three innings, striking out three and only allowing three hits with two earned runs.

RHP Logan Cummins (Mississauga, Ont.) came in to throw two innings of relief, striking out two while allowing one earned run. Southpaw Oscar Leah (Maple Ridge, B.C.) followed with an inning before handing the reins over to RHP Desmond Tregaskis (Delta, B.C.), who pitched three innings, including two scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth, recording one strikeout.

Offensively, INF Jalen Jacob (Maple, Ont.) went 1-for-3 with a single in the fourth inning, bringing in Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.) and making the score 3-2. Lascelles went 1-for-3, with an infield single.

OF Maxime Blain (Repentigny, Que.) also went 1-for-3, hitting a hard ground-ball single to right field in the second inning, advancing INF Kadyn Armitage (Surrey, B.C.) to third after he reached first on an error from the infield.

OF Rogan Rivard (Bonnyville, Alta.) got the JNT on the scoreboard after grounding into a fielder's choice that allowed Armitage to score, giving the juniors a 1-0 lead.

The Juniors will continue on their Spring Training Camp tomorrow against the Pittsburgh Pirates extended team.

April 15, 2026

By Trevor Fitzpatrick

Canadian Baseball Network

Of the teams participating in the upcoming Road to Okotoks qualifiers, the North Toronto Athletics are likely to be one of the youngest.

The tournament is open to players 19 and under, but the Athletics will attempt to earn a spot in the competition with their 17U group, led by head coach Jamie Lekas (Toronto, Ont.).

To underestimate them would be a foolish decision though. This is a tight-knit ball club with a core group of players that have been together since their 13U days. They’re coming off back-to-back OBA championships in ‘24 and ‘25 in the 15U and 16U AAA categories respectively.

On top of that, they won seven tournaments last season, including the Toronto Baseball Association and the Elite Baseball League of Ontario.

They have a great chance ahead of them now to continue their winning ways into their 17U season.

“The players’ initial reaction was more than excited (for the chance to play in the Road to Okotoks),” recalled Lekas, “Based on the teams entering and everything that has been advertised, it was the right place, right time for this tournament to come around.”

A big bonus was the proximity of the qualifiers, explained the team’s admin Tara Coccimiglio.

“Originally, we hummed and hawed a little bit,” she said. “It’s a very expensive tournament to enter. Knowing that it’s GTA, for the qualifier anyways, I was like, you know what? It’s not as bad as I thought. We’re all very excited about the opportunity.”

On top of the team’s great run of the Ontario circuits the last two seasons, they’ve gotten off to a great start in 2026 with spring training.

They went on a trip to Florida and went 7-0 against a variety of competition. What makes the success even more impressive is the small size of their team.

While many around them during the Road to Okotoks will be fielding large rosters with pitcher only players, the Athletics roster features less than 15 players at the moment, meaning many of them pitch and play in the field.

When asked about who they’d like to highlight on the team heading into the tournament, Lekas and Coccimiglio lit up, and gave this list:

-“Our infield, Griffin Miller (Toronto, Ont.) at third, Daniel Coccimiglio (Toronto, Ont.) at short, and Gil Sernick (Toronto, Ont.) at second. They all thrive off each other and are leaders in the clubhouse,” explained Lekas.

-“Luke DeBoni (Toronto, Ont.) has been our southpaw, and ace for the last two seasons. He had over 100 strikeouts last year and a sub-two ERA,” continued Lekas.

-“Someone else that is a big presence on the mound is Blake Barbowski (Thornhill, Ont.),” said Coccimiglio, “He’s a huge presence for us, if you don’t know about him, you will definitely hear him,” Lekas chimed in.

-“While we’re on that topic, two guys who will have a huge impact on the tournament are the Cabrita brothers, Ben and Dexter (Toronto, Ont.). Dexter is our lefty leadoff hitter and Ben is our catcher, controlling the pitching staff,” Lekas said.

“We have 90% returning players this year, then added some more onto our roster, but people don’t want to leave our team,” Coccimiglio said proudly, “It’s a really great place to be. We’re excited to come out there and show everyone why it doesn’t matter what age we are, we can do it all.”

An exciting part of the Road to Okotoks qualifiers will be all the teams from different leagues, such as the OBA and CPBL, playing against one another.

While the tournament will be somewhat of an experiment, being in its first year, having top teams in Ontario playing one another is a great start. Before, they often wouldn’t run into one another unless it was by happenstance at a US tournament.

“We’re always trying to play the best teams and whether it’s scheduling issues or different leagues, it’s been challenging to get games with teams in different leagues,” Lekas explained, “We’re looking forward to playing and looking forward to that competition.”

The Road to Okotoks qualifiers take place May 28-31, with the Athletics aiming to be one of seven Ontario teams to advance to the championship round in Okotoks July 14-19.

***

Links to other “Road to Okotoks” stories:

Fitzpatrick: Terriers prepare for "Road to Okotoks"

Fitzpatrick: Etobicoke Rangers aiming to qualify for Road to Okotoks

April 15, 2026

*It’s Jackie Robinson Day in Major League Baseball. Here’s an article that has been published on CBN for the past few years. It has never been more important to remember Jackie Robinson than right now.— Kevin Glew, CBN editor.”

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

How do you do justice to the most important player in baseball history?

That’s the quandary the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys, Ont., has faced when sharing Jackie Robinson’s story — especially when space is at a premium in the facility, even with the relatively recent renovations.

The answer is you probably can’t.

The Canadian ball hall does a superb job of celebrating Robinson with large photos, but no matter how much room a museum has, it would be impossible to fully illustrate the impact this courageous pioneer had on his sport.

But today, on Jackie Robinson Day across Major League Baseball, and on the 78th anniversary of Robinson breaking MLB’s colour barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers, it’s gratifying to know that we, as Canadians, helped him alter the history of his sport and inspire social change across North America. And Robinson never forgot that.

"I owe more to Canadians than they'll ever know,” Robinson once remarked after his playing days. “In my baseball career they were the first to make me feel my natural self.”

Prior to breaking Major League Baseball’s colour barrier on this date in 1947, Robinson starred at second base for the Montreal Royals, a Dodgers’ farm team, in 1946. It’s widely believed that Dodgers GM Branch Rickey stationed Robinson in Montreal to ease his young prospect into integrated baseball. Playing his home games in a city with a reputation for racial tolerance would provide Robinson with relative tranquility for half the schedule.

“When I was 16, in 1947, Jackie Robinson broke into the major leagues, and that was the first time most baseball fans had ever heard of him,” wrote Willie Mays in his 1988 autobiography. “But we all knew who Jackie was. In fact, to us black ballplayers it seemed like a bigger breakthrough when, in 1946, he signed to play with the Dodgers’ farm team in Montreal. That was organized ball. I mean, forget about the majors.”

On the field with the Royals in 1946, Robinson excelled, leading the International League in batting average (.349), walks (92) and runs (113). He also stole 40 bases and spurred the club to their first Junior World Series title.

When the Royals clinched the championship at Montreal’s Delorimier Stadium, the fans chanted Robinson’s name and hoisted him on their shoulders. Tears of jubilation spilled from the baseball pioneer’s eyes. He had endured a lot that season. Racism was palpable in International League cities like Syracuse and Baltimore, but the taunts had intensified in Louisville, the city Montreal opposed in the Junior World Series.

After the celebration appeared over, Robinson emerged from the clubhouse, only to have adoring fans chase him down the street, wanting to touch their hero one last time. The scene inspired Pittsburgh Courier correspondent, Sam Maltin, to write, “It was the first time that a white mob chased a black man down the street, not out of hate, but because of love.”

Moved by the affection of Montrealers after the Junior World Series, Robinson remarked, “This is the city for me. This is paradise.” These words have been immortalized on a statue of Robinson that still stands outside of Montreal’s Olympic Stadium.

“I remember Montreal as the city that enabled me to go to the major leagues,” Robinson reflected in a 1964 CBC interview. “Had it not been for the fact that I broke in with Montreal, I doubt seriously if we could have made the grade so rapidly. The fans there were just fantastic, and my wife and I have nothing but the greatest of memories . . . The people were so friendly and nice that we shall never forget them.”

Robinson, of course, went on the enjoy a successful, 10-year big league career with the Brooklyn Dodgers. Named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1947, he was voted the league MVP two years later and would be selected to six All-Star games. In all, in 1,382 major league games, he batted .311 and posted a .409 on-base percentage.

For his efforts on and off the field, he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. Sadly, just 10 years later, he passed away from a heart attack when he was only 53.

Robinson and his wife, Rachel, who is now 103, never forgot their year in Montreal.

And Montreal and Canada never forgot them.

Robinson was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 1991 and 20 years later a plaque was erected in front of the duplex in Montreal that the Robinsons lived in during the 1946 season.

"When I hear of bad things that are happening in other places – where people are fighting or being violent and are trying to exclude African-Americans – I think back to the days in Montreal," Rachel Robinson told the Globe and Mail in an interview in 2013. "It was almost blissful."

April 15, 2026

By Mark Whicker

Canadian Baseball Network

The colour of money in the National League is blue.

The Mets have a $366 million payroll. The Dodgers have a $322 million payroll. But not all money is equal, just as Musk is no Zuckerberg. The difference, on Monday night, was illustrated by a lefthander named Justin Wrobleski. He makes 790 thousand dollars this year, with a “t.”

The Dodgers beat the Mets, 4-0, and Wrobleski threw eight of the easiest innings that will be recorded in Major League Baseball this year. He gave the Mets two singles and no walks. He only struck out two, but that meant he only had to throw 90 pitches.

Wrobleski could wind up in triple-A at some point. You don’t have to screw up much to get the ticket to Oklahoma City, not when the Dodgers have a wall of plaques in their rotation. But, more likely, manager Dave Roberts will find useful places for Wrobleski, and there will be starting opportunities that pop up. The Dodgers drafted Wrobleski from Oklahoma State in the 11th round five years ago and they have come to trust him. He appeared four times in last year’s World Series and did not give up a run.

Then there’s Andy Pages. He smashed a three-run home run off Dave Peterson Monday. He is hitting .417 with a .453 on-base percentage and 20 RBIs. All are National League highs. But the Dodgers did not get Pages through deluxe crypto coins. They signed him after he defected from Cuba as a 17-year-old, eight years ago, and they turned him over to the legions of instructors in their minor league system. Unbeknown to most, Pages hit 27 home runs with 86 RBIs last season. He is making $850,000 and L.A. doesn’t have to give him Maserati money until 2031, although it will jump to sign him if he keeps playing like an All-Star.

The Dodgers, going for a third consecutive World Series championship, are 12-4. The Mets are 7-10. They are coming off a three-game sweep, at home, at the hands of the Athletics, who have a $92 million outlay. They have lost six consecutive games at this writing and have been shut out four times.

Let’s get the caveats out of the way. Nobody should even look at the standings until Memorial Day. Jumping to conclusions just gets you shin splints, and a prominent place in Freezing Cold Takes. There’s no reason why the Mets won’t challenge for first place in the N.L. East. There’s also no reason to expect the Dodgers to keep slugging .493 as a team. But these two oligarchs simply aren’t dealing with the same currency. The Dodgers use gold. The Mets use bills to buy Park Place and Marvin Gardens, using either the hat or the sports car.

The Mets have been either first, second or third in payroll every year since 2021. They’ve been in the postseason twice since then. Their last World Series appearance was 2015, with Terry Collins managing. He has been followed by four managers. Each of the first three lasted two years. Fernando Mendoza is in his third year. We’ll see if he can make it to four.

Last season the Mets had a right to yearn for change. They won only 83 games. But they lost closer Edwin Diaz and first baseman Pete Alonso to free agency, and traded outfielder Brandon Nimmo to Texas for 35-year-old Marcus Semien. Those were formational players and endearing figures to their fans. The Mets tried to recoup by trading for Freddy Peralta and Luis Robert and signing Bo Bichette, and they obviously hope Nolan McLean and Clay Holmes can lead their rotation, but there doesn’t appear to be a plan. The Mets can’t be blamed for letting Jacob deGrom walk, after 38 starts in three years, but now the two-time Cy Young Award winner is one of baseball’s best again, only with Texas.

Before last season the Mets signed Juan Soto for 15 years, $765 million. You buy a lot of boldface statistics with Soto. He has a career on-base percentage of .417 and an OPS of .948, and he has 245 home runs at age 28. It is instructive to note that the Dodgers were outbid for Soto, by a reported $165 million, just as they were outbid for Bryce Harper and Gerrit Cole. They do not get everyone they want. It just seems that way because their imports usually pay off. This is the fourth team on which Soto has played, which is unusual for someone of his ability.

Currently he is out with a calf strain, two ominous words these days. In recent years, calf strains have been an occasional precursor of Achilles tendon tears in the NBA. Baseball doesn’t ask much of the body, in terms of quick stops and starts, but Mike Trout had a calf strain in 2021 and was out for almost four months.

It’s important for the Mets to chalk up winter victories, because they’re competing with the Yankees for attention and loyalty. Baseball has no salary cap, at least not yet. Hockey does, and for the first time, no New York-area team will make the Stanley Cup playoffs. Football does, and the Jets have had 10 consecutive losing seasons, and the Giants eight of the past nine.

Meanwhile the Dodgers have also done a slow makeover. The leaders of the late-2010s Dodgers were Justin Turner, Clayton Kershaw, Cody Bellinger and Kenley Jansen. Now they roll with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and a raft of young veteran pitchers.

They, along with Max Muncy and Will Smith, provide a continuing theme for minor leaguers to recognize and follow. Emmit Sheehan has become important to the rotation. Backup catcher Dalton Rushing, a former first-round pick, is 7-for-13 with three home runs and will get more at-bats somehow.

Then there are guys like lefty reliever Alex Vesia, a grinder who is in his sixth year with the Dodgers and celebrates every scoreless outing as if it were his first, and 37-year-old Miguel Rojas, savior of Game 7, now in his final season but still selling out to pluck grounders, still a trusted voice.

Dave Roberts is managing the Dodgers for the 11th consecutive season. Pitching coach Mark Prior has been on the staff since 2018. Third base coach Dino Ebel has been at his post since 2019. Andrew Friedman has been running the front office since 2015 and is still only 49.

The cost of doing business fluctuates, and it’s always good to remember that the working-class Brewers had the best regular-season record in MLB last year. But the difference between the Mets and the Dodgers is the difference between rich and richness.

Victoria Eagles and Junior National Team alum Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) has been placed on the 15-day injured list by the San Diego Padres with right elbow inflammation.

April 15, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

On Tuesday, the San Diego Padres placed Nick Pivetta on the 15-day injured list due to right elbow inflammation.

Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) underwent an MRI on his elbow on Tuesday but the Padres are still evaluating the results and do not have a timeline for the veteran right-hander’s return.

The 33-year-old Canadian, who was the Padres’ Opening Day starter, left his start against the Colorado Rockies on Sunday with right elbow stiffness after tossing three perfect innings.

It was Pivetta’s fourth start of the campaign. After being rocked for six runs in three innings by the Detroit Tigers on Opening Day, the Canuck righty allowed just two runs in 13 innings in his next three starts.

Pivetta’s injury creates a big hole in the Padres’ rotation. The Padres, who are 11-6 this season, have activated right-hander Matt Waldron to make Pivetta’s next start.

After signing a four-year contract with the Padres in February 2025, Pivetta proceeded to lead all Canadian big league pitchers in wins (13), starts (31), innings pitched (181 2/3), strikeouts (190) and WAR (5.3) last season.

He was also fourth among all major league pitchers in opponents’ batting average (.195), fifth in WHIP (0.985) and hits per innings pitched (6.39), ninth in ERA (2.87) and 10th in quality starts (19).

His regular season performance earned him the start in the first game of the Padres’ Wild-Card series against the Chicago Cubs. In that start, he allowed just two runs on three hits in five innings and struck out nine batters, which tied a single-game Canadian postseason record (set by James Paxton with the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the 2019 ALCS).

For his efforts, he finished sixth in the 2025 National League Cy Young Award voting.

The Victoria Eagles and Junior National Team grad is in his 10th MLB season.

April 14, 2025

Official Hastings Broncos News Release

(Sioux City, Iowa) – The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) announced that Evan Morrison has been named the Baseball Player of the Week for April 6-12, 2026.

Morrison (Medicine Hat, Alta.) slugged five home runs during the week and broke the Hastings single-season home run record.

He hit a grand slam and a three-run home run in the final game of the series at Waldorf, which the Broncos won 21-10.

For the week, he went 9-for-23 with one double, five home runs, 17 RBIs, 11 runs, two walks, and four stolen bases. Morrison had splits of .391/.440/1.087 and recorded outs in all 34 fielding opportunities.

Morrison and the Broncos will host Doane for a four-game series, beginning on Saturday, Apr. 18 at 1pm.

April 14, 2026

Official Okotoks Dawgs News Release

The Okotoks Dawgs have added more depth to their pitching staff, announcing the signings of three right-handed arms: Brody Forno, Jerome Pare, and Evan Lenhart.

Forno (Okotoks, Alta.) arrives from Campbellsville University, bringing a strong collegiate foundation. He has proven to be reliable for the Dawgs in previous seasons.

Pare (Montreal, Que.) joins the Dawgs out of Central Arizona College, a program known for producing high-level pitching talent, and is expected to add both velocity and competitiveness to the bullpen.

Rounding out the trio is Lehnert from Linn-Benton Community College, another promising arm who provides additional depth and flexibility on the mound.

April 14, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Fresh off his star performance for Italy at the World Baseball Classic that earned him a spot on the all-tournament team, Dante Nori (Toronto, Ont.) has continued to swing a hot bat for the Philadelphia Phillies’ double-A Reading Fightin Phils.

In five games last week, Nori topped all Canadian-born minor leaguers with nine hits.

For his efforts, he has been named the Canadian Baseball Network’s Minor League Player of the Week (April 7 to April 12).

Nori recorded a hit in all five games he played last work and had three multi-hit performances.

Batting leadoff and DHing, Nori started off the week with two singles in the Fightin Phils’ 3-1 loss to the Hartford Yard Goats on Tuesday.

Hitting in the same spot the following day, he connected for two more hits - including a triple - and scored two runs, while also knocking in two, to lead the Fightin Phils to an 8-1 victory over the Yard Goats. It was the Phils’ first win of the season.

The left-handed hitting speedster then added a single in four at bats in the Fightin Phils’ 3-2 extra-inning win on Thursday before collecting a season-high three hits - two singles and a double - in the Phils’ 9-6 victory on Friday.

Two days later, he connected for his first home run of the year - a solo shot in the third inning - in the Fightin Phils’ 6-3 win.

For the season, Nori, who was born in Toronto when his father, Micah, was a coach with the NBA’s Toronto Raptors, is batting .355 with 11 hits in seven games.

2026 CBN Minor League Player of the Week winners

Opening Day to April 5 - Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.), Rangers

April 7 to April 12 - Dante Nori (Toronto, Ont.), Phillies

Top Canadian Minor League Batters - April 7 to April 12, 2026

Top Canadian Minor League Pitchers - April 7 to April 12, 2026

April 13, 2026

Official Toronto Blue Jays News Release

The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired INF Lenyn Sosa from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for OF Jordan Rich and a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Sosa, 26, has appeared in 12 games for the White Sox this season, after playing 140 contests in 2025, where he slashed .264/.293/.434 with career highs in hits (137), doubles (20), home runs (22), and RBI (75), while posting a .727 OPS.

The right-handed hitter from Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, was signed by the White Sox as an international free agent in 2016, making his MLB debut for the club in 2022. Across five MLB seasons, Sosa has slashed .245/.272/.387 with 43 doubles, a triple, 37 home runs, 128 RBI, and a .659 OPS in 315 games.

Rich, 18, has yet to make his professional debut, after being selected by the Blue Jays in the 17th round of the 2025 First-Year Player Draft out of American Heritage High School. The left-handed hitter from Pembroke Pines, Fla., hit .393 in his senior season with 19 extra-base hits, 38 stolen bases, and a 1.216 OPS.

To make room on the 40-man roster, RHP Shane Bieber has been transferred to the 60-day injured list.

April 13, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

It turns out that April 13 is a fairly significant date in Canadian baseball history.

Over the years, four Canadians made their major league debuts on this date, while Pete Rose made history as a Montreal Expo and a Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer preserved a win for Tom Seaver in his MLB debut.

Here’s a summary:

Canadians making MLB debuts

April 13, 1954 – Right-hander Ozzie Van Brabant (Kingsville, Ont.) made his big league debut when he threw two innings in relief of starter Bobby Shantz and recorded a hold for the Philadelphia A’s in their 6-4 win over the Boston Red Sox at Connie Mack Stadium. Van Brabant allowed one run on three hits while toeing the rubber in the sixth and seventh innings for the A’s.

April 13, 1962 – Ray Daviault (Montreal, Que.) made his MLB debut for the New York Mets. The Canadian right-hander hurled two innings in relief. He didn’t allow a hit but walked four in the Mets’ 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at the Polo Grounds.

April 13, 1998 – Ryan Radmanovich (Calgary, Alta.) made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners. He started in right field and batted ninth and went 0-for-3 for the M’s in their 6-5 loss to Cleveland at Jacobs Field. Batting ahead of him in the M’s lineup that day: Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr. and Edgar Martinez.

April 13, 1999 – Jeff Zimmerman (Kelowna, B.C.) made his MLB debut with the Texas Rangers. He tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out four in relief against the Mariners in the Rangers’ 15-6 win. He fanned the first two batters he faced: Raul Ibanez and Domingo Cedeno.

Saving a win for “Tom Terrific” in his MLB debut

April 13, 1967 – Tom Seaver made his MLB debut with the New York Mets. He permitted two earned runs in 5 1/3 innings to lead the Mets to a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Seaver got the win and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Ron Taylor (Toronto, Ont.) pitched a scoreless ninth inning to pick up the save.

Need some inspiration?

April 13, 1954 – Henry Aaron made his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Braves. He started in left field and batted fifth and went 0-for-5 in the Braves’ 9-8 loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field. So the next time you’re feeling discouraged, remember Hank Aaron went 0-for-5 in his first MLB game.

Rose makes history as an Expo

April 13, 1984 – Batting leadoff and playing left field for the Montreal Expos, Pete Rose, doubled to right field in the fourth inning off Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jerry Koosman at Olympic Stadium to record his 4,000th MLB hit. You can watch the milestone hit in the video below. The hit is at the 3:33 mark. It’s a great call by Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee and Jack Graney Award winner Dave Van Horne.

April 12, 2026

By Ian French

UBC Communications

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds outlasted the College of Idaho Yotes at Tourmaline West Stadium on Sunday, earning a 7-3 win to complete the weekend series sweep.

Both starting pitchers stifled their opponents, throwing dueling no-hitters into the sixth inning, until the T-Birds exploded for four runs in that frame and didn't look back.

"When we're not swinging it, you're looking at doing some more things like bunting and running to try and manufacture a couple of runs," reflected T-Birds head coach Chris Pritchett. "We didn't get a lot of hits, but we did draw walks, and when it mattered, we put some runs on the board."

Daniel Orfaly (White Rock, B.C.) was on a mission on the mound for UBC. In the midst of a career year that's seeing him boast a 3.29 ERA with batters hitting just .219 against him, he delivered yet another strong outing by holding CI without a hit through five innings and ultimately striking out five over 5 2/3 frames on the bump – a season-high.

"[Orfaly] was really efficient, he had three pitches working and was pretty tough today," said Pritchett.

Both pitchers were in top form to start this one as neither conceded a hit in the opening five innings. The 'Birds managed to get runners on base via hit-by-pitches and walks, but the Yotes didn't give an inch as Jack Ryan remained poised and painted the strike zone, tying up hitters and getting out of each frame scoreless.

In the bottom of the fourth, with runners on the corners after a pair of walks and a steal, the game's first run came via a sacrifice fly off the bat of UBC's Oliver Clements (Vancouver, B.C.), giving the T-Birds a 1-0 lead while still searching for a hit.

The bats came alive for both teams in the sixth, Yotes catch Kateiro Adachi floated a double down the right-field line for the game's first hit. After pinch-runner Connor Olsen stole third, James Hull tied the game with a sacrifice fly of his own. The Yotes weren't done there, a single and walk put a runner in scoring position before Caden Casagrande lined a single to right centre to take a 2-1 lead.

The T-Birds needed little time to respond as David Krahn (Langley, B.C.) led off the bottom half of the sixth with a walk, then Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.) stepped in the box and delivered a double to deep left field for UBC's first hit of the day. A trio of walks followed to score two more for the 'Birds, and Kansai Sugimoto capped off the scoring surge with a two-RBI single to tally the team's fourth run of the frame, handing them a 5-2 lead.

From there on, the T-Birds' relievers held down the fort, striking out six while conceding just one hit over the final three frames. Both sides managed to tack on runs in the eighth, but the Yotes couldn't overcome the deficit as UBC held on for a 7-3 win.

"With the 1-2-1 series, guys who threw Friday were able to come back today. So, we felt really comfortable with the back half of the game," said Pritchett, when asked about his bullpen's performance. "I thought everyone who came in was really good. Once you get a lead, you feel pretty comfortable when you get to that point."

The Thunderbirds will hit the road this coming weekend and will take on the Oregon Tech Owls in back-to-back doubleheaders for a four-game set. First pitch for game one is set for 12 p.m. P.T. on April 18, with game two following at 3 p.m. PT.

April 12, 2026

By Andrew Hendriks

Canadian Baseball Network

The Canadian baseball community is mourning the loss of Colin Cummins, a devoted player, coach, and tireless advocate for the game, who passed away in Toronto on April 11 at the age of 55.

Colin’s journey in elite ball began on the national stage, where he represented his country as an outfielder for Canada’s Junior National Team in 1988. His pro career brought him to the Frontier League in 1995, where he showcased his talents over parts of two seasons with Johnstown, Springfield, and Evansville, posting a career slash line of .277/.362/.434.

After retiring, the Toronto native dedicated his time to the development of young talent and became a fixture on Southwestern Ontario’s baseball scene, helping shape the careers of countless athletes.

His instructional credits include serving as the head coach for the York Lions (OUA) between 1997 and 2007, director of operations and 18U head coach for the Ontario Giants (Premier League of Ontario), and most recently, as the hitting and infield coach for Team Pakistan on the global stage.

Colin’s son RHP Logan Cummins (Mississauga, Ont.) listened well. Logan plays for the Ontario Blue Jays and made Greg Hamilton’s Junior National Team.

On a personal note, I worked with Colin in 2015 when he attempted to bring pro ball to both Welland and Waterloo as part of an upstart six-team independent circuit named the East Coast Baseball League. Though the ECBL ultimately failed to make it out of the gate, his passion for the game and unrelenting desire to create professional opportunities for local talent were prominent throughout our many interactions.

Remembered for his unparalleled positivity, infectious smile and deep understanding of the game at the elite level, Cummins leaves behind a legacy etched into ball diamonds across Ontario and the hearts of the players he mentored.

R.I.P. Colin Cummins

April 11, 2026

By Toby Kerr

UBC Communications

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds (27-12, 21-6) defeated the College of Idaho Yotes (23-15, 14-13) twice on Saturday, sweeping their doubleheader and taking a 3-0 lead in their four-game series to clinch the series victory.

The 'Birds overcame a two-run deficit to take the opener 6-3, before eventually blowing open a pitcher's duel in game two to win 8-0.

"The starting pitching was really good, which takes a lot of pressure off of the offence," reflected UBC head coach Chris Pritchett, after game two. "I think it took us a while to adjust in the second game, there were a lot of changeups and we were out front of everything. But with a couple of good at bats, a bunt, we just manufactured a couple of runs, eventually got a bit of breathing room, and kind of coasted from there."

Both starters were outstanding for UBC, with James Brock (Burnaby, B.C.) going 7 2/3 innings in game one and allowing just two earned runs. Myles Chamberlain (Victoria, B.C.) followed that up with an even more impressive start in game two, scattering five hits across seven shutout innings without issuing a walk.

"I think overall the most solid part of our team is our pitching, as they go, we go," mused Pritchett. "They've been pretty good all year, so I'm hoping we can keep it up. Our offence keeps getting better, so if we can catch the ball we'll be in good shape."

Starter Calvin Euper took a no-hit bid into the fifth inning for the Yotes in game two, while Darren Smith was CI's most dangerous man at the dish on the day, notching multiple hits in game one and the only extra-base knock against Chamberlain in game two.

Game One

The Yotes got on the board first, scoring in each of the opening two innings. CI took advantage of a two-base error to tally on a sac fly in the first before stringing together a walk, hit by pitch and two infield singles in the second to take a 2-0 lead.

Contrasting the Yotes' small-ball scoring, the T-Birds answered in the bottom of the second with a massive, first-pitch, solo home run from Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.) that slammed off the batter's eye in dead centre field.

The T-Birds took the lead in the bottom of the fourth, with Bourne being the catalyst once again. He singled through the right side to open the inning, stole second, and eventually came around to score on a Lou Fujiwara ground out. Another RBI ground out later, UBC was up 3-2.

With Brock keeping the Yotes' bats quiet after his tough-luck first two innings, the T-Birds added to their lead in the sixth. With two outs, Kansai Sugimoto won a seven-pitch battle with Kaydon Sandow by legging out an infield single to second base. Next up, Braeden Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) stroked a double to the right-center gap and a chugging Sugimoto got the wave home to try to score from first. The Yotes' relay was excellent, but in a bang-bang play at the plate the 'Birds' leadoff hitter was able to get his hand in just under the tag to put his team up 4-2.

The blue and gold built their lead in the seventh, with Jordan Stewart (Vancouver, B.C.) coming off the bench to knock a two-RBI single through the right side to make it 6-2.

The Yotes made it interesting by tallying three straight hits in the eighth, with Corbin Sterner scoring Bryce Mahlke on a double to left, which ended Brock's day. However, T-Birds' reliever Mason Chien (Langley, B.C.) immediately put down the threat by coaxing a soft grounder to third to end the inning, UBC still up 6-3.

Chien would close out the rest of the game without allowing a hit to earn his second save of the season.

Game Two

The T-Birds took the lead early on in game two, playing some small ball of their own to scratch across a run in the bottom of the first without the benefit of a hit.

That home side did not find that first hit against CI starter Calvin Euper until the fifth inning, as he was locked in a pitcher's duel with UBC starter Chamberlain, aided by spectacular defensive plays on both sides.

In the third inning, uber-versatile Yotes second baseman Caden Casagrande (who had caught game one) made one of the best catches imaginable from that position. On a dead sprint into right field, the senior made a seemingly blind over-the-shoulder grab to keep Euper's no-hitter intact.

'Birds' shortstop Lou Fujiwara made multiple standout plays of his own. In that same inning, Fujiwara dove to his right and picked the ball cleanly, before spinning and making a dead-on throw to second to get the lead Yotes runner. The play drew a huge reaction from the Tourmaline West crowd.

In the fifth, Fujiwara showed he can handle his bat as well as his glove. After back-to-back walks to open the inning, Matt Vrlak (Vancouver, B.C.) laid an attempted sac bunt down so perfectly along the third base line that it became a base hit to load the bases. It was also UBC's first hit of the game. Fujiwara then stroked a line drive into the left-centre field gap to clear the bases and put the T-Birds up 4-0. He would eventually come in to score on Midland, Ont., native Josh Cote's second sac fly of the game to push the lead to five.

The blue and gold's third hit of the game scored their sixth run, as Vrlak slashed an RBI triple to the right field corner with one out in the sixth inning. He would score on an RBI single from Sugimoto, who in turn came home on an RBI single from David Krahn (Langley, B.C.), putting UBC up 8-0.

Chamberlain was pulled from the game after throwing seven scoreless innings. Lukas Kaufmann (Regina, Sask.) entered in relief and tossed two perfect frames to close out the big win.

"Playing four games in two or three days is tough," said Pritchett. "It's an early one tomorrow, so it's about bringing energy. It's like game one, often all about how you come out here. We're getting pretty good at that, but it's hard to sweep a good team, so it'll be a lot of work tomorrow."

The series finale is set for 11:00 a.m. (P.T.) on Sunday back at Tourmaline West.

Calgary Redbirds alum Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) had his second 10-strikeout game of the season for the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday. Photo: MLB.com/X

April 12, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Some Canadian baseball news and notes:

Soroka dominating as a Diamondback

In his six major league seasons prior to this one, Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Michael Soroka (Calgary, Alta.) had struck out 10 batters in a game just once.

He has done it twice in three starts this season.

On Friday, he fanned 10 Philadelphia Phillies batters in the D-Backs’ 5-4 come-from-behind win. After allowing four runs in the first inning, Soroka held the Phils off the scoreboard for the rest of his outing, pitching 5 2/3 innings to earn his third win in three starts.

Soroka also struck out 10 Detroit Tigers batters in his first start of the season on March 30.

In total, the Calgary Redbirds and Junior National Team grad is 3-0 with a 2.87 ERA and has 23 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings this season.

Romano still perfect as Angels closer

I know it’s early, but Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) seems reborn as a closer with the Los Angeles Angels.

He is a perfect 4-for-4 in save opportunities this season, and even more impressive is that he has not surrendered a hit in five scoreless innings.

The 32-year-old right-hander signed a one-year, $2-million deal with the Angels in December after a rough 2025 with the Phillies.

Originally chosen in the 10th round of the MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2014, the Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum is in his eighth major league season.

Sabrowski shining out of Guardians’ bullpen

Speaking of Canadian relievers who have been near-perfect this season, Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) has yet to permit a run and has six holds in eight appearances for the Cleveland Guardians.

He has surrendered just three hits and has 12 Ks.

Just how good has the 28-year-old left-hander been since making his MLB debut with the Guardians on September 4, 2024?

This good (This post was on X on Wednesday):

Miami Marlins: Canada’s “other” team

Six times this season three Canadians – Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.), Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que.) and Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) – have hit fourth, fifth and sixth in the Miami Marlins’ lineup.

I’m confident that this represents the first time three players with Canadian citizenship have hit back-to-back-to-back for the same major league team in multiple games.

In the Marlins’ 8-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, each of the Canadians had at least one run and one hit. Caissie led the charge, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs.

The three Canadians have been top offensive contributors for the Marlins this season. Lopez is batting .327 and ranks second on the team with 17 hits and a .386 on-base percentage (OBP). Hicks tops the team in home runs (3) and RBIs (13), while Caissie is tied with Lopez for the team lead with four doubles and ranks second with 12 RBIs.

Julien red-hot for Rockies

Colorado Rockies infielder Edouard Julien (Quebec City, Que.) entered the week with a .091 batting average but has since gone 10-for-21 in a six-game hitting streak. This has lifted his average to .344.

The ABC and Junior National Team grad was moved into the leadoff spot by the Rockies on Saturday. He is seeing regular playing time at second base after being acquired from the Twins in January.

Selected in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB draft by the Twins, Julien played parts of three seasons with the Twins. He made his big league debut four years ago today. Hitting eighth and starting at second base, Julien went 0-for-2 with a walk in the Twins’ 3-1 win over the Chicago White Sox at Target Field.

Thirty-five years ago, Boucher made MLB debut

Thirty-five years ago today, Denis Boucher (Lachine, Que.) made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays.

He started and allowed three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings against the Milwaukee Brewers at SkyDome. The first three batters he faced were Paul Molitor, Robin Yount and Gary Sheffield and he retired them in order.

The Blue Jays won 5-4.

It was his first of seven starts for the Blue Jays that season before he was dealt to Cleveland along with Mark Whiten and Glenallen Hill for Tom Candiotti and Turner Ward on June 27, 1991.

Young has first three-hit MLB game

Last Sunday, New York Mets outfielder/first baseman Jared Young (Prince George, B.C.) had the first three-hit game of his major league career. He had two singles and a double in the Mets’ 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park.

Signed by the Mets in December 2024, Young spent the majority of 2025 in triple-A but he also belted four homers in 22 games with the big league Mets.

Chosen in the 15th round of the 2017 MLB draft by the Chicago Cubs, the Okanagan Athletics alum also played parts of parts of two seasons with the Cubs in 2022 and 2023.

Remembering former Expo Carl Morton

Please take a moment to remember former Montreal Expos pitcher Carl Morton who died 43 years ago today when he was just 39.

Morton is best remembered for his 1970 season in which he went 18-11 with a 3.60 ERA and pitched 284 2/3 innings and became the first Expo to win the National League Rookie of the Year award.

He pitched two more seasons with the Expos before being traded to the Atlanta Braves where he had three strong campaigns from 1973 to 1975, never winning less than 15 games in a season. He posted a 4.17 ERA in 26 contests for the Braves in 1976 and then spent 1977 in double-A in the Phillies’ organization before retiring.

Fourth anniversary of Brash’s MLB debut

Four years ago today, Matt Brash (Kingston, Ont.) made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners.

He started against the White Sox and allowed two runs and struck out six in 5 1/3 innings but the Mariners lost 3-2.

Brash has since been converted into a set-up man by the Mariners. Now in his fourth big league season, the Kingston Thunder alum is off to another excellent start. He has yet to allow an earned run in six relief outings and has fanned four batters in 5 2/3 innings.

Fryman would be 86 today

Please take a moment to remember former Expos left-hander Woodie Fryman who would’ve turned 86 today.

He died on February 4, 2011 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

The Kentucky native enjoyed two tenures with the Expos (1975-76, 1978 to 1983) and was the Expos’ Player of the Year as a starting pitcher in 1976. When he was brought back to the club in 1978, he returned to the rotation but was then used exclusively as a reliever in his final five seasons. In three of those campaigns, his ERA was 2.79 or lower.

In total, he pitched in 18 big league seasons and won 141 games.

Ward made MLB debut 40 years ago

It was 40 years ago today that Duane Ward made his MLB debut with the Braves.

He hurled a scoreless eighth inning against the Houston Astros in the Braves’ 4-3 loss at the Astrodome. Ward struck out the first batter he faced — Astros catcher Mark Bailey.

Selected in the first round (ninth overall) of the 1982 MLB draft by the Braves, Ward was dealt to the Blue Jays for Doyle Alexander on July 6, 1986. With the Blue Jays, he became one of the greatest relievers in franchise history, first serving as a set-up man for Tom Henke and then as the team’s closer in 1993.

In total, in nine seasons with the Blue Jays, Ward appeared in 452 games, the second-most by a pitcher in franchise history and earned two World Series rings. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022.

1990s Olerud “Holy Grail” card

I was digging through the baseball card collection I put together with my dad in the 1990s earlier this week and found this card.

It’s a 1993 Donruss Elite John Olerud. This card was inserted in a limited number of packs.

When my dad and I got this card in 1993, we thought we had found the Holy Grail.

Just 10,000 were produced. That’s seem like a laughably high quantity today with cards often serial-numbered to 10 or less, but a warm wave of nostalgia came over me when I rediscovered this card.

Condolences to Michael Murray

I wanted to send my deepest condolences to my friend Michael Murray, who is a huge supporter of Canadian baseball history and this column. His wife, Di, passed away on Thursday night after a courageous battle with cancer.

I am thinking of you Michael and sending you love and strength.

*This article was originally published on Alberta Dugout Stories on April 10, 2026. You can read it here.

April 11, 2026

By Joe McFarland

Alberta Dugout Stories

He has learned from some of the greatest baseball coaches Alberta has ever seen.

And for a moment on Opening Weekend of the Canadian College Baseball Conference season, University Baseball Club (based out of the University of British Columbia) head coach Devery Van De Keere decided to channel one of his favourites: his father, Keith.

Despite losing three of their four games against Prairie Baseball Academy, the Barrhead native was proud of how his team competed, keeping it close against a team viewed as a potential championship contender.

That gave Van De Keere the perfect opportunity to impart some wisdom he received from his dad: “Humble in victory, no excuses in defeat.”

He has no idea where it originally came from, but Van De Keere remembers hearing it during provincial championships and it always stuck.

“Baseball is going to humble you, and life is going to humble you,” he told Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast.

“So when you are victorious, there’s no reason to rub it in people’s faces as it comes back at you quick.”

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Listen to Alberta Dugout Stories interview Devery Van De Keere here.

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As the inaugural season rolls along, Van De Keere says he will lean on more of the advice he received from his mentors, as well as his own personal experiences, to guide the new University of British Columbia team to future success.

BASEBALL BLOODLINES

Van De Keere doesn’t remember his dad sharing a lot of his baseball stories.

What he does remember is going to a cubby hole area in his childhood home and finding dust-covered boxes in storage.

The young boy opened the boxes to find pictures of his dad wearing a Team Canada jersey, which he did multiple times at the Amateur World Series (1974, 1978, 1980), the Intercontinental Cup (1977, 1981) and the Pan American Games (1979).

“He’s so humble, he never talked about his baseball experiences,” Devery said. “Every so often, you would get a little story here and there about playing in Nicaragua with officers holding semi-automatic rifles protecting the dugouts.”

It was eye-opening for the young athlete, as he quickly tried to learn as much as he could about all his dad had done.

The real turning point happened during a TV broadcast.

“There was this Toronto Blue Jays game on and there was a trivia question: ‘Who was the last Canadian pitcher to beat Team Cuba in international play?’” Van De Keere recalled.

“The answer was Keith Van De Keere.”

With his own emerging baseball career underway, he took every bullpen or batting session in the backyard a little more seriously, leaning on his dad for motivation.

PATH TO THE PROS

Van De Keere forged his own path quickly, representing his community and province on various stages.

He helped Barrhead claim provincial championships in 1998, 2000 and 2002, as well as a national bronze medal in the final year.

The talented infielder walked on at Phoenix College before landing at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, where he was named an All-Sun Belt Conference selection in 2006 with a .368 batting average, nine home runs and 41 runs batted in.

Despite some injury troubles, Van De Keere was selected in the 48th round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Kansas City Royals.

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Listen to Alberta Dugout Stories interview Devery Van De Keere back in 2020 here.

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He spent two years with their Pioneer League affiliate, the Idaho Falls Chukars, hitting a combined .282 with nine roundtrippers, 58 RBIs and 10 stolen bases in 131 games.

Van De Keere then traveled the world to play and coach the game for seven years before coming back home to live in B.C.

“It’s incredible where baseball has brought me,” he said. “I am so unbelievably thankful to the powers of the universe, however this has happened, because it could have unfolded so differently.”

A NEW HOME

With his playing career in the rearview mirror, Van De Keere dedicated himself to giving back to the game in his home country.

After running baseball programming in Vancouver for a few years, he was brought on as a coach with the UBC Thunderbirds while he pursued his master’s degree in high performance coaching and technical leadership.

While the NAIA Thunderbirds have enjoyed success over the years under head coach Chris Pritchett, the program wanted to expand from a competition perspective for its junior varsity program.

Enter the Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC).

With five of its eight teams already in B.C., it was a move that made logistical sense.

Van De Keere says everyone has been very supportive at every step along the way and, when they suited up for their first games in mid-March, it was a gratifying moment for him and the program.

“It’s been a big challenge with a lot of work – people don’t understand the amount of planning and administrative duties that go into coaching – but it’s really enjoyable work,” he said.

“I love going into work and love the position I’m in.”

Surrounded by several former collegiate and professional players who are also now coaches, Van De Keere says he wants to instill a sense of pride and respect in the program that he hopes will become the envy of everyone across Canada.

STUDENT OF THE GAME

Reflecting on the first weekend, Van De Keere was happy to learn that the players have already started to bring those values to the field.

He says they care about being in the league, about each other, and about their successes.

“I was not expecting that kind of intensity in the dugout,” Van De Keere said. “I’ve been coaching this program for around four years now and the level of intensity and excitement in the dugout after a big strikeout or after a big hit was incredible.”

He plans to keep taking the best advice and experiences shared by people like his dad, Ray Brown, Orv Franchuk and the many other mentors he’s had to keep building the program, as he sees it as his duty to teach the game the right way.

Van De Keere also believes in having an “athlete-centered approach,” getting to know and care for the roster of 44 players, checking in with them regularly and understanding that they are students in life and in the game.

Just like he once was – a young baseball player fighting his way through all the successes and failures the game provides.

“All these chances, all these things that went my way along this journey … it means the world to me to still be in this game,” Van De Keere said.

It’s the start of a new chapter in his book and this one is rooted, once again, close to home.

April 10, 2026

By Jeff Sargeant

UBC Communications

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds put together one of their most complete games of the season Friday night to snap a four-game losing skid by way of an 11-4 win over the College of Idaho Yotes at Tourmaline West Stadium.

Every position player managed at least one hit while freshman second baseman Matt Vrlak (Vancouver, B.C.) went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

Defensively, it was a terrific outing for the blue and gold, highlighted by some athletic putouts at shortstop courtesy of Lou Fujiwara while starting pitcher Will Anderson (Delta, B.C.) collected his fourth win of the season allowing just one run while striking out five.

"I thought all week we've been really trying to tighten up defensively and I thought that looked really good from pitch one," said UBC head coach Chris Pritchett. "It was pretty much the difference in the game. Will gave us a solid start again, I didn't think he was quite as sharp as last week but he was able to make pitches when he had to which is awesome. We had some clutch hits too, so I thought the guys were having some pretty good at bats, and good two strike at bats – we were putting balls in play and putting pressure on them, so all around I thought it was pretty good."

The Yotes did manage to out-hit the 'Birds 13-12 on the night, but UBC limited damage effectively throughout the game.

After a James Hull RBI single opened scoring for the visitors in the top of the third, the T-Birds answered back with a three run bottom half including a Josh Cote (Midland, Ont.) two-run homer to centre, his team-leading 11th long ball of the season.

Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.) hit a leadoff homer in the fourth followed by a Vrlak base hit. The freshman got himself to second on a passed ball, got to third on another and managed to score on a wild pitch, expanding UBC's lead to 5-1 in a bit of a frightful inning for College of Idaho starter Jackson Cummings.

Another fielding adventure by the Yotes in the fifth allowed Braeden Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) to score when Bourne stole second, the throw from home sailing into shallow centre.

With the comfortable 6-1 lead, Owen McConnell (Vancouver, B.C.) entered in relief for the 'Birds and pitched two complete innings allowing just one hit.

Vrlak's three-RBI double in the seventh added some extra insurance before the Yotes put together a late rally attempt that saw the visitors score three of their own in the top of the eighth.

"That's a team that if you give them anything they can score points and surprise you so I thought it was really important to stay on top of them," Pritchett added. "I was really happy we could add on because I know what those guys can do over there."

A double steal put runners on second and third for College of Idaho. Connor Olsen pinch hit for Jack Ryan and promptly doubled to left, scoring a pair. Olsen later scored on a fielder's choice before Marcus Janovsky – spelling off Oliver Duthie who opened the inning on the mound – got Cody Guy to fly out.

Scott drove in two more T-Bird runs in the bottom of the eighth for good measure while Janovsky kept the Yotes off the board in the ninth to preserve the win, UBC's eighth straight on home turf.

The fact the 'Birds were able to get back on the winning track was hugely important for the blue and gold, but perhaps even more key was how composed and seamless the squad was on defence.

"I think in the beginning we knew our pitching was going to be strong and we needed to support it. When you make errors and give these teams more outs, it just adds to their pitch count and we have to get into the bullpen earlier – pitching and defence is kind of cornerstone of what we're doing. Four game weekends are a grind physically and it means everyone is going to have to pitch and throw well. We had that mid-week game as well and a lot of guys threw twice last week and so starts are huge. The further we can get in the game before we call on those guys the better off we'll be in the next couple days."

The T-Birds' penultimate home series continues Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m. The final battle with the Yotes this regular season goes down Sunday at 11:00 a.m. at Tourmaline West Stadium.

April 10, 2026

By Danny Gallagher

Canadian Baseball Network

When you think of upper management with the Expos in their early years, majority owner Charles Bronfman, president John McHale and general manager Jim Fanning come to mind.

Filling out the famous quartet was a lesser known but important figure by the name of Harry Renaud, the franchise's vice-president, secretary-treasurer and chief financial officer.

When McHale and Fanning were taking care of the baseball-operations side of the franchise, Renaud looked after financing and was often consulted when it came to the money needed to acquire a free agent. He was an earlier version of Bill Stoneman, who worked for the Expos from 1983-1999 -- the money man.

Renaud, a Montreal native, was a chartered accountant who joined the Expos after a stint with prestigious accounting firm McDonald, Currie and Co., which later became Coopers and Lybrand.

Harry Renaud modelling an early Expos uniform.

In their first season, the Expos' marketing department asked Renaud to model their uniforms (see photo above).

Renaud is being remembered by Bronfman and friends following his March 28 passing at age 87 after a prolonged hospital stay in suburban Toronto.

"Dad wasn't part of the Expos' on-the-field management or player negotiations but he was a major part of the management team,'' his daughter Jennifer said.

Renaud told me years ago a funny story of how he, McHale and Fanning travelled to North Carolina in mid-December 1974 to meet with prized free-agent pitcher Catfish Hunter and his agent.

Hunter had spent 10 seasons with the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics but he had become a free agent. Every other team except the San Francisco Giants courted him. The Expos were hot on his trail.

"It's a great story,'' Renaud told me. "We took the Seagram jet (owned by Bronfman) we used to go and meet agents with. We go to this small town. We got into a room at 8 in the morning. There was this country type lawyer and he asked, 'Do you want a Coke?' There was no coffee.

"Catfish came in and was chewing tobacco and every few seconds, he was spitting tobacco juice into a styrofoam cup,'' Renaud said, laughing.

"We made a great presentation. We came out of the meeting very high. On New Year's Eve, we were getting dressed to go to a party and we heard the radio flash Catfish had signed with the Yankees.''

Two years later, Renaud was part of the entourage that tried to lure superstar free-agent outfielder Reggie Jakson to the Expos. Like Catfish, Reggie opted to go to the Yankees.

Renaud stayed with the Expos for 13 years. His death made Bronfman "very sad'' because they had known each other for so long. The Renaud family expressed thanks to Bronfman for making a donation to MS Canada in memory of Harry.

"Harry was an intricate part of the Expos, as you know,'' Bronfman, soon to be 95, said in an interview. "While he and I were relatively close, I spent much more time with John and Jim than I did with Harry. There are two things that are important to me - Harry was a gentleman first and foremost, and he was an unheralded but real partner of our senior management.''

In 1981, Renaud became general manager of B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver where he hosted events such as Expo '86 and over the years, he welcomed celebrities like Pope John Paul II and Queen Elizabeth II.

Renaud returned to Toronto in 1994 to become GM of the Boulevard Club and is the namesake of Harry's Bar at the famous jaunt on the waterfront. Later in life, he was the executive director of the Whitechurch-Stouffville Chamber of Commerce.

Renaud leaves his wife Barbara, his first wife Judy, daughters Jocelyn and Jennifer, grandchildren Nicole Sparrow and James Renaud and son-in-law Kevin Sparrow.

April 10, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Last Friday, Chicago White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters, who hails from Winkler, Man., delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Sox a 5-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in their home opener.

It was also Peters’ first MLB RBI.

The White Sox later noted that this was the first time one of their players had recorded their first MLB RBI on a walk-off hit since August 4, 1950 when Joe Erautt, who was born in Vibank, Sask., hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Boston Red Sox. 

As a Canadian baseball history blogger, this piqued my interest.

Here we had two Canadians, each born in a prairie province, sharing a rare feat.

But who the heck was Joe Erautt?

Well, I did some research to find out.

Erautt’s background

Erautt was born on September 1, 1921 in Vibank, Sask., which today is a village of about 400 people approximately 50 km southeast of Regina.

Erautt’s father, William, was from Hungary and his mother, Katie, was from Russia and they came to Saskatchewan as part of a large wave of immigrants in the early 20th century. Through research on Ancestry.com, I discovered there were other Erautt families living in Saskatchewan prior to their arrival. So, it’s safe to say that Erautt’s parents followed relatives to the region.

Not in Canada long

But their time in Saskatchewan was short.

According to the U.S. Census, Erautt’s family had relocated to Portland, Ore., by 1923, meaning that Erautt spent, at the most, his first two years in the prairie province.

In Portland, Erautt’s father took a job as a janitor at a movie theater and was later promoted to doorman. His mother was a housewife.

In 1924, Erautt’s brother, Eddie, was born. The two grew up playing together and at Lincoln High School, they formed a dominant battery – with Joe behind the plate and Eddie blowing fastballs by hitters.

Eddie, who went on to pitch parts of six seasons in the big leagues with the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals, credited his older brother for helping him develop.

“My brother Joe was really helpful to me,” Eddie told author Dick Dobbins for his book, The Grand Minor League, An Oral History of the Old Pacific Coast League. “We played every day and night, broke every window in the house . . . He helped me to learn new pitches, and if I didn’t get the ball over, he’d fire it back and holler at me. Other than Joe and my dad, I didn’t have any real coaching.”

The Erautt brothers got their first taste of pro baseball when they served as clubhouse boys for the Pacific Coast League’s Portland Beavers.

Joe was also the catcher and team MVP on the local American Legion team that won city, state and Northwest sectional championships in 1937 and 1938.

Off to university

After graduating high school, Erautt attended the University of Portland where he was again a star on the diamond.

In the summer of 1939, the 5-foot-9, 175-pound sparkplug catcher led his local semipro team to state and Northwest sectional championships. His squad advanced to the national tournament in Wichita where his team finished third. At 17, he was the youngest player at the event and he was named to the All-American semi-pro team.

He also caught the eye of Detroit Tigers manager Del Baker who signed him for the Tigers.

Begins pro career

Nicknamed “Stubby” for his short, stocky build, Erautt endeared himself to fans at almost every minor league stop.

In 1940, he batted .266 in 102 games for class-C Henderson and was named an East Texas League All-Star.

This earned him a promotion to the Class-B Winston-Salem Twins, where he quickly became a fan favourite in 1941.

“Catcher Joe Erautt, age 19 and not much bigger’n a minute, is rapidly establishing himself in popular favor with the pep and enthusiasm he displays behind the plate,” wrote Nady Cates for the Winston-Salem Journal in April 1941. “The fans especially like the way he races down the first base line on every hit ball and backs up the throw to [first baseman] Gale Smith . . . and the way he keeps yelling words of encouragement and exhortation to the pitcher.

“Popularity is nothing new for Little Joe. He’s been a reigning favourite everywhere he’s played. He gets more mail than any three Twins players combined.”

Erautt batted .200 in 84 games for the Twins that season and enhanced his reputation as a scrappy, team-first catcher.

U.S. Army

He was promoted to play 79 games for Class-A Beaumont in 1942 before enlisting in the U.S. Army for World War II. He served as a staff sergeant in missions in Italy and Algeria and would miss three seasons.

Back to baseball

He returned from his military service in 1946 and split the season between the triple-A International League’s Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Bisons, hitting .222 with three home runs in 74 games.

The following year, he’d enjoy a breakout campaign with the double-A Birmingham Barons, batting .275 with a career-high six triples and 52 RBIs.

Unfortunately, he was also hit in the head by a ball twice.

The first instance came during a game on June 16 when he was beaned by a pitch from Chattanooga Lookouts right-hander Dick Weik above the left temple and knocked unconscious. He would spend several days under a physician’s care.

Just nine days later, he was hit in the left temple again when a ball came through the netting while he was standing behind the batting cage.

Best offensive seasons

But the beanings didn’t seem to slow him down. He put together his best offensive seasons with the double-A Little Rock Travelers in 1948 and 1949, batting over .300 each year and belting a career-high six home runs in 1949.

But Erautt had now played seven professional seasons and had yet to be called up to the big leagues.

Rule 5 draft

That would change after the journeyman catcher was selected by the White Sox in the Rule 5 draft on November 17, 1949. He’d serve as one of the big league club’s backup catchers for the next two seasons.

This made him the first position player born in Saskatchewan to compete in the big leagues (Pitchers Ralph Buxton (Weyburn) and Lefty Wilkie (Zealandia) had been major leaguers before him).

In total, in his two seasons with the Sox, Erautt went 8-for-43 (.186 batting average) in 32 games.

Back to minors

On July 22, 1951, the White Sox traded him to the triple-A Seattle Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League. He started the following season in Seattle before ending up back in the Tigers’ organization, splitting time between double-A Little Rock and triple-A Buffalo.

He returned to Buffalo in 1953 and then toiled in triple-A in the Philadelphia Phillies and Kansas City A’s organizations the next two seasons prior to finishing his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ double-A New Orleans Pelicans in 1956.

In total, Erautt played over 1,100 games in 14 pro seasons.

Parkinson’s disease diagnosis

A few years after hanging up his playing spikes, Erautt was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. The doctors told him that the beanings he experienced as a player were a contributing factor.

By 1962, he was “disabled,” according to a newspaper report.

On May 26, 1964, a testimonial fundraising dinner was held in his honour in Portland. Four months later, the triple-A Portland Beavers honoured him between games of a doubleheader and encouraged fans to contribute to a fund they set up to help him with his medical expenses.

The financial support was appreciated and much needed. It appears that the twice divorced Erautt lived alone in his final years. He did not have any children.

He died on October 6, 1976 in Portland at the age of 55. He was survived by his parents and his brother, Eddie. He was buried in the Willamette National Ceremony in Portland.

Erautt was inducted into the Saskatchewan Baseball Hall of Fame posthumously in 2015.

April 9, 2026

Official Ottawa Titans News Release

Ottawa, Ont. - The Ottawa Titans have agreed to terms on contracts with outfielder Myles Smith, two-way utility player Shane Stossel, and left-handed pitcher Dominic Puccetti for the upcoming 2026 Frontier League season.

Smith, 24, comes to Ottawa following his professional debut last summer in the Cincinnati Reds organization. Appearing in 79 games across two levels in the affiliated minor leagues, Smith slugged to a .153 average with six doubles, two home runs, and knocked in 16 runs.

The versatile offensive threat swiped a total of 14 bases while reaching base at a .300 clip. Smith appeared for both the Daytona Tortugas of the Florida State League and the Dayton Dragons of the Midwest League, the A-ball and High-A affiliates of the Reds.

Selected by the Reds in the seventh round of the 2024 MLB June Amateur Draft, Smith attended the University of California, Irvine (Irvine, Calif.) from 2022 to 2024. During his final campaign, Smith posted outstanding offensive numbers – hitting .401 with 13 doubles, 10 home runs and 49 RBIs across 48 games. He walked 50 times, reaching base at a .533 clip.

For his efforts, the product of Burbank, Calif., was named to the ABCA/Rawlings Second Team All-American, ABCA/Rawlings West All-Region First Team, the Big West Field Player of the Year, and to the All-Big West First Team. He was teammates with former Titans infielder Jo Oyama that season, who had his contract purchased by the Seattle Mariners organization in June of last year.

Over a 111-game collegiate career, Smith was a lifetime .316 hitter with 20 doubles, 12 home runs, and 80 RBIs for the Anteaters. He stole 16 bases and reached base at a .475 average.

Smith’s father, Ira, was the first collegiate player to win two consecutive NCAA Batting titles in 1989 (.488) and 1990 (.519 – the sixth highest in NCAA history). He enjoyed a 14-year professional baseball career with the Dodgers, Padres and Tigers organizations – and played five years of independent baseball, most notably with Bobby Brown on the 2002 Winnipeg Goldeyes.

Stossel, 24, signs his first professional contract following five years of collegiate baseball at both the D2 and D3 levels. Playing the 2025 season at Mansfield University (Mansfield, Pa.), he hit .300 with nine doubles, eight home runs, and drove in 31 runs across 42 games. He also appeared in nine games on the mound (eight starts), going 1-4 with an 8.24 ERA over 31 2/3 innings pitched – walking 15 and striking out 23 opposing hitters.

Hailing from Harrisburg, Pa., Stossel spent four seasons at Lebanon Valley College (Annville, Pa.), where he led the team with nine home runs, 40 RBIs, 27 walks, a 1.327 OPS, a .760 slugging percentage, and a .567 on-base percentage.

Stossel was named to the All-MAC Freedom Second Team, the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings Region 4 All-Region Second Team, and the D3baseball.com All-Region Region 4 Second Team while with the Flying Dutchmen.

Puccetti, 24, joins the starting rotation after being acquired in a trade earlier this month from the Washington Wild Things. After making his professional debut in the Frontier League last summer, the 6-foot-2 southpaw went 2-5 with a 5.00 ERA over nine starts, tossing 45 innings – walking 31 and striking out 22. He tossed at least five innings in seven of nine starts, earning his first professional win on June 19 at Evansville, throwing six scoreless frames.

Hailing from Monroe, Mich., Puccetti was a D2CCA All-Southeast Region Second Team selection last season at Lander University (Greenwood, South Carolina) after serving as the team’s ace and finishing the season 10-1 with a 3.84 ERA in 91 1/3 innings pitched across 16 starts. He led the team and the Peach Belt Conference with 105 strikeouts, becoming the first Bearcat pitcher to eclipse the 100-strikeout mark since 2016.

The left-hander made his way to Lander from Lawrence Tech, where he spent five seasons, the first of which was the shortened 2020 season. He had appeared in five games that year and fanned 17 to six walks in 9 1/3 innings. He’d go on to punch out 21 batters in 19 2/3 innings in 2021 before jumping from 19 2/3 innings to 52 1/3 innings in 2022. That season, Puccetti allowed just 41 hits and struck out 93 batters, working his way to a 4.99 ERA for the NAIA school. In 2023, he was 3-6 with a 5.38 ERA in 72 innings across 12 starts. He struck out 98 and allowed 60 hits, and in 2024, he fanned 101 batters in 58 1/3 innings, allowing 44 hits and posting a shutout in 11 starts, going 5-3 with a 5.09 ERA.

His last three seasons at LTU are the top three single-season strikeout seasons in school history, and he holds the career strikeouts record at the school. He fanned 13 or more hitters in three games at LTU.

In other news, the Titans have announced the following roster transactions:

Acquired LHP CJ Blowers from the Joliet Slammers in exchange for RHP Alfredo Villa.

Traded LHP CJ Blowers to the Oakland Ballers (Pioneer League) for future considerations.

Acquired LHP Dominic Puccetti from the Washington Wild Things for future considerations.

Released UTIL Mason Collins.

The Ottawa Titans will open the 2026 season on Friday, May 8, at 7:00 p.m., hosting the Québec Capitales at Ottawa Stadium.

March 30, 2026

Official Toronto Maple Leafs News Release

TORONTO - The Toronto Maple Leafs have released LHP Adam Marra and 2B Dan Marra, thanking them for their many years of contributions.

Adam (Toronto, Ont.), who spent parts of 10 seasons with the Maple Leafs organization, has been with Toronto since his debut in 2014. The 31-year-old has appeared in over 100 regular season games with the club, and posted multiple career-bests in 2024 when the veteran lefty pitched to a 3.48 ERA, going 3-1 and picking up a save over 20 2/3 innings.

Dan (Toronto, Ont.), who completed his 14th campaign with the club in 2025, hit .303 across 394 regular season games since his debut in 2011. A three-time All-CBL nominee and one-time CBL All-Star, Marra spent almost a decade-and-a-half as a starter on Toronto’s infield and was regularly one of the best contact hitters in the league on a year-to-year basis. Six of his seasons saw him post an average above .330, and he tied his career-high in regular season games played with 36 in 2025.

The Toronto Maple Leafs organization would like to with both Adam and Dan the absolute best, as well as their brother Justin. All three have made tremendous impacts during their times in Toronto, forever playing very large roles over the last two decades in blue and white.

March 27, 2026

Official Guelph Royals News Release

GUELPH - The Guelph Royals have re-signed outfielder Andy Leader for the 2026 season.

Leader, 28, returns for his third season with the team and for his ninth in the IBL/CBL.

Throughout his first eight seasons in the league, the Kitchener, Ont., native has been selected to the All-IBL Team three times (2021, 2022, and 2023) and has a lifetime average of .284 with 26 home runs and 33 stolen bases.

The Canisius alum joined the Royals during the 2024 season and made an immediate impact, hitting the biggest home run in two decades for the team in game five of the 2024 semifinals against the Welland Jackfish, when he hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the winner-take-all game.

Royals assistant general manager Ryan Eakin said he expects Leader to have a big year.

"What I love about Andy is no matter what was happening at the plate, he remained a great teammate throughout and gave us a ton of value defensively. It allows him to have such a high floor. This sport is a cruel game of failure at the plate, but the best part is he has the same batting average as everyone else in the league in 2026. I'm excited for Andy and the fresh start he'll have at the plate."

April 8, 2026

By Jeff Sargeant

UBC Communications

With only three series remaining in the Cascade Collegiate Conference schedule, the UBC Thunderbirds are entering crunch time as they look to reverse a brief losing skid, set to host the College of Idaho Yotes for a critical four-game series starting Friday, April 10 at Tourmaline West Stadium.

Having leapt out of the starting gate with a tremendous 18-3 conference record, the 'Birds have now lost four straight, including a 12-3 defeat Tuesday in a non-conference matchup with Seattle University.

"We're going through probably the most difficult part of our schedule in terms of the teams we're playing and now we're into final exams here and then also dealing with some health issues," said UBC head coach Chris Pritchett, who's looking at the positives to battling through some adversity. "We're calling on people to step up in these situations and there have been a lot of good things. This group is starting to believe they can play against any level of NAIA team, but at the same time we're seeing breakdowns in very fundamental things that are costing us."

Dropping last weekend's road series to Lewis-Clark State, the 'Birds are now two games back of the conference leading Warriors and five games ahead of the Yotes. By the time this weekend's series concludes Sunday, the T-Birds will either remain in striking distance of the conference lead or be in a fight for seeding going into the impending CCC championship tournament early next month.

But heading into UBC's penultimate home series of the conference schedule, the 'Birds remain focussed on the process.

"The goal has to be this team just worrying about taking care of business themselves and not so much about who we're playing," said Pritchett. "Yes the games are important, (the Yotes are) right behind us, we have similar records and we know they're going to be good. But we, as a coaching staff, are hyper-focussed on what we need to do to be successful not only this weekend but also the rest of the season."

Despite the recent skid, the underlying numbers for the T-Birds are good. Some untimely errors late in games have cost them, however. In their last five games, UBC has conceded a total of 30 runs in the seventh inning and beyond, all 12 of Seattle University's coming in the final two frames Tuesday.

"The score was not indicative of how the game was,” said Pritchett. “For six innings we saw how we can play and be successful, but then we also saw what happens when you make a mistake on a routine play, how quickly it can get away. It really highlights the need to play tight, especially defensively to come out on top in those games. We're learning we're capable of playing with anybody but also what it takes to beat good teams and we're not quite there yet, but we're working on it."

Any team, even championship winning squads, inevitably face a period such as this and there's every reason to believe the 'Birds will use their home cooking this weekend to pull themselves back onto the right side of the ledger.

If they need any positive reinforcement, the 'Birds continue to lead the Cascade Collegiate Conference with 402 hits while the team's pitching staff collectively boast a 4.28 ERA along with a conference leading 9.84 K/9.

As key as the weekend is for UBC, the Yotes enter the final three weeks of the regular season just one game ahead of Bushnell and two up on Oregon Tech, the Owls holding down the fifth and final conference championship tournament berth.

First pitch Friday for the series opener, and a chance to extend UBC's seven-game home win streak, is set for 6:00 p.m. at Tourmaline West Stadium. Saturday's doubleheader begins at 1:00 p.m. with Sunday's finale scheduled for an 11:00 a.m. start.

April 7, 2026

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Don’t look now, but NJCAA’s Team Canada in Division III -- otherwise known as the SUNY Niagara TWolves -- sit No. 1 in this week’s college rankings.

One big reason is the performance of the 10 Canadians on the SUNY Niagara roaster.

Niagara won 17 straight before losing to Monroe and now has a 26-3 record under coach Matt Clingersmith.

The Big Dawgs for the TWolves have been RHP Keegan Bazinet and INF Cam Gravelle.

At the plate, Gravelle is hitting .470 with 15 doubles, four triples, a home run and 31 RBIs with a 1.251 OPS. The former Ontario Royals INF is from Smithville, Ont., home of former Canadian Thunderbirds C Bobby Killins.

Meanwhile, on the mound, RHP Bazinet (Windsor, Ont.) has been dominant. The Windsor Selects grad is 5-0 with a find-it-if-you-can ERA of 0.93. He has walked nine and fanned 39 in 29 innings.

Also key contributors at the plate include: INF Alexander Graham (Toronto, Ont.), an Ontario Nationals grad, who’s batting ,433 with three doubles, two homers and 16 RBIs with a 1.297 OPS and OF Luke Gigliotti (Toronto, Ont.), a former Ontario Royal, who owns an average of .431 with two doubles, two homers, 10 RBIs and an 1.111 OPS.

Nolan Bigras (Burlington, Ont.), a former FieldHouse Pirate, has made on appearance picking up a save in four scoreless innings.

Jackson Sheehy (Guelph, Ont.) has a 6.75 ERA in two outings walking four and striking out five in 2 2/3 innings. He is transferring to Kansas Wesleyan, an NAIA school.

RHP Austin Barton (Kitchener, Ont.), a former Fieldhouse Pirate, and C Carter McCormick (Oshawa, Ont.), an Oshawa Legionaires grad, have appeared in three games apiece.

RHP Austin Barton (Kitchener, Ont.), a former Fieldhouse Pirate, and RHP Charlie Chubak (Petawawa, Ont.) are also on the SUNY Niagara roster.

April 8, 2026

By Jason Young

Winnipeg Goldeyes

WINNIPEG, MAN. – The Winnipeg Goldeyes announced Wednesday the signing of Canadian rookie catcher Raphaël Pelletier.

Pelletier finished the 2025 season with the London Majors of the Intercounty Baseball League, where he batted .243 with two home runs and four runs batted in in 11 games.

The Repentigny, Québec native was chosen by the Texas Rangers in the 25th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft out of École Secondaire Édouard-Montpetit (Montréal, Qué.).

Pelletier attended Kansas State University (Manhattan, Kan.) from 2022 to 2024 and the University of Kentucky (Lexington, Ky.) in 2025. The 24-year-old hit .224 with 20 doubles and 19 home runs in 173 college contests. He drove in 70 runs.

A former member of the Junior National Team, in 2018 Pelletier competed at the Pan American Baseball Confederation (COPABE) U-18 Pan-American Championships, winning a bronze medal.

“We are excited to sign another young Canadian player in Pelletier,” said Goldeyes manager Logan Watkins. “He’s going to strengthen our catching situation and give us opportunities to mix up the lineup a little bit. Raphaël is the kind of player our pitchers will enjoy throwing to, and his ability to throw out base runners will be critical when we face division opponents who like to run.”

Pelletier is the seventh Canadian on the Goldeyes’ roster, joining pitcher Landen Bourassa (Lethbridge, Alberta), pitcher James Bradwell (North Vancouver, British Columbia), catcher/infielder Mason Dobie (Meaford, Ontario), infielder/outfielder Adam Hall (London, Ontario), pitcher Eli Saul (Vancouver, British Columbia), and infielder T.J. Schofield-Sam (Mississauga, Ontario).

Winnipeg now has 26 players under contract for the 2026 season. American Association clubs may carry up to 33 players during spring training, which begins May 3.

North Shore Twins grad and University of Michigan left-hander Shane Brinham (North Vancouver, B.C.) has been named co-NCBWA Pitcher of the Week. Photo: University of Michigan Athletics

April 6, 2027

Official NCBWA News Release

DALLAS (NCBWA) – The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) released its Dick Howser Trophy National Player of the Week awards presented by The Game Headwear for the period ending April 5.

Kansas junior infielder Tyson LeBlanc was named National Hitter of the Week, while Grand Canyon junior left-handed pitcher Chase Frey and Michigan freshman left-handed pitcher Shane Brinham (North Vancouver, B.C.) were named National Co-Pitchers of the Week.

The NCBWA Board reviews candidates from each Division I Conference and names winners each Tuesday throughout the season.

LeBlanc led the Jayhawks to a 4-0 week with an 11-8 midweek win against Missouri and a series sweep over Utah. The junior infielder homered in three of the four games, making him one of five Big 12 players who hit three or more home runs this week, and has now recorded nine home runs in his last 12 games. The Maurice, La., native started his week by hitting what proved to be the game-winning shot to left field with the score tied at 8-8 in the bottom of the eighth inning, to make it 11-8. In the series opener against the Utes, he hit a two-run walk-off blast to cap a 14-12 comeback victory. In the final game of the series, LeBlanc hit the go-ahead two-run homer to give the Jayhawks the lead in the bottom of the sixth. LeBlanc recorded at least one run and one RBI in all four games and finished the week with 10 RBI, nine hits, seven runs, five walks, three doubles, three home runs and a batting average of .529 (9-for-17).

Frey authored a dominant, complete-game shutout in GCU's Friday win at Fresno State. The Las Vegas native was nearly untouchable, throwing a two-hitter with eight strikeouts to one walk in GCU's 3-0 win. He faced 31 batters, threw 95 pitches and retired seven of nine leadoff hitters.

Brinham fired a complete-game 10-0 shutout over Oregon in game one of the weekend series. The freshman earned the win with seven strikeouts over his seven innings pitched, while allowing three hits and no walks in the run-rule victory. He faced just 24 batters and threw 96 pitches, allowing just three baserunners and retiring 16 straight batters at one point in the contest.

Founded in 1962, the NCBWA is dedicated to the advancement of college baseball.

April 7, 2026

Official Canisius Athletics News Release

Junior JC Spinosa, senior Felix Morin, and freshman Mark Rogers have earned Northeast Beef Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Baseball weekly awards, the conference office announced Tuesday.

Spinosa earned Player of the Week honours, while Morin was named the Pitcher of the Week and Rogers, the Rookie, after the Griffs swept Saint Peter's this weekend.

Spinosa was named Player of the Week after posting a strong performance in the weekend sweep, posting a 6-for-10 performance at the plate, highlighted by five RBIs and three runs scored. The junior delivered all four of his hits in Friday's doubleheader with two outs and registered three triples and a home run on the weekend.

Morin (Quebec, Que.), garnered Pitcher of the Week honours for a second time this season after getting the nod in game one of the series. Morin tossed seven innings, shutting out the Peacocks and allowing just two hits. The left-hander did not allow a base runner through the first three innings and faced the minimum batters through the game's first six innings en route to the win.

Rogers (Cambridge, Ont.), named Rookie of the Week, picked up his third straight win, going six innings, allowing just one run, while striking out six. His six strikeouts mark the most in his collegiate career.

Canisius travels to Olean N.Y., on April 8 to take on St. Bonaventure in a midweek non-conference matchup. First pitch for the Little Three matchup is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Handler Park.

*Catfish Hunter would’ve turned 80 today. He passed away in 1999. Here’s the story of the Montreal Expos’ pursuit of him in December 1974.

April 8, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

On December 23, 1974, Montreal Expos president John McHale and general manager Jim Fanning trekked to Ahoskie, N.C., to attempt to reel in a “Catfish.”

No, this wasn’t a fishing expedition, but rather a pitch by the Expos’ top executives to try to convince reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Catfish Hunter to toe the rubber at Jarry Park in 1975.

Earlier that December, the 28-year-old ace, who had won three consecutive World Series titles with the Oakland A’s and had registered four straight 20-win seasons, was declared a free agent after it was ruled that A’s owner Charlie Finley had violated the terms of his contract.

Hunter’s 1974 contract called for him to be paid $100,000 – $50,000 would serve as his salary, while the remaining $50,000 was to be placed in a deferred payment insurance plan. However, when Finley discovered that the deferred portion wouldn’t be tax deductible for him, he balked at paying it. The Major League Baseball Players Association took Hunter’s case to arbitration, where an arbitrator ruled in his favor and he became a free agent.

This landmark decision made Hunter the first major league player to truly have the liberty to chose the team he wanted to play for. It also inspired a bidding sweepstakes for his services unlike anything that major league baseball had ever witnessed.

Twenty two teams – including the Expos – called J. Carlton Cherry, Hunter’s lawyer/agent, to express their interest. Initially, Hunter thought he might be able to visit the cities of his suitors, but the list of interested parties grew so long that his agents asked teams to fly to Ahoskie, N.C. to meet with them.

A Montreal Gazette report indicates that after receiving the green light from McHale and Expos owner Charles Bronfman to pursue the all-star right-hander, Fanning called Hunter’s agent to express the club’s interest on the morning of December 18. Coming off a 79-82 campaign that saw them finish fourth in the National League East, the Expos were looking to bolster their starting rotation.

The Expos meeting with Hunter was set for the morning of Monday, December 23. By that time, however, 12 other big league clubs had already met with Hunter. The Expos were the first of four teams to sit down with Hunter on the 23rd. The Twins followed that morning, while the Yankees and Braves made their pitches in the afternoon.

“We’ll explain about Canada and Quebec offering something different for a sports superstar,” Fanning told the Montreal Gazette when asked how the Expos were going to woo Hunter. “I have some other things that I would like to discuss with them as well.”

But little did the Expos know, they were already at a decided disadvantage. In Hunter’s 1988 biography “Catfish: My Life in Baseball,” he indicates that his preference was to stay in the American League.

“I wanted to stay in the American League (where I knew the hitters) and away from the artificial turf (where ground balls turn into base hits),” wrote Hunter.

In his biography, Hunter also reveals that he was seeking at least a five-year deal with guaranteed money, with a substantial portion of his salary being deferred into the 1990s. He also wanted two $25,000 annuities for his children’s college educations.

At the time, Montreal Gazette scribe Ian MacDonald seemed dismissive of the Expos’ pursuit of Hunter.

“Parc Jarry’s limited seating along with undependable weather dictate that unless Bronfman wants to loosen the string on his holiday booze profits, the Expos’ hunt for the Catfish is a publicity ploy,” he wrote in the Gazette’s December 18, 1974 edition.

Publicity ploy or not, the Expos certainly gave the impression that they were determined to sign the 20-game winner. After meeting with clubs on December 23, Hunter’s camp took a three-day break for Christmas, and Fanning touched base with Cherry, Hunter’s agent, twice on December 28.

Though the amount of the Expos’ offer was never disclosed (some pegged it at $4.5 million over 10 years, which was an astronomical sum at the time), Fanning and McHale wowed Hunter enough to be one of the eight teams remaining in the running for Hunter’s services as of December 30.

“We still don’t know where we are,” an Expos spokesperson told the Montreal Gazette on December 27,”because we don’t know where the other clubs are. But we have to be encouraged a little bit by the fact that dialogue is going back and forth.”

The Expos’ optimism also had to be buoyed by a United Press International report that indicated that they could be one of Hunter’s preferred destinations because they were one of only three teams to have two separate meetings with the Cy Young Award winner.

But Hunter never seriously considered the Expos. In his biography, he describes how he almost signed with the San Diego Padres, Montreal’s expansion cousins. The Padres reportedly offered Hunter the most money (owner Ray Kroc essentially offered him a blank cheque and told him to write in the amount). The Padres also played on natural grass and their brass had wooed him with a steady stream of flattering letters.

“The only other National League teams (outside of the Padres) I seriously considered were Pittsburgh (superb offer, struggling team, fake turf) and the Mets,” wrote Hunter in his biography.

On December 31, Hunter decided to sign with the New York Yankees, not because they offered him the most money – in fact, the Expos likely offered him more – but largely because of the trust and friendship he had developed with Yankees scout Clyde Kluttz. Kluttz was the scout that signed Hunter for the Kansas City A’s in 1964 and had moved on to the Bronx Bombers. The two had remained fast friends. It also didn’t hurt that Hunter had grown up a Yankees fan.

“It’s great to be a Yankee . . . Ever since I was a little boy I wanted to be a Yankee,” Hunter said at his introductory press conference in New York on January 2.

His deal with the Yankees was worth approximately $3.5 million over 10 years and it guaranteed him a salary for five years. He would also receive $100,000 a year until 1994, as well as college endowments for his kids.

As a Yankee, Hunter won 23 and 17 games respectively in his first two seasons with the club before he was hampered by an arm injury. Despite stumbling to nine wins in 1977, he earned a World Series ring. He rebounded to record 12 wins the following campaign, as the Yankees won another Fall Classic. But struggling with diabetes and chronic pain in his arm, Hunter retired after posting a 2-9 record and 5.31 ERA in 1979 when he was just 33.

In all in 15 big league seasons, Hunter earned five World Series rings, recorded five 20-win seasons and notched 224 career wins – enough to earn him election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1987.

After he hung up his spikes, Hunter settled back into farm life with his family in Hertford, N.C. Sadly, in September 1998, he was diagnosed with ALS, commonly called Lou Gehrig‘s disease, and he passed away on September 9, 1999 when he was just 53 years old.

April 7, 2026

Anderson wins McDonald’s Player of the Week

Presented by Urban Edge Network

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The following 11 Cascade Collegiate Conference student-athletes have been recognized as the McDonald’s Player of the Week, presented by Urban Edge Network, for their performances during competition from March 30 – April 5, 2026.

Baseball – Pitcher

University of British Columbia’s Will Anderson (Delta, BC) was named the CCC Baseball Pitcher of the Week. The UBC ace rose to the moment in the biggest game of the season so far, striking out 11 batters in 6 2/3 innings while allowing two runs. He departed with a 6-2 lead as UBC held on for an 8-7 win with Mason Chien (Langley, BC) picking up the save.

Beach Volleyball – Pair

No. 3-ranked Corban University’s Emmi Marks and Emma Bischoff were named the CCC Beach Volleyball Pair of the Week.

The first pair recorded a straight set sweep against opponents from Bushnell University (21-16, 21-13) to help secure the 4-1 team victory. The pair concluded the regular season leading the CCC with a 23-2 record, guiding the Warriors to the No. 2 seed in the postseason conference tournament.

Baseball – Player

The College of Idaho’s James Hull named the CCC Baseball Player of the Week.

Hull, a sophomore shortstop from Selah, Wash., had an outstanding week on the field for the Yotes, helping C of I to three victories in their series against Corban University. He recorded a .556 batting average and a .611 slugging percentage with 10 hits. He also added eight runs and two RBIs while earning a .579 on base percentage. Defensively, he recorded a .960 fielding percentage to cap off the terrific weekend.

Anderson, a junior from Delta, B.C., had a fantastic performance on the mound against No. 5-ranked Lewis-Clark State College, leading to an 8-7 victory. He allowed just three hits and two earned runs while striking out 11 batters across 6.2 innings for a 2.70 ERA and a .75 WHIP.

Softball – Player

No. 1-ranked Oregon Tech’s Nita Cook was named the CCC Softball Player of the Week. Cook, a senior second baseman from Vernonia, Ore., had a terrific weekend on the field as OIT swept Bushnell University. She recorded a .667 batting average and a .800 slugging percentage with 10 hits including two doubles. She also added nine runs while earning a .706 on base percentage. She did not strike out in 15 at bats and stole five bases, tying the OIT program record. Defensively, she recorded a .929 fielding percentage to round out her impressive weekend.

Softball – Pitcher

No. 1-ranked Oregon Tech’s Alli Parker was named the CCC Softball Pitcher of the Week. Parker, a junior from Bend, Ore., had a fantastic weekend in the circle for the Owls, helping lead to two shutouts over Bushnell University. She pitched 11 scoreless innings across two games, recording 12 strikeouts while allowing just seven hits and two walks for a perfect ERA and a .82 WHIP.

Women’s Golf – Golfer

No. 19-ranked Lewis-Clark State College’s Giulia Belfontali was named the CCC Women’s Golfer of the Week. Belfontali (80-80-73 – 233), a sophomore from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, had an excellent showing at the Roadrunner Spring Invite. She finished strong, shooting 1-over par in the final round to help LC State finish in ninth place as a team while defeating multiple nationally ranked opponents.

Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Track Athlete

University of British Columbia’s James Kerr was named the CCC Men’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week. Kerr, a junior from Burlington, Ont., had a standout showing at the UNLV Rebel Elite Invitational. He finished second in the 400m hurdles, recording a time of 51.98 to reach an ‘A’ Standard and claim the second spot in the NAIA this season.

Men’s Outdoor Track & Field – Field Athlete

University of British Columbia’s Kayden U-Ming was named the CCC Men’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week. U-Ming, a sophomore from Courtenay, B.C., had a stellar showing at the UNLV Rebel Elite Invitational. He finished second in the javelin with a mark of 65.59m to reach an ‘A’ Standard and earn the No. 2 rank in the NAIA leaderboard this season.

Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Track Athlete

University of British Columbia’s Haley Martin was named the CCC Women’s Outdoor Track Athlete of the Week. Martin, a sophomore from Nanaimo, B.C., had an outstanding weekend at the UNLV Rebel Elite Invitational. She finished second in the 400m hurdles with a time of 59:30 to set a program record and claim the No. 2 time in the NAIA this season. She then won the 400m with a time of 55.81 to reach a ‘B’ Standard and also ran the final leg of the 4x400m relay which reached a time of 3:44.74 and an ‘A’ Standard.

Women’s Outdoor Track & Field – Field Athlete

University of British Columbia’s Amelia Cha was named the CCC Women’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week. Cha, a junior from Calgary, Alta., had a standout showing at the UNLV Rebel Elite Invitational. She won the long jump, reaching an ‘A’ Standard and claiming the top mark in the NAIA this season at 6.25m while also breaking her own program record. She then reached a ‘B’ Standard in the 4x100m relay which set a time of 47.13.

Terriers alum Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) has been named the Canadian Baseball Network’s Minor League Player of the Week after he tossed five scoreless innings for the Texas Rangers’ triple-A Round Rock Express in his start on Saturday.

April 7, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Triple-A is not where Cal Quantrill wants to be.

But if his most recent start with the Texas Rangers’ Round Rock Express is any indication, the 31-year-old right-hander might not be there for long.

On Saturday, he started and hurled five scoreless innings to earn the win against the Atlanta Braves’ triple-A Gwinnett Stripers.

For his efforts, Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) has been named the Canadian Baseball Network’s first Minor League Player of the Week (March 30 to April 5) of 2026.

Quantrill allowed just three hits and struck out four, without walking a batter, in the start. He threw 49 of his 76 pitches for strikes.

The veteran righty was the only Canadian minor league pitcher to throw five innings in a start last week.

Quantrill, who owns a 47-46 record and a 4.35 ERA in 187 games (149 starts) in parts of eight MLB seasons with the Padres, Guardians, Rockies, Marlins and Braves, signed a minor league contract with the Rangers on February 1.

Last month, in a do-or-die contest for Canada at the World Baseball Classic, Quantrill started and held the Cuban squad to just two hits and one unearned run, while fanning five in five innings, to lead Canada to a 7-2 victory.

Top Canadian Minor League Batters - March 30 to April 5, 2026

Top Canadian Minor League Pitchers - March 30 to April 5, 2026

April 6, 2026

Official University of Portland Athletics Release

SAN BRUNO, Calif. – Portland Pilots freshman pitcher Will Labonte earned his second straight WCC Freshman of the Week honour after a stellar start against the Seattle U Redhawks.

It's the fourth time a Pilot has earned WCC Player of the Week honours this season.

Labonte (Montreal, Que.) started and pitched well in Portland's lone win of the weekend against Seattle U. Labonte went six innings for the Pilots, matching a career high, and allowed no runs and just two hits. Labonte struck out six batters as well. It's the fourth time Labonte has allowed no runs in four innings or more.

Labonte has pitched like one of the best freshman in the country. He earned Perfect Game Midseason All-American Second Team honours as well as WCC Freshman of the Week last week after another strong start.

Labonte has gone 3-0 in eight appearances this year, throwing a team-high 42 1/3 innings with a 1.70 ERA and 36 strikeouts. Labonte's ERA leads the conference and ranks 20th in the nation.

Nationally, he ranks second among all freshmen. He's the only WCC player to allow fewer than 10 runs this season.

April 2, 2026

Official Guelph Royals News Release

GUELPH, ONT. - The Guelph Royals have re-signed outfielder Ashton Patterson for the 2026 season.

Patterson (Kitchener, Ont.), 21, returns for his fifth season with the team, joining Brandon Deans, Conner Morro, and JD Williams as the longest-serving players on the team.

Throughout his first four seasons with the team, Patterson has a lifetime average of .211, with his best stretch coming in the 2024 playoffs, where he batted .405 with more walks (10) than strikeouts (8).

Royals assistant general manager Ryan Eakin said there is a reason Patterson has been here as long as he has.

"Patty shows up, provides elite defence, and scraps at the plate, especially in critical, situational moments. Every championship team needs a player like him on their roster."

*This article was originally published on Alberta Dugout Stories on April 3. You can read it here.

April 6, 2026

By Joe McFarland

Alberta Dugout Stories

Carter Claerhout always considered himself a “backside doubles” kind of guy.

The Red Deer native made a living through high school and the first few years of his college baseball career pulling the ball for power.

He says he had never hit a home run to the opposite field … until this year.

Claerhout has been on an absolute tear to start his debut season with Bellevue University, leading the Bruins in almost every offensive statistical category, including batting average (.443), home runs (13) and runs batted in (35) heading into the Easter long weekend.

His performances have been so good he’s captured three Frontier Conference Player of the Week honours and, most recently, the NAIA National Player of the Week on March 31.

The reason for his surge in power and productivity? Assistant coach Mitch Schmidt.

“Schmitty made two tiny changes as soon as I got here focusing on letting the ball travel a bit more,” Claerhout told Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast.

“He just said, ‘Don’t touch a thing, I’m going to move you in the batter’s box,’ and that’s about it.”

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Listen to Alberta Dugout Stories interview Carter Claerhout here.

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Not only has he hit double-digit home runs for the first time in his career, but Claerhout is also helping a Bruin team skyrocketing up the NAIA national rankings.

BECOMING A BRUIN

Everyone in Alberta baseball circles knows Claerhout is a very talented ball player.

A star with Red Deer Minor Baseball and a graduate of St. Joseph High School with head coach Jason Chatwood, the southpaw moved south to Prairie Baseball Academy, where he was named a Canadian College Baseball Conference second-team all-star in 2022.

He upped the ante in his sophomore season by earning first-team honours and was named the CCBC’s most valuable player after hitting .415 with four roundtrippers and 24 RBIs.

Those performances earned him a move to Southern Arkansas University, where he swatted five dingers, drove in 53 runs and sported a .294 average in 89 games over two seasons.

Going into his senior season, Claerhout knew he had more in the tank and got talking to a few people about heading to Bellevue.

Schmidt broke the transfer news to the baseball world when the Lethbridge Bulls slugger was being interviewed for the Western Canadian Baseball League All-Star Game broadcast.

ANSWERING THE BELL(EVUE)

While he knew what the Okotoks Dawgs co-head coach brought to the table, Claerhout couldn’t have imagined what was in store for him.

“The main thing was I just wanted to go out and have fun,” he said.

Knowing that former Dawg Logan Grant and current teammate Ayden Makarus had won several awards in previous years, Claerhout admits he had that in the back of his mind going into the year as something to aspire to.

Jam packed new episode of the Bullhorn up now on YouTube! Carter Claerhout, Gord Watt , Bulls owner/GM Kevin Kvame, and Will Turner with the Bulls Jr. Reporter all stopped by for a chat. Be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel today! https://t.co/Q8XQHWbzHl pic.twitter.com/tktAIKupD2

— Lethbridge Bulls (@lethbridgebulls) February 12, 2026

He started his season on a four-game hit streak, had one hitless game, then came back with another nine in a row.

The first of his three conference player of the week honours came on Feb. 23 after hitting .875 with a 2.514 OPS, with four of his seven hits going for extra bases.

His hot streak didn’t flicker, as Claerhout had hits in all but three games in March, setting the stage for a monster weekend against Valley City State University.

NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED

The Bruins, who are the No. 3 ranked NAIA program in the country thanks to a 28-3 overall record and 8-0 in conference play, put their offence on display against the Vikings.

Outscoring the opposition 62-17 in the four-game set, Claerhout says it showed how good of a team they are.

It also showed off his dominance this spring, as the senior first baseman collected 11 hits in 15 at-bats, including a home run in each game and a combined seven RBIs.

His first trip around the bases was also his 10th of the season, a first time he’s reached that milestone.

“I got a big hug from Schmitty and he said, ‘You needed me to get double digits,’” Claerhout laughed, adding it’s something he’s most proud of as he looks at his numbers.

The 6-foot-1, 240-pound Albertan was named the Frontier Conference Player of the Week for his efforts, then a day later was informed he was picking up the NAIA National Player of the Week as well.

⚾️ NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK! ⚾️

Carter Claerhout takes home the NAIA's top weekly honor after an unbelievable stretch at the plate. He hit .700, launched 5 home runs, and drove in 10 runs.

Read the full release ➡️ https://t.co/VHfaOsXth2#BUBruins #NAIA #TheRightWayToPlay pic.twitter.com/rXp1lgHJ5m

— Bellevue Bruins (@BUBruins) March 31, 2026

GOING OUT ON TOP

And now it’s onto April, where Claerhout hopes to keep the good vibes going, both personally and with the team.

He believes they are a force to be reckoned with as they head towards the Frontier Conference Tournament during the first weekend of May.

Despite being a newcomer to the team, Claerhout says it’s crazy to think about how tight-knit the group is.

“We’re really confident in how we are as a team and we’re never out of a game,” he said. “We’re just having so much fun and we’re very much like a family.”

If all goes according to plan, the Bruins will emerge from the conference to play in the NAIA Opening Round before the Avista NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho starting May 22.

Claerhout says it will be important to “not get too high on our own supply” and take each game as it comes.

On a personal level, he doesn’t plan on making any adjustments to his approach at the plate – just have some fun and be a contributor to what he hopes is a championship-winning team.

“To help this team get over the hump and go to Lewiston and win it all would be phenomenal,” Claerhout said. “It would be a pretty sweet way to go out, for sure.”

April 5, 2026

By Jake McGrail

UBC Communications

LEWISTON, Idaho – It was not to be on Sunday for the UBC Thunderbirds as they fell in the final game of the weekend against the Lewis-Clark State Warriors, losing a conference series for the first time this year.

Despite out-hitting the Warriors 11-10, the 'Birds were only able to muster up three runs compared to nine for the hosts. The combination of a three UBC errors and seven walks drawn by Lewis-Clark State helped tilt the scales in the Warriors' favour, and the T-Birds were left to rue some missed opportunities as they left eight runners on the base in the game, four of them in scoring position.

While the Thunderbirds got a player to second base in each of the first three innings, they were unable to score until the top of the fourth, at which point it was 3-0 for Lewis-Clark State. The T-Birds' opening marker came from some heads-up baserunning by Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.), as after a leadoff single he took second on a wild pitch, third on a ground out and then came home in the wake of another wild pitch from Warriors' reliever Tyler Logan.

Unfortunately for the Thunderbirds, things came somewhat undone in the bottom half of that inning, when the Warriors had the bases loaded with two outs. At that point, Bryce Johnson hit a bouncing ball to short that was miscontrolled by the UBC infield, allowing two runs to score.

With their lead doubled, the Warriors were able to enjoy a little bit of breathing room, which was extended further in the seventh when Kooper Jones hit a two-run single.

Needing a big rally, the Thunderbirds looked like they might be able to start one in the eighth, when a Josh Cote (Midland, Ont.) single was followed by a Yip RBI double and then an RBI single from Braeden Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) to make it 7-3 with no outs on the board. But that was as close as UBC would get, as back-to-back outs were followed by Scott getting gunned down at home by Warriors left-fielder Brandon Nguyen off a hard-hit single by Calvin Warrillow (Toronto, Ont.).

The Warriors were able to tack on two final runs in the bottom half of the eighth, and they now hold first place in the Cascade Collegiate Conference standings – boasting a two-game lead over the Thunderbirds with 12 more to go before the postseason.

There's not too much time for the Thunderbirds to dwell on this result, as they're back in action on Tuesday, April 7, on the road against NCAA Division I side Seattle University in a nonconference matchup. Then, they'll be back at home against the College of Idaho Yotes for a four-game series from Friday, April 10 through Sunday, April 12.

April 5, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

Happy Easter to those who celebrate!

Some Canadian baseball news and notes:

Remembering Luke Easter

It has become an Easter tradition in this column to pay tribute to ex-big league slugger Luke Easter on Easter Sunday.

“Luscious Luke” was a hulking, 6-foot-4, 240-pound slugger who became the 11th Black player to compete in the big leagues when he debuted with Cleveland on August 11, 1949.

Known for clubbing tape-measure homers – including a 477-foot blast that was the longest ever recorded at Municipal Stadium – Easter, due to segregation, didn’t make his big league debut until he was 34. After three seasons in which he never socked less than 27 homers for Cleveland, Easter, hobbled by knee and ankle injuries, was released, but he continued to belt moonshot round-trippers in the International League (IL) for the Ottawa Athletics in 1954. Later he starred with the IL’s Buffalo Bisons and Rochester Red Wings.

A jovial, easygoing man who rarely refused an autograph request, Easter was once approached by a fan who told him that he saw him hit his longest home run, to which Easter responded, “If it came down, it wasn’t my longest.”

Sadly, Easter was murdered in a bank parking lot in Euclid, Ohio on March 29, 1979.

Hicks’ historic start

In his first five games with the Miami Marlins this season, Liam Hicks (Toronto, Ont.) went 7-for-15 (.467 batting average) with three home runs and 12 RBIs.

Those 12 RBIs set a record for most RBIs by a Canadian in their first five games of a major league season, surpassing the 11 Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.) accumulated in 1997.

Hicks also became the first Marlins player to collect 12 RBIs in the team’s first five games.

The Toronto Mets grad’s hot start even earned him airtime on the MLB Network on Friday to explain the changes he made to his swing this off-season.

The 26-year-old added a single and a walk on Saturday and is currently batting an even .400.

Caissie right behind Hicks

And if you looked at the MLB RBI leaderboard after five games, you would’ve seen Hicks’ Marlins teammate and fellow Canuck Owen Caissie (Burlington, Ont.) right behind him, tied for second with eight RBIs.

Caissie has gone 8-for-25 (.320 batting average) with two home runs and two doubles in the Marlins’ first eight games. The 23-year-old right fielder has been hitting sixth in the lineup behind Canadians Otto Lopez (Montreal, Que) and Hicks.

The Fieldhouse Pirates grad’s strong start comes after his outstanding performance for Canada at the World Baseball Classic in which he went 7-for-17 (.412 batting average) with a home run, three doubles and five RBIs in five games.

Caissie is in his first season with the Marlins after being acquired from the Cubs as part of the package for right-hander Edward Cabrera on January 7.

Peters records first walk-off hit

It was a week of firsts for Chicago White Sox outfielder Tristan Peters (Winkler, Man.).

Just two days after collecting his first MLB hit last Saturday, Peters had his first two-hit game on Monday. The Okotoks Dawgs alum had two singles in three at bats in the Sox 9-4 victory over the Marlins.

Then on Friday, in the White Sox home opener, Peters hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning off Blue Jays closer Jeff Hoffman to give the Sox a 5-4 win. It was not only his first walk-off hit, but his first MLB RBI.

As the White Sox noted on X on Saturday, the only other White Sox player to have their first MLB RBI be a walk-off hit was Canadian Joe Erautt (Vibank, Sask.). Erautt recorded his walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning against Boston Red Sox left-hander Mel Parnell on August 4, 1950 to give the White Sox a 3-2 win.

Anniversary of Walker’s first three-homer game

Twenty-nine years ago today, Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Larry Walker (Maple Ridge, B.C.) returned to Olympic Stadium and socked three home runs for the Colorado Rockies against the Montreal Expos to lead his club to a 15-3 win.

It was the first of three, three-home run games Walker would have in his career. None of them came at hitter friendly Coors Field.

You can watch footage of Walker’s first three-home run performance in the video below.

Pivetta rebounds with strong start

After giving up six runs in three innings in his Opening Day start for the San Diego Padres, Nick Pivetta (Victoria, B.C.) rebounded to permit just one hit, while striking out eight, in five scoreless innings to earn the win against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

It was his 70th big league win, which moves him to within one of Rheal Cormier (Cap-Pele, N.B.) and Erik Bedard (Napan, Ont.) for 10th most by a Canadian. Sitting just above them is Jeff Francis (North Delta, B.C.) with 72 MLB victories.

Sabrowski: four relief appearances, four holds

Left-hander Erik Sabrowski (Edmonton, Alta.) has been near-perfect out of the bullpen for the Cleveland Guardians this season. He has a major league-leading four holds in four appearances.

His most recent hold came on Wednesday when he was summoned into the game with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to face Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani with runners on second and third and the Guardians leading 4-0. Sabrowski promptly fanned Ohtani on three pitches.

Sabrowski has not surrendered a hit or a run and has struck out six in 3 2/3 innings this season.

Stieb’s first Opening Day start

Forty-three years ago today, Dave Stieb made his first Opening Day start for the Blue Jays.

Facing off against Boston Red Sox right-hander Dennis Eckersley, Stieb allowed just one run on three hits, while striking out seven batters, in six innings in the Blue Jays’ 7-1 win at Fenway Park.

Rance Mulliniks and Willie Upshaw homered for the Jays, while Ernie Whitt had a two-run single in the second inning.

Roy Lee Jackson took over for Stieb in the seventh and didn’t allow a hit in three scoreless innings to record the save.

Romano has three saves

I know it’s early but Los Angeles Angels closer Jordan Romano (Markham, Ont.) ranks second in the American League with three saves.

He picked up his third save of the season on Saturday when he hurled a scoreless ninth in the Angels’ 1-0 win over the Seattle Mariners.

The 32-year-old Canadian has looked strong this season. He has yet to yield a hit or a run in five appearances and has struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings.

The Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team grad is in his eighth major league campaign.

Orr made MLB debut on this date in 2005

Twenty-one years ago today, Pete Orr (Newmarket, Ont.) made his MLB debut with the Atlanta Braves.

The then 26-year-old Canuck entered the game as a defensive replacement for second baseman Marcus Giles in the sixth inning in the Braves’ 9-0 loss to the Marlins.

Orr grounded out in his first at bat in the eighth.

The left-handed hitting infielder collected his first two MLB hits the next day when he started at second base in the Braves’ 2-1, 13-inning win over the Marlins.

Clarke makes first home run robbing catch of the year

Oakland A’s centre fielder Denzel Clarke made his first home run robbing catch of the year in the bottom of the seventh inning against the Braves on Wednesday. Braves catcher Drake Baldwin led off the frame and launched a ball to left centre that look like a certain home run until Clarke made a leaping catch at the wall to bring it back.

You can watch it here:

If you have followed Clark since his MLB debut last year, you won’t be surprised by the play. After his promotion in late May 2025, he made several highlight reel catches in centre field for the A’s, which made him the first player to win the MLB Electric Play of the Week award in three consecutive weeks and earned him the Capital One Premier Play of the year at the MLB Awards.

Sixteen years ago, Stairs played for 12th MLB team

Sixteen years ago today, Matt Stairs (Fredericton, N.B.) pinch-hit for Padres pitcher Tim Stauffer in the top of the eighth inning and flied out to centre field against Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Aaron Heilman. With this at bat, Stairs had played in a regular season game for his 12th different MLB team, which set a new record for position players. He shared the previous record of 11 with Todd Zeile and Deacon McGuire.

Expos dealt Staub to Mets 54 years ago

It was 54 years ago today that the Expos traded Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Rusty Staub to the New York Mets for Ken Singleton, Tim Foli and Mike Jorgensen.

Staub, who had been the Expos’ first superstar, went on to enjoy four decent seasons with the Mets, including registering 105 RBIs for them in 1975.

But the Expos also fared well in the deal. Singleton had three strong years with the Expos. In 1973, he topped the National League with a .425 on-base percentage (OBP). Foli would be the Expos’ starting shortstop for six seasons, and though he was primarily known for his glove, he also became the first Expo to hit for the cycle when he accomplished the feat on April 21, 1976. Jorgensen also stayed with the Expos for parts of six seasons and posted career-highs in batting average (.310) and OBP (.444) in 1974. He also became the first Expo to win a Gold Glove Award when he was honoured for his work at the first base position in 1973.

Who hit the most home runs at Toronto’s Exhibition Stadium?

Codify Baseball has the answer (I saw this on X):

April 4, 2026

By UBC Communications

LEWISTON, Idaho – After taking the series opener on Friday, the UBC Thunderbirds were beaten in both halves of Saturday's doubleheader by the No. 5 ranked team in the NAIA, the Lewis-Clark State Warriors.

The 'Birds fell behind early in both games and were unable to mount comebacks, meaning that they will need to bounce back on Sunday in order to avoid losing this crucial series between the top two teams in the conference.

GAME ONE

While it was UBC who scored the first run of the day - when a David Krahn (Langley, B.C.) sacrifice fly brought home Kansai Sugimoto in the top of the first - the trouble began right after as the Warriors put up seven runs in the opening frame.

The home team put up four more runs between the second and third innings, racking up seven RBI singles and two RBI doubles as they went up 11-1 in a great display of hitting. Homers from both Brandon Nguyen and Bryce Johnson in the fifth put the game solidly out of reach.

The 'Birds were able to get some more runs on the board in the seventh, when a Stephen Waters (Toronto, Ont.) RBI double was followed the very next at-bat by a deep shot from Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.). But that was only a consolation as UBC fell 15-4.

GAME TWO

It was another tough start in the second game for the Thunderbirds, as Izzy Madariaga homered for the Warriors in the opening inning before they scored another four runs in the second.

A Lewis-Clark fielding error scored Krahn in the fourth, and was followed by an RBI single from Waters to cut into the deficit further, but that was as close as the Thunderbirds were able to get as after a few innings of a tight game the Warriors were able to pull away with some more big offensive performances in the final two innings for a 12-2 win.

The two sides will face off one more time at 11:00 a.m. (P.T.) on Sunday, the eighth and final meeting of the regular season between the two rivals.

April 4, 2026

Official Toronto Blue Jays News Release

The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired INF Tyler Fitzgerald from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for cash considerations.

Fitzgerald has been optioned to the triple-A Buffalo Bisons roster.

Fitzgerald, 28, played 72 games with the San Francisco Giants in 2025, hitting .217 with 10 doubles, a triple, four home runs, 14 RBI, nine stolen bases, and a .605 OPS, while recording seven defensive runs saved at second base.

In 2024, Fitzgerald was tied for third in the majors (min. 50 opportunities) in average sprint speed (30.0 ft/sec), while batting .280 with an .831 OPS across 96 games.

The right-handed hitter from Springfield, Ill., was selected by the Giants in the fourth round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Louisville, making his MLB debut in 2023.

In three seasons with the Giants, he slashed .252/.309/.430 with 31 doubles, three triples, 21 home runs, 53 RBIs, 28 stolen bases, and a .739 OPS in 178 contests.