Best Moments of 2019: 1st Ever Event For Canadian College & Universities

December 16, 2019
Jesse Levine
PBR Canada Scout

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Best Moments Of 2019: 1st Ever Event Tailored Toward Canadian College/Universities

Last February, the first-ever event tailored towards Canadian College/Universities took place at Playball Academy. The event provided schools with an opportunity to evaluate the top talent looking to stay in the country, all in one place. Schools were able to identify and later deploy players who attended this event into their roster, inheriting the rewards during their league's season.

2019 Grad's

Seventy-seven players attended the event, and there was a good distribution of talent spread throughout the grad years. In the 2019 class, on the position player side, Jesse Miskus (Windsor) immediately made his presence known, along with Cole Cote (Erie CC) and George Cuthbert (Laurier), who headlined a deep catching group.

On the mound, Shane Jeffery (Queens), and Matthew Jeffery of the Burlington Bulls represented the upperclassman well. While Shaine O'Keefe (Humber) threw the best fastball of the day at 85 mph in his impressive bullpen, other arms in attendance such as Justin Travis (Durham), and Christian Bachoumis (George Brown), like O'Keefe, have since gone on to pitch in the OCAA.

2019 Shane O’Keefe out of @ButlerBaseball3 up to 85 MPH off the bump. #BeSeen #BaseballOntario pic.twitter.com/uPluULp9U2
— PBR Ontario (@PBR_Ontario) February 10, 2019

In the OUA, attendees such as Jake Millar (Waterloo), Crawford Passy (Waterloo), Bill Starke (Western) and Cuthbert went on to contribute in their rookie seasons. While Miskus was an integral piece for Windsor during the season and showcased his ability in the OUA playoffs as expected.

The 2020's & Underclassman

The 2020's and underclassman at this year's event were impressive. Zach Marriott of the Ontario Terriers, Niko Kekatos of the Leaside Leafs and Cole Carpenter of the Great Lakes Gators represented the 2020 class well, and each profile well at the OUA/OCAA level.

While, 2021's William Anderson and Carter Krawchuk of the Fieldhouse Pirates, as well as Adam Shoemaker and Zack Stylianou of the Great Lakes Canadians, are now entering their junior year, and have some of the highest ceilings of the players that were in attendance.

Looking Forward

The inaugural Canadian College/University showcase was a massive success, the event provided an excellent opportunity for players to be seen, and for coaches to identify the future of their program. We look forward to our second annual Canadian College/University Showcase on February 9th, 2020.