Elliott, CBN All-Canadian Second Team: Jones, Carcini, Mendham, McGarry-Doyle, O’Halloran, Carr, Manias

Former Toronto Mets Ben Jones (Toronto, Ont.) of the Dayton Flyers led the CBN Second Team with first-place votes. Photo: Danny Parker.

November 10, 2023

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

There is always a certain ebb and flow to how voting on our Canadian Baseball Network All-Canadian college team goes.

Numbers for a player will regress one spring and take a leap the next season.

An elite team that has only one player may have three the next season. Players run around the bases. And our CBN sees as many cycles as the Tour de France.

Yet, this year’s All-Canadian Second Team, our 24th annual ... well we don’t ever remember anything like this.

No less than five Toronto Mets were elected to the team. And this isn’t like Cincinnati Reds fan stuffing the All-Star ballot box in 1957. Only one Mets coach took the time to vote.

Making the Canadian Baseball Network Second Team were Mets alumni 2B Justin Carcini (Ajax, Ont.), 3B Aaron Manias (Uxbridge, Ont.), SS Brando Leroux (Markham, Ont.), OF Noel McGarry-Doyle (Maple, Ont.) and DH Ben Jones (Toronto, Ont.)

Amazing.

Our upcoming batting order:

On deck ... the 24th annual Canadian Baseball Network Player of the Year.

In the hole ... the Canadian Baseball Network All-Canadian First Team and our Honourable Mention list

Next ... our stats package.

Already posted

Canadian Baseball Network college All-Canadian Second Team.

Canadian Baseball Network college All-Canadian Third Team

Most first-place votes on our Second Team: Ben Jones (Toronto, Ont.) 17, Justin Carcini (Ajax, Ont.) 15, David Mendham (Dorchester, Ont.) 13, Noel McGarry-Doyle (Maple, Ont.) 11, Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.) 11, Kyle Carr (San Marcos, Calif.) 10, Aaron Manias (Uxbridge, Ont.) 10, Avery Owusu-Asiedu (Saskatoon, Sask.) 10 and Tyler Boudreau (Middle Sackville, NS) 8.

Second team by province: Ontario 7, Nova Scotia, 2, Alberta 1, Newfoundland and Labrador 1, Quebec 1, Saskatchewan 1.

Second team by graduating organizations: Toronto Mets 5, Vauxhall Jets 2, Academie Baseball Canada 1, Okotoks Dawgs 1, Ontario Blue Jays 1, Ontario Nationals 1, Terriers 1,

Second and Third team by provinces: Ontario 10, Alberta 4, Nova Scotia 4, Quebec 2, Newfoundland and Labrador 1, Saskatchewan 1.

Second and third team by graduating organizations: Toronto Mets 5, Okotoks Dawgs 4, Vauxhall Jets 3, Academie Baseball Canada 2, Ontario Blue Jays 2, Terriers 2, Abbotsford Cardinals 1, Calgary Babe Ruth Blues 1, Dartmouth Renegades 1, Gonzaga Vikings 1, Great Lake Canadians 1, Langley Blaze 1, Royal de Repentigny 1, Ontario Nationals 1 and Victoria Mariners 1.

Voting electorate: Our 53 voters consisted of 22 coaches, from elite programs to colleges on both sides of the border; 16 writers (including eight Canadian Baseball Network staffers), nine pro scouts, four executives (including two SIDs) and two ex-players (counting one Olympian).

Our electorate came from seven different provinces and 12 different states, with voting done on a 5-3-1 basis.

We should point out that the ballot gathering process moved a lot quicker this year thanks to the efforts of Pete Berryman, son of all-Canadian University of Ottawa linebacker Tim (Pop) Berryman.

And is always the case, IF you failed to turn in your ballot, you have lost your right to complain.

Kyle Carr a third round pick of the New York Yankees is World Baseball Classic eligible since his father is from Sydney, N.S. Photo: Ron Schloerb/Cape Cod Times.

Left-hander (tie) _ Kyle Carr (San Marcos, Calif.) of Palomar Comets and Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.) Michigan Wolverines.

Carr, whose father hails from Sydney, N.S, which means he would be World Baseball Classic eligible, went 12-1 with a 2.31 ERA. In 15 games, 14 starts, he walked 19 and struck out 111 in 78 innings. He shared the lead for wins among Canadians with Tyler Boudreau (Middle Sackville, N.S.).

He scored wins against Golden West (three innings, zero earned runs), Riverside (five scoreless, six strikeouts), Orange Coast (five scoreless, six whiffs), San Diego City (six innings, one run, six strikeouts), Imperial Valley (five innings, one run, 10 strikeouts), San Diego Mesa (six innings, two runs, seven whiffs), Southwestern (five scoreless, eight whiffs), San Diego City (five innings one unearned run, five Ks), Pasadena City (six innings, one run, nine strikeouts), Grossmont (five scoreless, eight strikeouts), Southwestern (six scoreless, 13 whiffs) and East Los Angeles (seven scoreless and 10 strikeouts.

Terriers’ grad LHP Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.) shares the left-handed starter’s spot on the Second Team.

O’Halloran had an 8-6 mark with a 4.11 ERA in 17 games, making 15 starts. He walked 26 and fanned 110 in 103 innings. He led all Canucks in innings pitched, was tied for fourth in strikeouts and was tied for fifth in wins.

The lefty stuck out nine in 7 2/3 innings against Northwestern, struck out 12 batters in eight scoreless against Alabama-Birmingham and had eight more Ks against Oklahoma State in 5 2/3 innings. His other strong outings were: a complete game, striking out five batters, allowing three runs in a victory over Michigan State, six innings striking out six and giving up only two runs in a 13-8 win over Rutgers, pitching nine innings allowing one run, while striking out four facing Nebraska, six innings striking out eight batters, allowing three hits in a win over Illinois, eight innings and striking out seven batters in a win over Penn State. He also tossed six innings, striking out 12 batters, and allowing one run in a win over Bradley, seven innings allowing three runs and striking out 10, pitching 6 1/3 innings giving up two runs and striking out six against Cal State Fullerton and five scoreless, striking out four batters and allowing one earned run in a win over Fresno State at the Desert Invitational.

O’Halloran, who pitched for the Terriers under coaches Joe Ianuzzi, Ian Bala and his pop, Greg O’Halloran, the former major leaguer, was Big Ten Pitcher of the Year in 2023 as well as an All-Big Ten First Team Member and an Academic All-Big Ten Selection. He was a Canadian Baseball Network all-Canadian college First Team member in 2022.

Vauxhall Jets grad RHP Tyler Boudreau (Middle Sackville, N.S.) of Midland shared the Canuck lead with 12 wins.

Right-hander _ Tyler Boudreau (Middle Sackville, N.S.) Midland Chaps.

Boudreau was a dominant 12-2 with a 3.97 ERA in 15 games, making 14 starts. He walked 27 and fanned 72 in 79 1/3 innings. Boudreau shared the lead for most wins by Canadians with 12 -- tied with Palomar’s Kyle Carr from San Marcos, Calif. but his father is from Sydney, N.S. Boudreau was eighth in innings pitched and 10th in ERA.

Boudreau had victories against Alvin Community College (four innings, two runs, six strikeouts), Trinidad State College (5 2/3 innings, one run, four whiffs), Seward County (six innings, two runs, four strikeouts), North Central Texas (four scoreless, four strikeouts) and Howard (5 2/3 innings three earned runs, eight strikeouts)/ He also earned victories against Odessa (seven scoreless, seven Ks), Clarendon (seven scoreless, four whiffs), Frank Phillips (five innings, two runs), Amarillo (five innings, three earned runs), Western Texas (five scoreless, five strikeouts), El Paso (seven scoreless, three whiffs) and McLennan (eight innings, three runs, seven strikeouts).

He pitched for the Vauxhall Jets and coach Les McTavish.

Former Gonzaga Vikings and the Ontario Blue Jays.’ Kody Butt (St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador) earned the reliever’s role on the Second Team.

Reliever _ Kody Butt (St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador) Williston State Tetons.

Butt did not have a save but he was effective with a 1.80 ERA in 14 games, making four starts, allowing nine earned runs in 45 innings. Butt was 2-1 with 23 walks and 53 strikeouts.

His father Gerald Butt is the only Newfoundlander selected not once, but twice in the draft — in the 61st round in 1994 by the New York Yankees from the NBI Blues and in the 48th round by the Cincinnati Reds four years later from the Mayville State Comets. Gerald played pro ball in independent leagues in Canada with the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks and the Sioux Falls Canaries in the Northern League; Springfield Capitales, Canton Crocodiles, Cook County Cheetahs in the Frontier League, Albany-Colonie Diamond Dawgs in the Northern East and the Atlantic City Surf in the Atlantic League.

Kody Butt had wins against Dawson (four innings, two runs) and North Dakota SCS (five innings, seven strikeouts). He had scoreless outings against Pima (1 2/3), Mount Marty (four innings), Dakota-Bottineau (2/3), Dawson (seven innings, five strikeouts) and Dawson again (one inning).

Butt pitched for the Gonzaga Vikings and the Ontario Blue Jays.

Former Okotoks Dawgs and Vauxhall Jets C Logan Grant (Chestermere, Alta.)

Catcher _ Logan Grant (Chestermere, Alta.) Bellevue Bruins.

Grant batted .367 in the spring with 12 doubles, 11 homers and 69 RBIs, plus a 1.057 OPS in 58 games. He tied for sixth in RBIs among Canadians with Jordan Bach (Delta, BC) and Brandon Nicoll (Langley, BC)

His 76 hits and 69 RBIs both ranked second on the team while his 11 home runs and 12 doubles were each good for fourth on the club. Grant homered three times in three at-bats against Presentation and he recorded a season-high four hits, including a double and a home run, and drove in four against Viterbo. Altogether, he had 23 multi-hit games with nine three-hit games and reached base safely in 50 of 58 games. And when times were tough, the tough got going as he batted .333 with a .935 OPS and a team-high 12 RBIs in post-season play.

Named the NSAA Newcomer of the Year and a first team all-NSAA selection, Grant played for Vauxhall coaches Les McTavish, Jim Kotkas and Joel Blake, plus the Okotoks Dawgs and coaches Bretton Gouthro and Aaron Ethier. He garnered Canadian Baseball Network First Team honours in 2022 and Second Team honours in 2021.

Ex Ontario National 1B David Mendham (Dorchester, Ont.)

First base _ David Mendham (Dorchester, Ont.) Oklahoma State Cowboys.

Mendham batted .312 with 18 doubles, 14 homers and 64 RBIs. In 61 games he had a .925 OPS. Mendham led Canadians in at-bats

He had a pair of 4-for-4 days against Austin Peay, hitting two doubles and knocking in three runs, and Texas Tech when he doubled. He was 3-for-4 against Louisiana–Monroe with a solo homer, 3-for-5 taking down Texas Tech with an RBI double, 3-for-5 against rival Oklahoma with a double, home run and five RBIs and was 3-for-4 against Oklahoma with a homer and five RBIs

Mendham, of Southwestern Ontario baseball royalty, had two-hit outings against Vanderbilt (double, RBI), California Baptist (homer, two RBIs), Arizona State (double, homer, two RBIs), Utah Tech (double, two RBIs), Wichita State (solo homer), Baylor (homer, three RBIs), TCU (solo homer), West Virginia (RBI) and Kansas (double, homer, four runs knocked in). He also had two-hit performances versus East Tennessee State (homer, two RBIs), East Tennessee State again (double, homer, three RBIs), Kansas State (double, three RBIs), Oklahoma (double, RBI), TCU and Dallas Baptist (RBI).

The 2020 Canadian Baseball Network Player of the Year and a First Team selection the same year played for coach Shawn Gillespie and the Ontario Nationals. He earned Canadian Baseball Network All-Canadian Third Team honours in 2019 and Honourable Mention honours in 2022. During his college career at Connors State South Carolina and Oklahoma State, he combined to hit 48 homers and register 248 RBIs.

Ex-Toronto Mets 2B Justin Carinci (Ajax, Ont.)

Second base _ Justin Carinci (Ajax, Ont.) Mineral Area Cardinals.

He hit .418 with 15 doubles, three triples, five homers and 35 RBIs. He stole 43 bases and had a 1.060 OPS in 56 games. Carinci was second in stolen bases, third in hits, eighth in runs scored and ninth in batting average, tied with Justin Murray (Toronto, Ont.).

Carinci opened the season going 4-for-6 against Pensacola State with two doubles and three stolen bases, and later in the season was 4-for-6 against State Fair with a triple.

He managed three-hit afternoons facing Southwest Mississippi (double, RBI), Northwest-Shoals (triple, two RBIs, one steal), Northwest-Shoals again (triple, three RBIs), Williams Baptist (RBI, steal), Missouri Valley College JVs (four stolen bases), St. Charles (double), State Fair, UHSP (two RBIs), UHSP again (double), Metropolitan (two doubles, RBI), Three Rivers (double, two RBIs, stolen base) and Crowder (homer, two RBIs).

He had two-hit outings against Southwest Mississippi (two steals), Rich Mountain, Jefferson (double), Jefferson again (solo homer, two stolen bases), State Fair, St. Louis (RBI), St. Louis again (double), Crowley’s Ridge JVs (double, three RBIs, two steals), Metropolitan (double, RBI), Crowder, Moberly Area (RBI), Jefferson and Three Rivers (homer, two RBIs).

Carinci, a former Toronto Met who played for coach Rich Leitch, earned a Canadian Baseball Network All-Canadian College team Honourable Mention in 2022. He was also on the Midwest Community College Athletic Conference All-Defensive Team and a First Team All-Region, All-Defensive Team for the Region 16 tournament

Toronto Mets alumnus 3B Aaron Manias (Uxbridge, Ont.) transferred from Howard to Nebraska.

Third base _ Aaron Manias (Uxbridge, Ont.) a Howard Hawk.

He finished with a .421 average with 25 doubles, two triples, 14 homers and 77 RBIs. He stole 10 bases and had a 1.271 OPS in 53 games. He ranked fifth in all of junior college in doubles and 15th in RBIs. Manias led in Canucks doubles, sat fourth in RBIs, fifth in on-base mark, slugging and OPS, was sixth in hits and seventh in batting average.

He went 4-for-5 with two doubles in a victory against New Mexico, was 4-for-4 against New Mexico Military (double, two homers, six RBIs) and New Mexico Military again when he was 4-for-5 (double, homer, five RBIs). Manias had three-hit games against Northeast Texas (RBI), Western Texas (RBI), Amarillo (two RBIs), Clarendon (two doubles, RBI), Wayland Baptist (double, homer, RBI) and New Mexico Military (homer, three RBIs).

He had two-hit performances against Tyler (double, RBI), Grayson County (two RBIs), Wayland Baptist (double, four RBIs), Wayland Baptist again (two doubles, two RBIs), Midland (double, homer, two RBIs), Odessa, Frank Phillips (double, solo homer), Amarillo (homer, four RBIs), Amarillo (double, two RBIs), Amarillo again (triple, RBI), Clarendon (double), Clarendon (double, RBI), Midland (two doubles, RBI), Western Texas (homer, two RBIs), Western Texas (double, homer, two RBIs), New Mexico (double, triple) and New Mexico Military (double, three RBIs).

The former Toronto Met, who played for coach Rich Leitch, earned All-Conference and All-Region recognition last spring. He earned a Canadian Baseball Network All-Canadian College team Honourable Mention in 2022.

Another Toronto Met grad Brando Leroux (Markham, Ont.)

Shortstop _ Brando Leroux (Markham, Ont.) Bossier Parish Cavalier.

He hit .353 with 15 doubles, three triples, 10 homers and 56 RBIs in 54 games with a 1.045 OPS.

Leroux, a former Toronto Met who played for coach Rich Leitch, was named Second Team All Conference shortstop after hitting and playing outstanding defence all season.

(For some reason Leroux’s game-by-game performances can’t be found on the NJCAA, Bossier Parish or other sites. We have contacted the school and the search is on ... We’ll update if we can find the numbers. If find them please email. bobelliott@canadianbaseballnetwork.com)

ABC grad Felix Chenier-Rondeau (Blainville, Que.)

Outfielders _ Felix Chenier-Rondeau (Blainville, Que.) Oklahoma City Stars, Noel McGarry-Doyle (Maple, Ont.) Mid-America Christian Evangels and Avery Owusu-Asiedu (Saskatoon, Sask.) Southern Illinois Edwardsville Cougars.

Chenier-Rondeau batted .350 with 18 doubles, two triples, 12 homers and 43 RBIs. He was 21-for-26 stealing bases and had a 1.156 OPS in 46 games.

His best game was a 4-for-5 outing against Doane (double, homer, three RBIs). He had some afternoons/nights where he managed three-hit games against Clarke when he was 3-for-3 with five RBIs with a double and two homers, against Concordia-Nebraska he was 3-for-6 with a double, homer and five RBIs, going 3-for-5 facing Texas Wesleyan (two doubles, three RBIs), 3-for-5 against Southwestern Assemblies of God (double, RBI) and going 3-for-5 against Doane (two doubles).

He had two-hit outings against LSU Alexandria (RBI), Concordia-Nebraska (two doubles), Doane, Mid-America Christian (double), Oklahoma Panhandle, Central Christian (double, homer, four RBIs), Central Christian again (two doubles, two RBIs), Science and Arts (two homers, three RBIs) and Bellevue (homer, two RBIs).

Chenier-Rondeau, who played for coach Maxime Hockhoussen at the ABC, earned a Canadian Baseball Network All-Canadian College team Honourable Mention in 2022.

Former Toronto Met Noel McGarry-Doyle (Maple, Ont.) of the Mid-America Christian Evangels

McGarry-Doyle batted .389 with 11 doubles, five triples, 11 homers and 50 RBIs. He was 14-for-18 stealing bases and had a 1.241 OPS in 56 games. McGarry-Doyle finished sixth among Canucks with five triples tied with Riley Craw (Winnipeg, Man.), Max Grant (Fredericton, N.B.), Gavin Roy (Sudbury, Ont.), Joel Suraganan (Pickering, Ont.) Dawson Tanner (Russell, Man.) and Kaiden Zacharias (Lloydminster, Alta.), was seventh in on-base percentage and eighth in OPS.

His best game was a 4-for-4 effort against Houston-Victoria when he hit for the cycle, knocked in two runs and scored five times. He was 3-for-4 against Southwestern Christian (two doubles, homer, four RBIs) and went 3-for-4 facing Central Christian with a double.

McGarry-Doyle had two hits against Southwest (triple, two RBIs), Oklahoma City (homer, two RBIs), Bacone (three RBIs), Oklahoma Panhandle (double, RBI), Oklahoma Panhandle again (homer, three RBIs), SAGU (homer, three RBIs), Jarvis Christian (double, homer, three RBIs), Wayland Baptist (two RBIs), Southwestern Christian (solo homer), Oakland City (triple, three RBIs) and SW Christian (double).

A former Toronto Met, who played for coach Rich Leitch, gained All-Sooner Athletic Conference First Team honours. He earned a Canadian Baseball Network All-Canadian College team Honourable Mention in 2022.

Avery Owusu-Asiedu (Saskatoon, Sask.) of the Southern Illinois Edwardsville Cougars.

Owusu-Asiedu batted .293 with 12 doubles, two triples, 15 homers and 48 RBIs. He was 24-for-26 stealing bases and had a .986 OPS in 53 games. He was fourth on the team in hitting, finished second on the team and tied for sixth in the OVC in home runs. He tied for the team lead in RBIs -- 10th in the OVC. His doubles were third on team while his slugging percentage ranked second on the team. Owusu-Asiedu established a new SIUE Division I record with 24 steals and was fourth in the OVC.

For his career, he slugged 27 home runs to rank sixth in SIUE’s Division I history. He ranks 10th in Division I history with 104 career RBIs and fourth with 30 career steals. Selected in the ninth round by the Philadelphia Phillies, he was the highest SIUE draft pick since Dave Crouthers went in the second round in 2001.

He had a four-hit game against Southern Illinois (homer, four RBIs) and managed three hits facing Louisiana-Munroe (two doubles, two RBIs), UT Martin (double, RBI), Tennessee Tech (homer, three RBIs). Owusu-Asiedu had two hits against Incarnate Word, Western Illinois (double, homer, two RBIs), UIC, Southeast Missouri (homer, two RBIs), Southeast Missouri again, Saint Louis (double, triple, two RBIs), Eastern Illinois (RBI), Little Rock (double), Little Rock (homer, three RBIs), Southern Indiana (homer, three RBIs), Tennessee Tech (two homers, three RBIs) and Lindenwood (RBI).

He was a Second Team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection.

Another Toronto Mets grad DH Ben Jones (Toronto, Ont.) of Dayton Flyers.

DH _ Ben Jones (Toronto, Ont.) Dayton Flyers.

Jones hit .365 with 13 doubles, two triples, nine homers and 33 RBIs. In 48 games, he had a 1.064 OPS.

Facing Northern Kentucky, he went 5-for-6 with two doubles, a homer and a pair of RBIs. As well, he had 4-for-5 days facing Ohio State, knocking in four runs with a double and a triple, and against Saint Louis hitting a triple and driving in three runs

He was 3-for-5 with a double and a solo homer against Eastern Illinois, was 3-for-5 playing George Mason with a double, then he went 3-for-5 against Wright State and 3-for-4 against St. Bonaventure with a double, homer and three RBIs. He had two-hit games against Western Kentucky (two RBIs), WKU again, Tennessee, Eastern Illinois (double), Eastern Illinois again (double, RBI), Louisville (RBI), Akron (double, three RBIs), Northern Kentucky (two homers, four RBIs), George Mason, Purdue Fort Wayne (triple, RBI), Rhode Island (double) and Saint Joseph’s (double, two RBIs).

The former Toronto Met played for coaches Darryl Reid and Chris Kemlo.