LACASSE PARK HOSTS OCAA MEN'S BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

TECUMSEH, Ont. — The St. Clair Saints play host to the 2025 Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Men's Baseball Championship taking place Oct. 16-18 at Bert Lacasse Park in Tecumseh, Ont.

Six teams will compete for a chance to claim the gold medal with seeding based on the final regular season standings. In the dozen previous years of OCAA men's baseball, only the Humber Hawks and St. Clair Saints have won the championship, with the latter winning nine times.

Eight or nine games will take place between Thursday and Saturday in a modified double knockout tournament. Thursday's games will be sudden death affairs with the losing teams being eliminated.

Thursday's winners will join the top-seeded Lambton Lions and Fanshawe Falcons to begin the double-knockout phase of the competition, playing two games each on Friday. Teams are eliminated from the competition after their second loss.

The team that wins both games on Friday advances directly to Saturday's gold medal game, with two chances to win the championship. The team that avoids a second loss wins the tournament and the OCAA title.

Sunday is reserved as a rainout date if necessary.

Lambton Lions, Sarnia (12-6, 1st OCAA)

Coming off their first-ever OCAA medal in 2024, the reigning silver medalist Lambton Lions carried that momentum into 2025, winning their first-ever OCAA regular season crown.

Third-year outfielder Logan Buntrock (Sarnia) and first-year teammate Myles Adamson (London) are one-two in the OCAA in total hits, combining for 51 during the regular season. Both Lions were also at the top of a crowded chase for a batting crown, with averages of .443 or better.

First-year player Jeryn Shortt (Simcoe) had an excellent debut season on the mound for Lambton, sporting a 0.90 ERA, striking out 27 batters in 23.1 innings of work.

The Lions have struggled as of late, dropping four of their last five games.

Fanshawe Falcons, London (12-6, 2nd OCAA)

The Fanshawe Falcons improved on a sub-.500 record a season ago and came within a win of their first-ever OCAA regular season crown, losing in a tiebreaker.

First-year infielder Jud McGowan (Lakefield) led all OCAA batters with 21 RBI and 42 total bases while also tying for the league lead with four home runs. As a team, the Falcons led the OCAA with a .456 slugging percentage.

Falcons first-year hurlers Neil McComb (Grand Cayman) and Holden Heipel (Clinton) pitched to ERAs of 1.67 and 2.04, respectively.

The last time the Falcons placed in the top three at the championship was in 2022. Fanshawe has won six medals all-time at provincials with two silvers and four bronzes.

Durham Lords, Oshawa (11-7, 3rd OCAA)

The Durham Lords remain one of the OCAA’s consistent programs, having finished .500 or better since 2015.

Durham southpaw pitchers Gareth Mann (Ajax) and Matt Jones (Whitby) finished second and third, respectively, in strikeouts with 74 combined. The Lords struck out a league-high 141 batters.

Durham features seven players who scored 10 runs or better during the regular season, and six players with 11 RBIs or more. Fourth-year player Eddie Borutskie (Newtonville) is a member of both lists with 17 RBI and 14 runs.

The Lords have won consecutive bronze medals at provincials and would like nothing better than to improve their standing this weekend. Durham were runners-up in 2013, 2014 and 2019.

St. Clair Saints, Windsor (10-8, 4th OCAA)

For the first time in OCAA history, neither the St. Clair Saints nor Humber Hawks won the regular season title. Both are in jeopardy of being eliminated on the opening day of the championship.

St. Clair features a formable pitching staff, with a league-leading 3.32 ERA. Third-year pitcher Brady Knelsen (Leamington) pitched 32.2 innings and struck out 43 batters, both league highs. Knelsen was fifth among players with a 2.36 ERA.

Uncharacteristically, the Saints are fifth in the league in runs scored. St. Clair third-year corner infielder Kanaan Gale (Leamington) is sixth among players with a .491 on-base percentage.

If the Saints claim their 10th OCAA championship, they will tie the record of five consecutive gold medals that they previously achieved between 2013 and 2017. St. Clair has placed at the podium at all 11 OCAA championships.

Sheridan Bruins, Mississauga (6-9, 5th OCAA)

The Sheridan Bruins are making their OCAA championship debut in just their fourth OCAA season.

Third-year student-athlete Tyler Barbier (Brampton) is a duel threat for the Bruins. Swinging a potent bat, six of Barbier’s seven hits were for extra bases, including four home runs, good for a share of the league lead. Barbier also drove in a dozen RBI.

From the mound, Barbier contributed a 3.12 ERA in 24.2 innings pitched, striking out 18.

The Bruins missed out on achieving a .500 regular season record with three games against the Sault Cougars getting rained out on Thanksgiving weekend.

Humber Hawks, Toronto (7-11, 6th OCAA)

The Humber Hawks have a history of success at the OCAA championship, and will look to make a dramatic return to the podium.

Third-year player Callum Blue (Oakville) was in the thick of a batting title chase this season with a .444 average. In one stretch, Blue had at least one hit in six straight games.

First-year player Dylan Clement (Hamilton) and second-year teammate Owen Marshall (Guelph) combined to pitch 37 innings for the Hawks during the regular season. Marshall had a team-high 22 strike outs.

The Hawks failed to advance past the first day at last year’s championship. Humber has finished on the podium at nine provincials, including back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019.

Photo Credit: Diego Guillen

Championship Website: Coming Soon

Live Webcast: www.ocaa.com/live

Thursday, October 16
Game #1: Humber (6th) vs. Durham (3rd) - 4 p.m.
Game #2: Sheridan (5th) vs. St. Clair (4th) - 7 p.m.

Friday, October 17
Game #3: Lowest Remaining Seed vs. Lambton (1st) - 10 a.m.
Game #4: Highest Remaining Seed vs. Fanshawe (2nd) - 12:30 p.m.
Game #5: Loser Game #3 vs. Loser Game #4 - 3 p.m.
Game #6: Winner Game #3 vs. Winner Game #4 - 5:30 p.m.

Saturday, October 18
OCAA Bronze Medal Game
Game #7: Winner Game #5 vs. Loser Game #6 - 10 a.m.
Losing team presented OCAA Bronze Medal at conclusion of game

OCAA Gold Medal Game(s)
Game #8: Winner Game #7 vs. Winner Game #6 - 1 p.m.
Game #9*: Winner Game #7 vs. Winner Game #6 - 3:30 p.m.
*If necessary
OCAA Gold and Silver Medals presented at the conclusion of final game

- OCAA -

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Marketing and Communications
Ontario Colleges Athletic Association
Tel: 416-426-7041
E-mail: bell-webster@ocaa.com