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By Chris Kemlo and PBR Staff
Ontario Scouting Director

Ontario Insider: Fresh Faces For Junior National Team

With the summer of 2017 officially over, so is the roster for the Canadian Junior National Team that represented the country this past month at the 18u World Championships in Thunder Bay. The seniors are either getting their feet wet at college or university, or for a few, enjoying their first taste of professional baseball and heading to the instructional league or beginning their off-season.

With that said, the Junior Team has its final trip of the calendar year and usually sees a pretty big turnover in roster with players graduating. This year is no different, with the 32 man roster being named last week. 16 players proudly represent Ontario, and for 11 of them it will be the first time wearing Canada across their chest in a baseball uniform.

The five returnees from Ontario are Texas A&M commit Noah Naylor, Oklahoma commit and 6-foot-8 right-hander Ben Abram, Mississippi State commit Eric Cerantola, and the two uncommitted 2018’s in outfielder Denzel Clarke and righty Griffin Hassall.

Below we take a quick look at the 11 players who will be with the Junior National Team from October 1-12 in Orlando at the Wide World of Sports Complex.

*** All Prospects listed below are uncommitted

PITCHERS

Zachery McQuaid RHP / OF / Maxwell Heights , ON / 2018 Rankings  State Rank:11 POS:5 McQuaid is listed at 6-foot-2, 175-pounds and works from low-¾ slot. Fastball has been up to 89 and works in the 85-88 range typically. Good feel for curveball, near 12/6 shape with depth and late action, swing and miss pitch and shows confidence in it. The arm works and is clean with arm speed. Fills up the zone with strikes and has a knack for going deep into games.