Recruiting Board: Canisius College
December 21, 2017
The new Feature 'Recruiting Board' takes a deeper look into the players currently committed (or 2018 graduates recently signed this past November) to NYS Colleges. We will only focus on players that have attended PBR events, as these are the prospects we are most comfortable discussing and projecting.
We will be completing player descriptions in addition to forecasting players potential impact at the college level and what that could mean for the college program. This article is for all the fans and enthusiast of the game, players, families, college programs, alumni, and future prospective student athletes.
** Players below are, to the best of our knowledge, committed to the program listed below. These are solely our opinions with absolutely no input from the college's baseball staff. Commitments are always subject to change.
Canisius College
NCAA D1
METRO ATLANTIC
Last week we dove into the future of the Purple Eagles and the Niagara University baseball program. This week we venture just 30 miles south as we forecast the committed player's coming into the Canisius baseball program. Currently the Golden Griffs first-year head coach Matt Mazurek sits with six PBR NY alumni commitments, all six hoping to make positive impacts for the program. Four from the 2018 class and two from the 2019 class. The theme is consistent; Raw natural athletic guys, and developmental prospects. Let's take a deeper look.
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Dylan Vincent OF / RHP / Olean , NY / 2018Rankings StateRank: 18 / POS: 4
Potential impact guy from the word go, Vincent is no stranger to the PBR system. Through four events we've watched him make consistent strides forward, including a 15-pound increase to his strong 6-foot-0 body build. One of the more athletic-strong prospects in the 2018 class, Vincent can run an impressive 6.8 60-yard dash, hit a baseball to his pull-side 380+, and throw a runner out headed to 3rd from deep RF on a rope. He's not flashy, he's not overly fluid with his actions, he's the hard-working no nonsense type every coach loves. Vincent currently is just really crude and that's fine. I wouldn't be shocked to see him push for starting time year one, he's really that type of athlete. |
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David Yankowski RHP / 3B / Ichabod Crane Central, NY / 2018Rankings StateRank: 38 / POS: 13
Yankowski is a prime example of how PBR really works for the player. Through five events we have tracked the steady progress, from a skinnier version of himself topping out at 80 mph with promise in late 2015, to watching him sit 85-87 this past July at our Campus Series, the consistent growth is well documented over that span. He's not super long, standing at best 5-foot-10, but he's a bulldog on the mound. When the smoke clears, Yankowski will likely sit 85-89 from a high 3/4 slot , repeatable sound mechanics, long arm-swing, and the ability to get swings and misses with the hard 12/6 breaking ball. Hard to tell if the change-up will develop enough to start, guessing now I'd see Yankowski coming out of the pen freshman year for the Griffs. |
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Trevor Henneman C / 1B / Corning, NY / 2018Rankings StateRank: 34 / POS: 3
Henneman flipped his commitment to Canisius when Buffalo dropped their baseball program back in the spring of last year. We have seen the southern-tier backstop frequently, and the first and last thing that always sticks with me about Trevor is his bat. He's built stocky, naturally strong with premium bat-speed and strength in the barrel, real juice to his pull-side, all from loose strong hands. I think it will take some time for him to adjust to D1 level velocity, but once he does it will be hard to keep him out of the lineup. Behind the plate there's athleticism from a wide frame, a strong adequate arm, but look for Henneman to get reps at 1B with the Griffs. |
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Joseph Novenche C / 3B / Shenendehowa, NY / 2018Rankings StateRank: 49 / POS: 6
This is my sleeper pick, really like this kid. Was off the radar for over a year recovering from TJ surgery, but when he returned he really never missed a beat. He's arguably one of the top catch-and-throw backstops in the state, mostly accurate with an above average arm (upper 70's from the crouch), consistently sub 2.0 with the pop-time, and he's extremely athletic behind the dish. Canisius doesn't have a problem at the catching position, that I know to be a fact. Novenche could also see time at 3B/2B once the smoke settles at the college level. In the box there's natural bat-speed, he's short to the ball, uses all fields, and really whips the barrel through contact and finish. He's not polished yet, but he's good, and I think the ceiling is extremely lofty for the greater Albany area prospect. |
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Ben Coates LHP / Westhill , NY / 2019Rankings StateRank: 49 / POS: 4
A 2019 graduate from the greater Syracuse area, Coates has attended four PBR events to date with his most recent being this past July 25. Well built standing 6-foot-1, 185-pounds with broad shoulders. His mechanics have tempo but there's also some sneaky deception that happens before he releases the ball from a high 3/4 slot. Fastball sits 78-80, peaking 82 mph with still more time for velocity gains. Coates has a strong feel for his breaking ball, and his fastball gets swing and misses currently. Being that he still has two seasons left of HS baseball, I'm unwilling to make any real bold predictions just yet. We will likely see Coates this spring and summer and will continue to document his progress. Right now projects as a starter on the bump. |
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Michael DeStefano SS / 2B / Liverpool, NY / 2019Rankings StateRank: 82 / POS: 17
Destefano is the younger brother to current Griff Jeff Destefano, both hailing from the greater Syracuse area. Michael has been with us for two years now, the first time we saw him his weight was only 128-pounds but he's steady climbing. He settles in now at 5-foot-10, 150-pounds with plenty of physical gains still yet to come. The thing I like most about Michael is he keeps improving every-time we see him, showing the ability to make quick adjustments. Swings from the left-side with a simple approach, looseness and rhythm creating consistent barrel contact. The bat will only improve as he physically develops. With the glove his lower half is smooth and active, quick release to a currently average arm. Similar to Coates, there's still two full seasons of HS baseball left, and just naturally he could put on 15-pounds during that process and add serious strength to his already sound tool-set. If that happens the impact he makes could be very positive for the Griffs moving forward. Projection stays up-the-middle. |
LAST WEEKS RECRUITING BOARD
UPCOMING EVENTS
| New York Winter Open | NY | 02/11 | Paul Gerry Fieldhouse - Loch Sheldrake, NY |
| Rising Stars Winter Showcase | NY | 02/11 | Paul Gerry Fieldhouse - Loch Sheldrake, NY |
| Preseason All-State West (NYS Games Trials) SOLD OUT | NY | 02/19 | Pinnacle Sports Campus - Victor, NY |
| Preseason All-State Downstate (NYS Games Trials) | NY | 02/21 | House Of Sports - Ardsley, NY |
| Preseason All-State East (NYS Games Trials) | NY | 02/22 | All-Star Academy - Latham, NY |
| Preseason All-State Long Island (NYS Games Trials) | NY | 02/23 | All Pro Fieldhouse - East Setauket, NY |