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Alberta Teams Headed West For Tournament Play

Several of Alberta’s top teams are escaping the snow and headed to British Columbia this weekend facing off against some of the top high school players BC has to offer. There are two tournaments involving multiple Alberta teams; Big League Experience hosts “Best of the West” in Kamloops, BC (Midget 18U & Bantam 15U) while the Okanagan Athletics and Okanagan College Coyotes host the “Kelowna Invitational” in Kelowna, BC. We will take a look at both of these events and the Alberta players competing in them.

Best of the West - Kamloops, BC

Teams Attending

• Fort McMurray Oil Giants
• Calgary Bandits
• Chilliwack Cougars
• Coquitlam Reds
• Edmonton Prospects
• Kamloops Riverdogs
• Langley Blaze
• Ridge Meadow Royals
• Badlands Badgers
• North Shore Twins
• Kelowna Sun Devils
• White Rock Tritons

Alberta Teams - Players to Watch

Fort McMurray Oil Giants

Justin Breen 3B / 2B / Father Mercredi, AB / 2019 Rankings  StateRank: 6 / POS: 1 Report: The uncommitted infielder is listed at 6-foot, 195-pounds with a thick build, raw strength in all areas, and improving athleticism as he matures physically. He was impressive at the Calgary College Showcase standing out as one of the top performers, he will be looking to translate the power he showed in batting practice onto the field in Kamloops when the Oil Giants kick off their weekend with the Calgary Bandits.

Bailey Coish OF / 2B / Father Mercredi, AB / 2019 Rankings  StateRank: 24 / POS: 7 Report: 6-foot, 160-pounds, athletic and projectable build. The uncommitted outfielder has several tools that could see him develop into one of Alberta’s top prospects. Arm works well with loose and easy movements, strength is still developing but action is quick with little effort. Swing can get long at times with tendency to drop his hands during load, shows flashes of bat speed and power to all fields.

Calgary Bandits

Nate Horricks LHP / 1B / John G Diefenbaker, AB / 2019 Rankings  StateRank: 33 / POS: 6 Report: 6-foot, 180-pounds, wide frame, thick lower half with room to add strength and size. Uncommitted left-hander works ahead with his fastball that sat 77-78 at our Calgary event complimented by a big 12-6 breaking ball that he has a great feel for, overall pitchability is good for Horricks. Swing is smooth from the left side with balance and good weight distribution throughout his swing.

Prospects Academy

Andrew Yusypchuk RHP / SS / St. Francis Xavier, AB / 2020 Report: 6-foot-1, 160-pounds, athletic build and strong lower half. We have seen the 2020 right-handed prospects twice over the past month during indoor bullpen sessions and are excited to see how he will perform outside this weekend. With a fastball that sits 79-81 mph and a 12-6 breaking ball that he throws with good arm speed and intent, the uncommitted Prospects product has the stuff to get good hitters out when he is locating his fastball early in counts.

Badlands Academy Badgers

Joel McGrath RHP / 1B / Badlands Academy, AB / 2019 Rankings  StateRank: 18 / POS: 4 Report: 6-foot-5, 210-pounds, lean and long projectable body. The uncommitted right-hander throws his fastball low to mid 80’s with an easy and loose delivery, arm path is clean with very little effort in action. Definite upside here for McGrath considering his room to add size and strength to current frame, potential for 90+ arm as he continues to develop.

Dillon Poschenrieder OF / Badlands Academy, AB / 2019 Rankings  StateRank: 22 / POS: 6 Report: 5-foot-10, 180-pounds, muscular and stocky build. Poschenrieder is among the top defensive outfielders in the province with impressive speed and arm strength to take hits away in center field. At the plate there is strength and bat speed with a level path and good bat control, possess’ the tools to develop into quality lead-off bat at the college level.

 

Kelowna Invitational - Kelowna, BC

Teams Attending

• Okanagan Athletics
• Okotoks Dawgs Black
• Okotoks Dawgs Red
• North Delta Blue Jays
• Parksville Royals
• Abbotsford Cardinals
• Edmonton
• Calgary Junior Dinos
• Victoria Mariners
• Nanaimo Bucs

Alberta Teams - Players to Watch

Okotoks Dawgs Black & Red

Ricardo Sanchez SS / 2B / Okotoks Dawgs, AB / 2020 Report: 5-foot-9, 165-pounds, thick lower half. The uncommitted 2020 infielder really impressed us during the Dawgs’ showcase workout this past fall. On the infield the hands are smooth, clean and effortless glove with arm strength across the diamond. At the plate, it is a short and compact line-drive swing with the ability to hit the ball to all parts of the field. Sanchez is another exciting prospect of out Okotoks to keep an eye on as he continues to progress.

Dryden Howse SS / C / Foothills Composite, AB / 2020 Report: 6-foot, 170-pounds, athletic build with projectable frame. Howse as a 2020 is one of the top remaining uncommitted prospects in Alberta. Athleticism and strength near the top of the list, has shown flashes of plus power from the left side. Good rhythm and timing with load, creates good separation, staying balanced throughout this swing, hits into a stiff and strong front side. Ability to play multiple positions, may eventually move to a corner spot as there is still a lot of room to add size and strength to his current frame.

 

Prospects Academy

Brayden Cust RHP / OF / Prospects Academy, AB / 2019 Rankings  StateRank: 15 / POS: 3 Report: 6-foot-2, 170-pounds, lean build with long limbs. Uncommitted two-way player with quick actions. Solid defensively in the outfield, quick first step and good reads on balls hit over his head. At the plate, there are tools here that could see Cust develop into a power bat from the left side at the college level, with a strength training program and as body and strength and are still underdeveloped. We expect to see Cust patrolling the outfield and make a start on the mound for the Prospects Academy.

Calgary Junior Dinos

Ben Prediger C / 1B / Calgary Junior Dinos, AB / 2019 Rankings  StateRank: 9 / POS: 2 Report: 6-foot, 185-pounds, wide shoulders, thick build. The uncommitted Junior Dinos product has looked good at our first two events here in Alberta as one of the top catchers in his class. Strength and bat speed have improved since last summer, shows signs of projectable power during batting practice taking balls deep the other way. He has been working hard to get quicker with his exchange and improve on 1.95 pop-time and should have several chances to show it off this weekend.