Follow @PBR_Ontario

By Chris Kemlo and PBR Staff
PBR Ontario Scouting Director

Interested in attending a PBR Ontario event? Check out our schedule by clicking here.

12 Days of Christmas Rundown:
Day 1: A Week In Florida
Day 2: Top Stats of the Year
Day 3: CPBL to Debut in 2016
Day 4: A Look Back at TPG
Day 5: A Look Back at Early Commitments
Day 6: OBJ Success

Ontario 12 Days of Christmas: 1st Year of Midget Elite League

This summer was the inaugural year of the Midget Elite League that consisted of two divisions: 18u and a 16u with a total of 18 teams combined between the two age brackets.

Teams that participated were:

• Etobicoke Rangers (18/16)
• West Toronto (18/16)
• Brampton (18/17/16)
• North Toronto (18/16)
• Niagara Falls (18u)
• Hamilton (18u)
• Newmarket (18u)
• East York (18/16)
• North York (18u)
• Mississauga North (18u)
• Oakville (16u)
• Richmond Hill (16u)

The 18u division consisted of 11 teams, with the race for total points being a tight at the top of the leaderboard between Etobicoke, West  Toronto, the Tigers from Mississauga and Brampton 1. Due to the weather and some conflicts, West Toronto tallied the most points (34) with a 17-7 record, and the highest winning percentage were the Rangers who posted a 16-1-1 record. The schedule was jam packed with games taking place every week from Friday nights in Brampton to double dips at Stan Wadlow in East York on the weekend. The competition was competitive throughout the league and a few surprises came on the scene with players and teams that some people were not expecting.

Some standouts in the 18u Division were:

• Austin Gerow - Left-handed pitcher who is at UBC currently. Three pitch guy out of Etobicoke, lots of room to fill out and develop.
• Justin Snow - Strike thrower out of Hamilton, everything he threw moved and was around and down in the zone all the times I saw him pitch. Good feel for pitching, can spin his curveball, bulldog type of pitcher.
• Josh Marson - Right-hander out of Brampton who is at Tabor College. Clean arm with some whip, fastball lived in mid-80s, competed.
• Tommy Nguyen - Catcher out of West Toronto with a big arm and power from the right side. Nguyen has tools to work with and lots of strength.
• Taka Ryan - Will be returning to West Toronto for senior year. Led the league in hitting with a .402 average. Slick fielding shortstop, short stroke, line drive kind of guy. Should have another big year.

The 16u division consisted of seven teams in the MEL first year, and most teams played between 17-19 games in the regular season schedule. Etobicoke kept their strong summer as an organization as they took the regular season title with a record of 17-4 for a total of 34 points and 8 points up on the second place Oakville A’s. Brampton was the only other team with double digit wins as the Royals put up a good fight but know one seemed to have an answer for the Rangers as they were the team to beat from the start to the end.

Standouts in the 16u division were:

• Jeremy Browne - First baseman from North Toronto was a hitting machine, ended with an average of .482. Lefty with a knack for putting the bat on the ball, he had multiple hit games for the A’s
• Alex Seelman - Catcher for the Royals, played a hard nosed game, using his strength both offensively and defensively. Strong arm behind the plate with a quick release.
• Matthew Pigat - Was the league leader with a .510 average.
• Ben Ciprovski - Was a mainstay at the top of the order and a often the offensive catalyst for the Oakville A’s. Played middle of the diamond in the infield for coach Tyler Moe.

After the first year had concluded, the Midget Elite League is now known as the Elite Baseball League of Ontario, and can and will be referred to as the EBLO. They have opened their league up to 4 divisions; 18u, 17u, 16u, and 15u with a total of 41 teams combined throughout the entire four divisions.

New teams entering the EBLO are:

• Whitby Chiefs
• Oshawa Legionaires
• Vaughn Vikings
• Pickering-Ajax Cubs
• Stoufville Yankees

We will have extensive coverage of the EBLO in 2016 as it grows and populates with players across the province. Many of the young players will have opportunity to make the PBR Futures Team as we look to continue spreading the word about all the talent in the EBLO.