Victoria New Year Invite Preview
January 30, 2025
We're now rolling into the month of February which means we're just about two weeks out from our first 2025 showcase, starting with the Victoria New Year Invite hosted at Oak Bay Recreation Park. The event so far has 32 players on tap from the island including a strop crew of upperclassmen and underclassman, highlighted by a pair of 2024 Future Gamers with RHP/OF Austin Blair and INF Brody Mucheson.
New Year Invite showcases serve as Prep Baseball's first events of the season and are also identifiers/qualifiers for Prep Baseball Canada National Teams including the Future Games, Senior Future Games, Best of the West Teams, West Coast Games and more. Our staff is excited to host this group in mid-February are already combing through the roster and seeing several high-level players who be sure to grab attention.
Below, our staff will highlight eight players attending the event to keep an eye on.
To request an Invite to the Victoria New Year Invite (Feb. 17), click here.
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UNDERCLASS PREVIEW
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Austin Blair OF / RHP / St Andrews Regional, BC / 2026Rankings OverallRank: 452 / POS: 74
Blair is a Future Games alumni and current Canadian Junior National team member with tons of upside on both sides of the ball. The long-levered Eagles product has tools to spare with a peak exit velocity of 95.2 MPH, a fastball in the upper 80’s/low 90’s, and a sub-7 60. Nationally ranked at #451, Blair is Canada’s top uncommitted 2026.
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Brody Murcheson 3B / 2B / wellington secondary, BC / 2026This will be our first look at Murcheson since he represented Prep Baseball Canada at the Future Games this past summer. The Pirates product has a strong frame with some twitch, evidenced by his average bat speed and max exit velocity of 73.0 MPH and 93.5 MPH respectively.
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Tyler McWhinnie LHP / OF / Dover Bay Secondary, BC / 2026An athletic two-way player who put together a strong sophomore season. McWhinnie displays a fluid arm action and feel for pitching along with a solid foundation in the box. The left-hander will be a fun follow on the island this season.
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Maverick Shannon OF / SS / Rockridge , BC / 2025Athletic build with the ability to drive the ball to all fields. Shannon has shown good bat speed at past events with a max of 77.5 MPH. One of a handful of players making the trip from the mainland for this event, Maverick is an uncommitted senior to keep an eye on.
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UNDERCLASS PREVIEW
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Sam Craven RHP / SS / Oak Bay High School, BC / 2027Craven is an athletic two-way, with high upside. Craven profiles as a middle infielder, with good bat-to-ball skills. Sam displays a strong arm both on the mound and defensively. On the hill, he features a 3 pitch mix with a sharp slider. Craven is a 2027 that our staff is looking forward to getting an updated look at.
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Ashton Hummel LHP / 1B / PCS, BC / 2027A former Junior Future Gamer who has continued to improve since we had him in Georgia two years ago. At 6-foot-1, 220-pounds there is strength and physicality for his class. Hummel has a heavy fastball with good feel for his secondary offerings. He has also shown some power potential in the box, posting a max exit velocity of 92.1 MPH.
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Jorge Betancourt Machado OF / RHP / Claremont Secondary, BC / 2027Jorge first caught our attention at the Freshman Free event in August 2023 and has continued to hit everywhere we have seen him since. Currently one of the stronger 27’s in the province with still developing tools. Jorge will be a close follow during his sophomore season.
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Dante Dewey RHP / OF / Belmont, BC / 2027Another interesting player from what looks to be a strong 2027 class on the Island. Dewey was a mainstay in both the rotation and the lineup for the 15U Eagles last season. On the mound, Dewey displays a short arm path with good arm speed through release. This will be our first look at Dante during an event, but he caught the attention of our staff in games last summer.
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