Best senior teams gather above Toronto

RHP Jeff Gibbs delivers a pitch during GTBL league play. Gibbs leads the Bulldogs into Vaughan this weekend as they try to defend their 2015 Vaughan Tournament Title against 13 other teams.

Vaughan Vikings Tournament Preview
By Dan Estey
Canadian Baseball Network
A preview of the Vaughan Vikings Invitational Tournament which will take place this weekend at the Vaughan Grove and Concord Baseball Complexes. This year’s tournament will be a 14-team event again with teams divided into four divisions. 

Division A
Etobicoke Rangers (COBA; 11-2 record)
Erindale Cardinals (COBA; 3-7 record)
Leaside Leafs (GTBL; 7-2 record)
Bolton Brewers (GTBL; 0-8 record)

This division features two teams near or at the top of their respective leagues and two teams that are in the basement. That being said, there should be some great games within this division on Friday and Saturday that will be very competitive. 

The Etobicoke Rangers are currently first overall in the COBA Major Baseball League with a comfortable three-game cushion of the Mississauga SW Twins. They have been playing some very sound baseball so far this season and have already had a seven-game winning streak in league play. The Rangers are led by veteran 2B Mark Capone (.383/18 H/14 RBIs) who is a game changer both in the field and at the dish. C/1B Kyle Bowers (.391/18 H/1 HR/12 RBIs) currently leads Etobicoke in hitting and has been putting together a solid season so far. All-Star OF Daniel Murphy (.368/3 2B/2 3B/10 RBIs) has also been swing it well while rookie OF Michael Ferracuti (.292/ 3 2B/2 3B/13 RBIs) has also had a solid start to his senior career. On the mound, the Rangers are very deep this season with Kyle Breitner (2-0/2.25 ERA/17 K), Kevin Breitner (3-0/0.75 ERA/4 K), Andrew Perryman (2-0/2.25 ERA/6 K), and Adam McBride (1-1/3.86 ERA/16 K) all leading the way. Rookie RHP Tyler Whealy (2-0/0.00 ERA/5 K) has also been throwing well in his 5 innings of work. 

The Erindale Cardinals got off to a bit of a rocky start this season but their 3-7 record does not even come close to depicting how well they have been playing as of late. The Cards lost to Etobicoke last week 9-7 in a game that was tied in the eighth and Erindale let one slip away after clawing back from a 6-1 deficit to tie the game. They also had a tight game against Niagara losing 3-1 down in St. Catharines. This past Thursday they beat a good Brampton team by a score of 9-3. 3B Pip Murray-Smith (.357/10 H/3 RBIs) has had a solid start to the season both at the plate and in the field. All-Star DH Chris Novia (.333/9 H/1 HR/6 RBIs) has also been hitting well but is poised to break out soon. SS Damien Eccelton (.320/8 H/1 2B/3 RBIs) as also been swinging it well as of late while C/OF Jay Woodford (.286/10 H/4 2B/2 HR/5 RBIs) has been a rock behind the dish and at the plate so far. On the mound, sophomore Brendan Fox (2-1/2.30 ERA/6 K) has thrown extremely well since returning home from the states. Andrew Mullin (1-1/4.59 ERA/13 K) has also been throwing well this year while Mike Morely (0-1/9.00 ERA/2 K) looks to be rounding into form after returning from school south of the border as well. 

The Leaside Leafs have had one of the better teams in the GTBL over the past few season and always seem to be in the mix for first place in the loop. This team lost a couple of big pieces after last season but are showing Ontario that they are still a dangerous team. Jay Hopkins (.407/11 H/2 2B/8 RBIs) currently leads the Leafs in hitting. Veterans Tyler Hughes (.389/7 H/1 2B/7 RBIs) and Jeff Gruchy (.333/7 H/4 2B/5 RBIs)  are also putting together solid seasons while Mike Loizides (.353/6 H/1 3B/2 HR/5 RBIs) currently leads the team in home runs. On the hill, veteran RHP Jorge Frugoni (2-0/1 SV/2.25 ERA/13 K) has had a very solid start to his 2016 campaign. Liam Jacques (1-0/2.08 ERA/12 K) has also been solid for the Leafs this season while Francis Toribio (1-0/0.00 ERA/5 K) has been very sharp in limited work this season. 

The Bolton Brewers have been taking their lumps in their first full season in the GTBL. They are currently winless but have had a few competitive games and can turn it on at the drop of a hat as shown two years ago with their Sunday afternoon run at the Senior Eliminations. They will be in tough to make it out of this division but should not be taken lightly. Mike Wallace (.385/10 H/2 2B/5 RBIs) is listed as the teams top stick at the plate. Brett Chater (.351/13 H/5 2B/5 RBIs) has also been hitting the ball well along with John Hutchinson (.348/8 H/1 2B/1 HR/6 RBIs) who leads the team in home runs and RBIs. On the mound, Francesco Amantea (0-0/2.57 ERA/5 K) has been the team’s best hurler so far this season. Andrew White (0-2/7.36 ERA/15 K) has logged the most innings at 14 2/3 while Nick Pettinaro (0-0/7.82 ERA/10 K) is right behind him with 12 2/3.

Division B
East York Bulldogs (GTBL; 6-5 record)
Newmarket Hawks (GTBL; 5-4 record)
Oakville A’s (COBA; 3-7 record)
Burlington Brants (COBA; 4-7 record)

This division, like Division A, features two teams out the Greater Toronto loop and two out of the Central Ontario Major Baseball League. This could be a very interesting division that will feature some great games that could very easily go anyway for any team. 

The East York Bulldogs have gotten off to an average start this year in GTBL play but this is still a very potent team with a lot of potential. The Bulldogs won this tournament back in 2015 defeating the Etobicoke Rangers by a score of 13-12 in 13 innings. Gone from last year is impact player OF Kyle Moloney but this team added some big pieces in C/3B Tyler Plumpton and OF Brad Bedford. Peter Samonas (.647/11 H/3 RBIs) is listed as the teams top hitter with 17 AB. Plumpton (.522/12 H/6 2B/5 RBIs) is swinging a great stick so far while Robin Fox-Pappas (.344/11 H/2 2B/2 HR/18 RBI) currently leading the province in RBI. On the mound, big Jeff Gibbs (2-1/1 SV/2.14 ERA/28 K) is off to another great start this season. he also leads the team with 21 innings pitched so far this year. Andrew Ziendens (2-1/5.29 ERA/13 K) also has a couple of big wins so far this season while Mark Sirkorski (1-0/6.00 ERA/9 K) has also performed while in his 9 innings of work. 

The Newmarket Hawks are currently sitting in the middle of the pack in the GTBL right now but this team has always been synonymous with showing well during tournament play. They have a good mix of youth and experience and should be competitive with all of their games in pool play. Mark Petrou (.478/11 H/3 2B/2 HR/13 RBIs) is off to a hot start for the Hawks this season pacing all of their hitters. Dan Telford (.394/13 H/1 2B/1 3B/4 RBIs) is also off to a good start at the dish while rookie Michael Chilvers (.471/8 H/3 2B/1 HR/2 RBI) has got his senior career off to a good start. On the hill, ageless wonder Vic Simon (1-0/2.25 ERA/10 K) is off to a good start in his 16 innings of work. Ryan Fedrigo (2-2/5.46 ERA/14 K)has also picked up a couple of victories while veteran Mark West (1-0/0.00 ERA/9 K) has thrown extremely well in limited time so far. 

The Oakville A’s have had an up and down season so far but possess some pieces to their team that can cause this team to be dangerous if allowed to get hot. They have under achieved so far in the COBA Major League but will be looking to upset some teams this weekend. They have added some players to their roster this season with the majority of their veterans returning this season. Rookie Nic Burnell (.400/12 H/3 2B/4 RBI) is currently leading the team in average while 2015 COBA Major League Rookie of the Year Alex Kupchak (.364/12 H/1 2B/1 3B/2 HR/8 RBIs) has put together a great campaign so far this season. Veteran 3B Marc Walton (.364/12 H/2 2B/1 HR/6 RBIs) has had a solid start at the plate as well. On the mound, workhorse Gord Robertson (1-1/6.53 ERA/9 K) has recorded the most innings this season with 20 so far while Walton (1-0/0.00 ERA/2 K) has performed well in limited innings. Michael Vanderlaan (0-2/15.09 ERA/9 K) and Matt Reagan (0-3/7.36 ERA/7 K) both had great numbers last season and will be looking to turn things around this weekend. 

After a sluggish start to their season, the Burlington Brants have started to turn things around a little bit now sitting at 4-7 and are .500 in their last six games. They had a big game against the A’s last week putting up 20 runs in 7 innings and have been playing more soundly over the past couple of weeks. I think this team will be in tough against some good hitting teams and will have to work hard to move on out of this division. The pitching staff took a bit of a kick this year as Chris Cooney and Cam McKnight both are gone from last season but the team was bolstered with the return of former league all-star Justin Czorny. Statistically, I couldn’t find any numbers for the team but OF Tim Sogan, 2B/OF Corrie Morrison and C/IF Brock Marshall are all offensive threats for the Brants squad. On the hill, Burlington is led by former COBA Major League Pitcher of the year Award winners Sogan and Trevor Woodjetts. Jordan Rienzo and Cam Ryerson will also figure into the pitching equation as well this season.

Division C
Strathroy Royals (SWBL; 5-1 record)
Pickering Red Sox (GTBL; 6-4 record)
Ilderton Red Army (SWBL; 7-2 record)

The Strathroy Royals have once again gotten off to a hot start in the South Western Baseball League in 2016. After having a couple of season without being challenged to much, with the exception of Sarnia and Ilderton, the Royals now find themselves in a loop with some teams that are challenging them on a nightly basis. They just lost their first game of the season this week to the newly revamped Red Army 5-3 but have also collected a tournament title beating Sarnia 4-3 in extras at the Port Lambton Tournament. That being said, take nothing away from this squad as they have some big pieces and will be a handful for the opposition to handle every time on the field. Non statistical info could be tracked down but offensively the Royals are led by OF Mitch Roy, 1B Ron Oneson, C Cam Graham and INF Matt & Justin Cook. On the mound, Matt Cook joins fellow hurlers Tyler Annett, Robert Ramsdale, Ben Fuhrmann, Brandyn Agnew, and Craig Steadman to form a very potent pitching rotation for coach Derek Bloomfield. 

The Pickering Red Sox are currently sitting in third place overall in the competitive GTBL loop. With a nice mix of youth and experience, the team has looked very balanced this year and will look to challenge this weekend in Vaughan to advance deep into the weekend. Like Strathroy, the Sox attended the Port Lambton tournament and bowed out in the semi-finals losing 7-4 to those same Royals. Veteran Jesse Dynes (.281/9 H/1 2B/1 3B/2 HR/13 RBIs) currently leads the team in RBI and is tied for first in home runs with Sean Molony (.349/15 H/5 2B/2 HR/6 RBI) who has also gotten himself off to a great start in 2016. Mike Rodriguez (.310/9 H/4 2B/2 RBIs) is also swinging a good stick for the Red Sox. On the mound, crafty veteran Mark Cheeseman (1-0/ 1.74 ERA/11 K) has been throwing really well this season thus far. Brad Binns (1-0/1 SV/5.68 ERA/10 K) and Peter Nash (1-0/6.14 ERA/8 K) have also been throwing well for Pickering while Christian Chavez (2-0/0.00 ERA/6 K) has collected a couple of wins throwing out of the pen.

The Ilderton Red Army look like they are back in fine form this season currently sitting in 2nd place in the South Western Baseball League. Since going to the Senior Canadian Tournament in 2010 in Dartmouth, NS the red Army have not really been a factor in big tournaments around the province but they look poised to change that this summer. Long time coach (and a fantastic individual) Rudy Godwin hung up the spikes after last season and the team turned over its roster with some of the veteran Red Army players still around this summer as well as a large influx of youth from around the London area. There are only a few names that are familiar to me on the roster but offensively Jeff Newnes, Craig Orton, Brendan Wraith, and Rob Wakefield all swing very good sticks. LHP Jordan Townshend will always give the opposition a tough game while Mitch Lumley can also contribute innings as well.

Division D
Thornhill Reds (GTBL; 8-2 record)
Brampton Royals (COBA; 6-5 record)
Vaughan Vikings (OSBA; 5-2 record)

The Thornhill Reds are off to a hot start this season as they currently lead the seven-team GTBL loop after a month and a half of the season. Coach Nolan Revin was very busy this past off-season as he lost a couple of big pieces; most notably RHP Jas Shergill as he moved on to play in the IBL this summer. They were able to find some pieces that have strengthened this club both at the plate and on the mound as well. Offensively, Sean Sutton (.375/12 H/2 2B/1 HR/11 RBIs) has gotten off to a hot start this season picking up where he finished off in 2015. Russell McGibbon (.370/10 H/2 2B/6 RBI) and Harrison Greenough (.350/7 H/1 2B/1 3B/1 HR/7 RBIs) have also been swinging hot bats while league vet Argenis Paz (.379/11 H/4 2B/3 RBIs) has been doing well at the plate as well after a year off last season. on the mound, ace Chadwick Cameron (4-0/3.33 ERA/30 K) has already logged 30 innings this season for the Reds and will be relied upon heavily this season. Greenough (1-0/1 SV/1.80 ERA/6 K) and Mike Jones (1-0/1 SV/1.29 ERA/6 K) have also thrown well this season in limited action.

The Brampton Royals are floating just above .500 thus far this season and are trying to push to challenge the Mississauga SW Twins and the Etobicoke Rangers in the Andrews Division. They have been playing good baseball this summer but have been a little inconsistent at times. They have the type of team that if you give them an inch they will make you pay for it. They will be in tough playing the top 2 teams in the SWBL and a Pickering team that is swinging it well right now as well. Offensively, Marco DiRoma (.576/19 H/7 2B/9 RBIs) has been absolutely on fire this season and is currently tied for the top batting average in the province. Joe Ferreira (.353/12 H.3 2B/1 HR/8 RBI and Vic Speciale (.344/11 H/1 2B/1 HR/7 RBIs) continue to both be offensive threats while Andrew Thomson (.314/11 H/5 2B/2 3B/8 RBIs) has been putting together another solid season for the Royals. On the mound, Brandon Habibi (2-1/4.50 ERA/14 K) currently leads the team in innings pitched (20) and wins (2). Lefty Mike Burke (1-2/3.86 ERA/10 K) has also been throwing well this season while Ferreira (0-0/2 SV/2.08 ERA/7 K) has been very effective out of the pen for Brampton.

The Vaughan Vikings are playing out of the Ontario Senior Baseball Association again this season playing in the Western Conference of the league. They are currently sitting in 3rd place behind the Scarborough Dragons and the York Diamonds. The core of the roster, for the most part, has remained intact over the past few seasons with a few changes here and there. They didn’t attend the Senior Eliminations last season after attending them the two previous seasons but were the 2015 OSBA Finalists last season. At the plate, Julian Testani (.450/9 H/2 2B/1 3B/6 RBIs) leads the team in average thus far this season. Daniel Pelley (.412/7 H/1 2B/3 RBIs) has also been swinging well while Marco Sacilotto (.286/4 H/2 2B/6 RBIs) also also been productive in only 14 AB. On the mound, Emilio Paglia (2-1/2.29 ERA/14 K) and Wes Siekris (2-1/3.77 ERA/16 K) have thrown the majority of the innings for the Vikings this year so far. Pelley (0-0/7.00 ERA/2 K) can also be effective on the mound as well as Chris Boatto who has yet to touch the mound this season.