2015 Team Preview: Great Lake Canadians 18u
March 2, 2015
By Chris Kemlo
PBR Ontario Director of Scouting
From now until the start of the 2015 season, Prep Baseball Report Ontario will bring you in-depth team previews throughout the entire state. If your coach has not filled out the survey please have him do so through this link.
Along with the team previews, the 2015 Team Rankings will be releasing sometime late February and we hope to bring a Q&A session to discuss the rankings.
Also, we will be releasing the preseason All Ontario Teams sometime in early March.
Interested in attending a PBR Ontario event? Check out our schedule by clicking here.
2015 Team Preview: Great Lake Canadians 18u
Team Name: Great Lake Canadians
Coaches Name/Record: Adam Stern
League: Independant
Number of Returning Starters/Pitchers: 8/9
Strengths of Team:
- Arguably deepest pitching staff in the country
- Team full of speed, three guys who run sub 6.60
- Good mix of speed and power
- Depth behind the plate at the catching position
- Strong knowledgeable coaching staff
Top Prospects in Class of 2015:
- Austin Shields, RHP, 6-foot-5, 215-pounds. Power arm, big body, chance to be one of top pitchers in the country.
- Michael Brettell, RHP, 6-foot-3, 195-pounds. Live arm with repeatable delivery. Makeup and pitchability off the charts. U of Central Michigan commit. Top pitcher in the province.
- Miles Gordon, OF, 6-foot, 170-pounds. Centre fielder who is top athlete. 6.51 60-yard dash. Exciting player who has made huge improvements over last year.
- Matt Warkentin, 1B/LHP, 6-foot-5, 202-pounds. Will see time on the mound, at first, possibly even some outfield. Middle of the order bat with some pop. Solid defensively and will give you quality innings off the bump.
- Mat Szabo, RHP, 6-foot-2, 175-pounds. Live arm off the mound. Will be counted on to be one of top pitchers this summer.
- Tyler Whitbread, RHP, 6-foot-1, 165-pounds. Quick arm, athletic. Bulldog on the mound with high compete level. Indiana State commit.
- Nicholos Hamilton, OF, 6-foot, 170-pounds. Premium athlete. Ran a 6.47 a week ago. Actions were crude, looks more comfortable at the plate and with his defensive work. Football and track star turned into ballplayer. Very interesting what his outcome will be in June.
Top Prospects in Class of 2016:
- Max Wright, C, 6-foot-2, 185-pounds. Left handed hitter with fluid stroke. Will hit for average and power.
- Ty Barclay, C, 5-foot-9, 160-pounds. Gamer. Best pop time recently was 1.95. The general and leader on the field. Blocks and receives well.
- Curtis Helps, 2B/SS, 5-foot-8, 150-pounds. Middle infielder with some speed, hands and actions are clean. Will be up the middle with Hall.
Top Prospects in Class of 2017:
- Adam Hall, SS, 5-foot-10, 160-pounds. Youngest Canadian to commit to D1 program. Verbally committed with Texas A&M. Tools right across the board. Hands are quick offensive and defensively. Special player with chance to be a top prospect in his draft year.
Alumni:
- Daniel Marquez (Evansville University)
- Mitch Bigras (Boston College)
- Mike Moffatt (Northern Kentucky)
- Tristan Clarke (Eastern Oklahoma State College)
- Brandon Peart (Trinidad State Junior College)
Florida Spring Training
- St.Petersburg, Mar.14-20 at Walter Fuller Complex and Lake Vista Complex.
General Notes:
One of the top 18u teams in the Country, Great Lake Canadians look to have a strong campaign this year as they play games throughout the summer in Ontario and south of the border. With a pitching staff that is as deep as any, Great Lake look to contend in every tournament they are entered into, with a good chance to come out with some hardware.
The top of their lineup will be full of burners with Hamilton, Gordon, and Hall. Guys like Warkentin, Wright, William Nitransky should have no problem filling up their RBI stats.
Last year was their inaugural year as the Great Lake Canadians, and with the beautiful and spacious facility, top of the line coaching staff, and players that they have produced already, GLC look to be one of the top programs in the Country for years to come.
Top Ontario Headlines
- PBRPlus Just Released: Ontario's Class of 2016 Rankings
- PBRPlus Just Released: Ontario's Class of 2015 Rankings
- PBRPlus The Ontario Big Board: Top Uncommitted 2015 Prospects
- ON Advice for Unsigned Seniors Still Looking
- PBRPlus The Ontario Big Board: Top Uncommitted Underclass Outfielders
- ON ICYMI: The Week in Review
- PBRPlus The Ontario Recruiting Trail
- PBRPlus The Ontario Big Board: Top Uncommitted Underclass Catchers
- ON Recruiting and Committing: An In-Depth Look At Where Prospects Have Committed
- PBRPlus The Ontario Big Board: Top Uncommitted 2015's Available