“The MLB draft wasn’t even on a 13-year-old Blake Gillespie’s radar.
Why would it be?
Baseball wasn’t part of his repertoire.
The young teen was busy dribbling a soccer ball around cones at the field, not coming set on the mound about to throw a zinger to the catcher.
But it was, unbeknownst to Gillespie, part of his future. The now 21-year-old, who didn’t pick up baseball until he was 14, was drafted in the ninth round by the New York Yankees on July 14. “
Read MoreOkotoks Dawgs and Junior National Team alum Max Hartman (St. Albert, Alta.) has been named an outfielder on the First Half All-MLB Draft League team for his strong performance with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers.
Read MoreTwo UBC players are set to begin their professional careers. Right-hander Ryan Heppner was selected in the 2025 MLB draft by the Atlanta Braves and slugger Jonny McGill will soon sign with the Los Angeles Angels.
Read More“What are the odds of finding the top-rated draft-eligible Canuck less than 15 weeks before the annual selection of high schoolers and collegians?
Over the years, we have found a few, yet we never have we found anything like this:
Santa Barbara Gauchos RHP Tyler Bremner.
Tyler was born in San Diego. His parents are Jason Bremner, of Mississauga, and Jennifer, of Queensville, Ont., north of Newmarket. They now call southern California home.
Tyler has a Canadian passport.
And he’s really good ... no, we mean really, really good.”
Read More“Well, if there was any doubt, the West Virginia Black Bears are Canada’s team in the MLB Draft league.
Especially since the Junior National Team vacated the league after playing a five-game partial schedule, of course.
The Black Bears have the most Canucks of any of the six teams with Connor Hicks of the Southeastern Fire, University of British Columbia Thunderbirds’ Jonny McGill and Scott Rienguette from Kansas State Wildcats.”
Read MoreFor the fifth time this summer, Houston Cougars pitcher Antoine Jean (Montreal, Que.) earned All-America honours when he was named to the College Baseball Foundation All-America Team.
Read MoreOkotoks Dawgs catcher Chase Logan (Oyen, Alta.) got to celebrate his big brother Gavin’s promotion to the Arizona Diamondbacks’ triple-A Reno Aces in the Dawgs’ coaches room at Seaman Stadium after Wednesday’s game. Bob Elliott was there to document the scene.
Read More“The joint was jumping.
Speakers at Seaman Stadium were blasting “Heave Away” by The Fables, the Celtic rock band from St. John’s, Newfoundland, as reliever Chase Tucker took his warm-up tosses.
The Fort McMurray Giants had a man on third as Tucker (Mount Pearl, Nfld.), replaced Josh Mills and made his first pitch.
Tucker heaved it all the way to the backstop with the runner scoring easily from third.
Lord liftin’ as a Newfoundlander might say.”
Read More“The good folks at MLB Pipeline website have written Tennessee Volunteers left-hander Liam Doyle’s fastball “has been the most untouchable heater in college baseball this year.”
Apparently no one told Arkansas Razorbacks outfielder Charles Davalan.
Davalan (St-Bruno-De-Montarville, Que.) knew he would see that fastball when he headed to the plate after a leadoff walk in the top of the third in Game 2 of the Razorbacks Super Regional against the Volunteers on Sunday.”
Read MoreABC alum Charles Davalan (Montreal, Que.) had three hits - including a home run - and three RBIs in two games against Tennessee to help the Arkansas Razorbacks punch their ticket to the College World Series. For his efforts, he has been named Canadian Baseball Network college Player of the Week.
Read MoreABC grad Deiten Lachance (Sherbrooke, Que.) has been named the Canadian Baseball Network’s college Player of the Week after his standout performance for McLennan Community College at the NJCAA Div. 1 World Series tournament.
Read MoreCarlin Dick (Abbotsford, B.C.), who starred as an INF/OF with the Canisius Golden Griffins, has made a smooth transition to coaching in Alberta. Canadian Baseball Network writer Tyson Shushkewich recently spoke with him.
Read MoreThirty-five Canadians representing six provinces are on the rosters of 17 different schools taking part in the NCAA baseball tournament.
Read More“In 2017, a vision began to take shape: to elevate development across Newfoundland and Labrador. By 2019, that vision became more defined—with a focus on preparing for the 2025 Canada Summer Games, the first Summer Games to be hosted in the province since 1977.”
Read MoreTerriers alum Russell Kwinter (Toronto, Ont.) was named both the University Athletic Association Rookie of the Year and Pitcher of the Year after his standout freshman season with the University of Chicago.
Read MoreLondon Badgers alum Logan Knight (London, Ont.) threw a three-hit shutout for North Dakota State against the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles in his start in The Summit League championship. For his efforts, he has been named the Canadian Baseball Network college Player of the Week.
Read MoreIt may not have been the journey that they wanted at the Avista NAIA World Series, but the UBC Thunderbirds have plenty to be proud of in their 2025 season.
Read MoreAfter the first three games of the 2025 Avista NAIA World Series all went the way of the higher-seeded team, the No. 9 seed UBC Thunderbirds were unable to buck that trend as they were defeated by the No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett College Grizzlies on Friday.
Read MoreDazzling spectators at the plate and on the mound, Going Yard Academy grad Cory Wouters (Saskatoon, Sask.) has been named the Region IX Player of the Year and First-Team designated hitter. Joe McFarland, of Saskatchewan Dugout Stories, recently spoke with the young slugger.
Read More“A hometown listing of Sudbury Ont. will garner some attention on the back of the Gavin Roy baseball card.
These days, however, it’s the impressive numbers that are being posted by the local product that are causing watchers both north and south of the border to take notice.
Making his debut as an NCAA Division I junior with the Washington State Cougars, after spending two years with the Cloud County Community College Thunderbirds in Kansas, the 21-year-old slick-fielding middle infielder was expecting a stretch of acclimatization as he cleared another barrier.”
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