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Past Stories
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Brants Bounced From Playoffs
August 24, 2009 --
After two more one run losses, The Burlington Brants were forced to make an early exit from the COBA Mens playoffs this past weekend, ending their 2009 baseball season.
Brampton took game one against the brants with a score of 3-2 Friday nite in Clarkson, although Brants had a 2-1 lead and out hit the Battlecats. However, 11 stranded runners including bases loaded in the last inning spelled defeat. Brants P Carl Soto threw a complete game, giving up 5 hits, 3 walks and hit 4 batters. C Pat Mastrogiacomo had 2 hits and 2 walks for Burlington and CF Jeff Brunsek doubled, walked and scored.
On Saturday, Brants fell from a 3-2 lead and lost 4-3 to The Dundas Chiefs in what quickly became their last game of the season, played in Milton. Losing pitcher, CJ Cabrero, went the distance giving up 8 hits, 2 walks and struck out 5. 3B Miki Ho was the Brants main offensive threat, collecting 3 of the Brants 6 hits, a double, 2 singles, scored a run and contributed an rbi.
Four teams advance from last weekend’s double-knockout format to Championship Weekend, August 28th, 29th and 30th. Erindale and Glanbrook meet Friday at 7:45pm. Milton and Oakville play Saturday at 11am. The winners of those 2 games play each other @ 1:30pm and the losers face off @ 4pm. The Championship game is scheduled for 1:30pm on Sunday with the
“if necessary” game at 4pm. All games are in Dundas at Volunteer Park.
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Regular Season Complete as Brants drop final game
August 20, 2009 --
The Burlington Brants, established in 1982, finished this year with their worst regular season record after a 10-4 loss to the St Catherines Metros,last nite at Nelson Park..They enter the playoffs with a 9-23 record, last in the Coba Major Baseball League.
Brants had a 3-2 lead after 6 innings but The Metros plated 4 runs in the 7th and 3 more in the 8th to salt it away. Burlington managed just 6 hits by 6 different players, including doubles by 2B Brandon Fischer, RF Roger Lambert and LF Miki Ho. 3B Pat Mastrogiacomo singled, scored and had an RBI.
SP CJ Cabrero was effective giving up 2 runs, only 1 earned, on 3 hits in 4 innings of work. Relief pitcher Trevor Hall struggled over 2.1 innings, yielding just 1 hit but 4 of the 5 batters he walked scored. Dane Anderson’s relief did not help much as he gave up 3 runs, 3 hits, 2 walks and a hit batter in an inning on the hill. Jimmy Richardson, making his debute appearance as a pitcher, closed it out while facing 5 batters, only walking one, and then sitting down 4 batters in order in 1.1 innings. In total, Brants pitchers allowed only 7 hits but 10 walks, 2 hit batters and 3 errors took their toll.
The playoffs being tonight. This represents a “brand new season” and the Brants start Thursday 7:45pm in Dundas vs the 6th place, Brampton Battlecats. A win will see them advance to play against either 8th place Dundas or 7th place Glanbrook on Saturday at 11am in Milton. If they lose to Brampton, they’ll meet the loser of tje Dundas/Glanbrook Friday night game, in Milton, Saturday at 1:30pm. Four teams will advance from the double-knockout weekend to the Championship Round, August 28th-29th-30th in Dundas.
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Brants Falter After 5 Run Lead
Last nite in Erindale,the last-place Brants (9-22) scored 8 runs in the 4th inning to take an 8-3 lead. However, the Cardinals (23-9) battled back with 4 runs in the 6th and 6 more in the 7th to win 14-8. Erindale has already clinched 1st place and the coveted Anson Buck trophy.
The 8 run 4th inning was comprised of just 3 hits and 2 walks ..but Erindale booted the ball 5 times. 2B Trevor Woodjets came up with a bases loaded triple to put a stomping on the Cardinals. LF CJ Cabrero and CF Jeff Brunsek each had 2 singles in the 10 hit Brants attack.
Brants starter, Travis Thompson, gave up 8 runs (4 earned) in 5.1 innings pitched. P Carl Soto came in for relief, getting knocked around for 5 runs on 4 hits in 1.2 innings of work. Greg MacDonald pitched the 8th,gave up a homer.
Brants final regular season game is Wednesday, 7:30pm at Nelson Park vs the St Catherines Metros. Their playoffs start this Thursday in Dundas at 7:45pm vs the 6th place finisher, most likely the Brampton Battlecats, whom they beat in 3 out of 4 league games this season. If they win Thursday, they play Saturday at 11am in Milton. A loss on Thursday will result in their 2nd game being played at 1:30pm on Saturday in Milton. 4 teams will advance from this weekend to a double-knockout format next weekend, August 28th-30th in Dundas.
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Tough loss to one of leagues best
The St Catherines Metros beat the Burlington Brants 5-3 Sunday in a 7 inning contest in the Garden City. Once again, a lack of bat power sunk the Brants as they managed just 3 hits, although a 6th inning 2 run homer by RF Roger Lambert, his 5th this season, pulled the Blue and Orange within a run. Lambert also had an RBI sac fly in 1st inning to stake Burlington to an early lead. 2B Brandon Fischer and C Damian Ramirez had the other hits. Trevor Woodjets went the distance, gave up 4 earned runs on 6 hits, struck out 5 and walked 1.
Brants go to Erindale Monday and their last home game is Wednesday vs The Metros, 7:30pm at Nelson Park. Playoffs start this week and, if they end up 9th overall, (current record 9-21) , they’ll meet the 6th place finisher, Thursday, 7:45pm in Dundas. An 8th place spot would result in their first playoff game Friday night in Dundas at 7:45pm vs the 7th place team.
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Brants Win 7-5
August 6, 2009 --
The Burlington Brants emerged from the league basement for the first time this year with their 4th straight win, a 7-5 decision over The Dundas Chiefs, last nite at Nelson Park. Timely hitting was responsible for the victory with SS Joe Kirby’s 2 run double in the 4th inning followed by RF Roger Lambert’s sacrifice fly staked the Brants to a 4-1 lead, but they needed C Brad Cochrane’s 2 out 2 run double in the 3 run 7th to salt it away. Lambert went 2 for 3 with 2 RBI and a run scored. Leadoff hitter 2B Brandon Fischer scored twice, and contributed a hit ,an RBI and 2 stolen bases. DH Damian Ramirez, doubled and scored.
Starter CJ Cabrero earned the win with 6 strong innings, gave up 6 hits, 3 runs with 3 strike outs and a walk. Dane Anderson was credited with the save with 3 innings of 2 hit ball, 3 strike outs and a walk. A 2 run Dundas homer in the 8th kept it interesting.
Brants are now 9-18 ,ahead of Dundas (7-17) and closing in on Glanbrook (8-15) . But could slip back into the darkness unless they beat the Chiefs again, Friday nite, 7:30pm in Dundas. Their next home game is vs The Milton Red Sox, Wednesday, August 12th,7:3opm at Nelson Park.
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Eliminated at the Eliminations
August 3, 2009 --
The Burlington Brants lost their first 2 games and were finished by noon Saturday in the Provincial Eliminations in London on the weekend but not without a fight.
They lost to the defending champions, Windsor Stars 9-5 Friday, but battled back from a 3-0 deficit to tie it up 4-4 in the 4th. The Stars came back with 5 hits and 4 runs in the 6th to shut the Brants down. Trevor Woodjets went the distance and took the loss. He gave up 11 hits, walked 2 and hit 2. Catcher JR Crosby lead Burlington with 3 hits, scored 2 runs and had an RBI. SS Joe Kirby contributed 2 hits, scored 2 and had one RBI. Brants couldn’t deliver timely hits and left 9 runners on base over the 7 innings.
Saturday morning, the Brants lost 5-1 to Tecumseh. Both team managed 6 hits. 3B Adam Messina had 2 singles for the Brants who stranded 2 runners in the 6th and 2 more in the 7th. Travers Thompson was the losing pitcher, going 5.0 and yielding 3 runs on 5 hits. CJ Cabrero finished up, gave up 2 runs and 4 hits.
The Stars beat Leaside twice in the Monday finals and will once again represent Ontario in the Nationals, later this month in Nova Scotia.
Brants return to league action Wednesday vs The Dundas Chiefs,7:30pm at Nelson Park and play the Chiefs again, Friday in Dundas.
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Streak Continues
July 29, 2009 --
The Burlington Brants overcame an early 4-1 deficit last nite to defeat the Dundas Chiefs 10-4 at Nelson Park, their 3rd win in a row as they continue to show improvement and try to crawl out of the league basement after a horrendous 0-9 start. Their current record : 8-18..Dundas fell to 7-16.
RF Andrew Stevens lead the 12 hit attack with 3 singles, 2 RBI's and a run scored. SS Joe Kirby also smacked 3 singles, scored 2 and contributed an RBI along with 2B Brandon Fischer who had 2 hits, 2 RBI's and scored a run. Brants took the lead with 2 runs in the 3rd on 4 hits, followed that with 3 in the 4th on 2 hits and 3 walks..They still managed to strand 13 runners.
Call-up Jason Barlett started for the Brants but was rocked for 4 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks in 3 innings of work. He struck out 3. Veteran Dane Anderson took over pitching 3 scoreless innings on 2 hits earning the win. CJ Cabrero tossed 2 scoreless innings and Travers Thompson shut Dundas down 1-2-3 in the 9th.
The Brants are off to London this weekend for the Provincial Eliminations to meet powerhouse Windsor Stars Friday at 3pm at LDBA Park. The Stars beat the Brants 2 weeks ago, 4-0, on their way to winning the St Catherines Tournament. Trevor Woodjets will start for Burlington who will be bolstered with the addition of JR Crosby and Brad Cochrane for the weekend. If they lose to Windsor, the Brants will play the loser of Tecumseh/London Lakside, Saturday @ 9:30am at LDBA Park. Should they win, they face the winner of
Tecumseh/London Lakeside @ LDBA Park, noon, Saturday. Their next league game is vs Dundas, again, Wednesday, August 5th 7:30pm @ Nelson Park.
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Milton Red Sox 9 Burlington Brants 7 last nite at Nelson Park
July 16, 2009 --
It looked for a bit like the tail-end Burlington Brants would earn their 3rd straight victory..in Coba baseball last nite at Nelson Park..
A 5-0 lead shelled ex-Brants chucker,Jeff Felker, but it wasn’t enough as they lost 9-7 to Milton..The Red Sox scored 4 runs ,just one earned, in the 8th inning off vet pitcher, Daniel Nauth, on one hit, a hit batter,3 walks and a costly error by c, Trevor Hall. + pitcher,Travers Thompson, coughed up 3 hits and 2 more runs in the 9th to seal the deal.
Ss Joe Kirby lead the locals with a homer and single and 4 rbi..his 3 run 4th inning round-tripper shot the boys into an early lead.
Lf, Roger Lambert, also homered and singled, with 2 rbi..Damian Ramirez, DH, contributed 2 singles and lead-off, 2b, Brandon Fischer,turned 2 singles and a walk into 3 runs.
C.J.Cabrero started for Burlington,gave up 3 runs and 5 hits in 5 innings..and Dane Anderson threw 2 scoreless innings before the roof fell in..Brants record falls to 5-17 ,Milton improves to 8-11..
Brants play in the St Catherines Tournament this weekend, starting at 6pm Friday against the hosts at Community Park. and in Glanbrook Monday before returning home vs Etobicoke, next Wednesday at Nelson Park, game time is 7:3opm.
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Brants Take Another
July 22, 2009 --
The Burlington Brants won another ball game with a 4-2 win over the Etobicoke Rangers last nite at Nelson Park.
Travers Thompson spun a complete game 8 hitter for the win, walking one and striking one out..12 ground-outs + an error free defence, helped him out..1b,Pat Mastrogiacomo, singled + doubled, scored a run + had an rbi, to lead the 8 hit Brants attack..c, Roger Lambert, hit his 4th homer of the year..+ 3b,Miki Ho, doubled, walked twice, scored a run + contributed an rbi.
The Brants were rocked Monday nite in Glanbrook ,11-1. Daniel Nauth got tagged for the loss and all 11 runs..6 errors didn’t help.
On the weekend,Brants lost all 3 games in the St Catherines Tournament. The hometown Metros beat them 4-2 (Brants had the bases loaded in the bottom of the 7th with none out, couldn’t score). Newmarket hammered them 10-0 while The Windsor Stars bested them 4-0, despite a superb pitching effort by C.J. Cabrero (3 unearned runs). The Stars went on to win the tourney, defeating St Catherines 2-1 in the final.
Brants play in Brampton Saturday at 1:00pm and are home against the Dundas Chiefs next Wednesday,7:30pm @ Nelson Park before heading to the Provincial Eliminations, July 31st,August 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in London. JR Crosby,Brants all-star catcher, will rejoin his old squad from Ottawa for the Eliminations along with Brad Cochrane, son of Brants General Manager, Dave Cochrane, is expected back from the States in time to bolster their roster.
The COBA Mens 2009 All-Star game will be held this Sunday at Nelson Park, starting with a Home Run contest at noon ,followed at approximately 1:30pm-2:00pm , by the game..Brants are represented by pitchers, Travers Thompson and C.J. Cabrero, C/LF Roger Lambert, 3B Miki Ho and SS Joe Kirby.
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Tally it Up - Brants Win!
July 26, 2009 --
Two wins in a row for the Brants! Hot on the heels of their 4-2 win over Etobicoke on Wednesday, they defeated the Brampton BattleCats in Brampton, Saturday,14-7. Brants lead 4-0 early, then fell behind 5-4 before scoring 4 in the 4th and 4 more in the 6th..JR Crosby was in charge behind the plate and at the dish. He smacked a 3 run homer, walked twice, singled, and scored.
5 runs. 1B Adam Messina contributed 3 singles and 3 RBI, CF Andrew Stevens singled and doubled, knocked in 2.
And Head Coach,Dan Ryan, patrolling rite field for the short-handed Brants, and DH Brandon Fischer, each had 2 hits and an rbi.
Daniel Nauth went the distance for The Brants,spread out 9 hits and 8 walks but yielded only 2 earned runs as 3 infield errors were costly.
The Brants meet Dundas Chiefs, Wednesday @ 7:30pm at Nelson Park, before heading to London for the Eliminations on July 31st, August 1st, 2nd, 3rd. Their first game is vs Windsor Stars, Friday @ 3:00pm at LDBA Park.
The annual COBA ALL-STAR game, scheduled for Nelson Park today (Sunday), was rained out.
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New Look Brants
May 9, 2008 --
The Burlington Brants have had a busy offseason. The team added new players at all positions, and went from being one of the older teams in the COBA senior league, to one of the youngest.
The Brants have added some new arms this season. Craig Hawkins, formerly of the Hamilton Thunderbirds will be leaned on heavily this season. Gurminder Singh has joined the team after two seasons with the Etobicoke Rangers senior team. Veteran, Guido Dell'Unto, formerly of the Rangers, returns to senior baseball after five seasons. Rookie Aman Paul Kandola will make his debut in senior baseball. This contingent joins ace Chris Cooney, who will continue to be the main guy for the Brants this season. Ben McPhee, Dan Ryan, John Castillo, and Andrew Pierce all return to the pitching staff as well. Daniel Nauth will be a key loss this season.
The lineup has gone through a complete overhaul. The biggest addition is the COBA batting champ from last season, Daniel Jagdeo, who makes his way to Burlington, after his great rookie season at Etobicoke. Jesse Shreve also comes over after spending a season with the Rangers. Neil Fraser returns after a two year hiatus, to provide a steady glove and bat at short. Joe Kirby will also be a key contributor at the top of the lineup. Klaus Gantner comes over from St. Catharines. Matt Sikorski, Matt McGraw, Trevor Hall, and Tanner Downton are all rookies in the COBA league. McGraw spent the last four seasons at the University of Maine. The team's most valuable player from the last two seasons, JR Crosby, who is one of the best catchers around, returns to handle the staff and anchor the middle of the lineup. Daryl Pierce returns at second base. Jeff Brunsek and veteran Pat Mastrogiacomo also return, along with the ageless Greg MacDonald. This entire group will have to fill the void left by Jason Sukhraj, Jason Egbuna, Vaughn Wamboldt, Ryan Lambert, Geoff Pertsch, and Kerwin Belle.
Mike Steed, former pitching coach at Concordia University in Michigan, and former Brant, makes his COBA Major coaching debut. Steed is a respected baseball man, and will be looked at to guide this young squad to a great season.
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Burlington Ousted in Semis in Tillsonburg
GAME ONE: Burlington 5, Niagara Falls 1
On Saturday, Chris Cooney took the mound against the Niagara Falls Expos. The Brants gave Cooney some runs to work with, as they put up 2 runs in the 3rd and 2 more in the 4th for a 4-0 lead. Joe Kirby, JR Crosby and Neil Fraser all had RBI singles. In the bottom of the 4th, the Expos threatened with a run already in, and runners on 2nd and 3rd with 1 out, when the skies opened up, and rain caused a 5 hour delay in the tournament. The game continued later on in the evening, with Gurminder Singh (Win, 1-0) taking over for Cooney. A flyout and a popout ended the inning with the Brants still up 4-1. Singh went on to pitch the last 3.2 innings, giving up 0 hits, 2 walks and striking out 2 to pick up the win. Cooney was equally strong in 3.1 innings, giving up 6 hits, while striking out 3 and giving up an unearned run. Jeff Brunsek added an RBI single in the top of the 7th to give the Brants a 5-1 win. Kirby led the way with 3 hits, an RBI and a run scored.
GAME TWO: Burlington 12, Ajax 6
Due to the uncooperative weather , the Brants were going to be forced to play four games on Sunday in order to win the entire tournament. Craig Hawkins (Win, 1-0) took the mound against the pesky Ajax Spartans, and did a great job keeping the Spartans' bats at bay. Hawkins tossed five innings, giving up 6 hits, just 1 walk and struck out 8 batters. Hawkins gave up 6 runs, with just 3 of them being earned. Burlington scored one in the 2nd, and added 3 in the top of the third on a 3 run homerun way past the centrefield fence by JR Crosby. It was JR's 3rd in his last 4 games. Ajax pushed across 4 runs in the bottom of the 3rd to tie the game. Burlington replied with 2 in the top of the 4th, and Ajax scored 2 in the bottom of the 5th off Hawkins to tie the game. Burlington went ahead for good with 3 in the top of the 6th, and 3 in the top of the 7th. Aman Paul Kandola (Save, 2) came on to relieve Hawkins in the bottom of the 6th, and was once again in fine form. Kandola pitched 2 shutout innings to earn his second save. Matt McGraw, Daniel Jagdeo, Joe Kirby, Neil Fraser and Daryl Pierce all had two hits each.
GAME THREE: Burlington 2, Bolton 1
In the quarterfinals, Burlington took on the Bolton Brewers. Ben McPhee started the game for the Brants, going 4 shutout innings, before coming out of the game with a stiff elbow. A Daryl Pierce 2 out single in the bottom of the 4th gave the Brants a 1-0 lead. Gurminder Singh came on to relieve McPhee in the 5th. Singh appeared to be bothered by his own elbow problems after coming back on short rest. After a perfect 5th inning, Singh ran into trouble in the 6th after giving up a run and leaving with the bases loaded and nobody out. Matt McGraw (Win, 1-0) came on to bail out the Brants with two groundballs to end the inning with a 1-1 tie. In the bottom of the 6th, Jesse Shreve banged out his first homerun as a member of the Brants. Shreve hit a line drive over the right field fence to put the Brants up 2-1. McGraw pitched a scoreless 7th inning to seal the deal.
GAME FOUR: Thornhill 6, Burlington 5 (12 innings)
After the completion of the Bolton game, the Brants took on the Thornhill Reds in the semi finals. The Reds jumped all over Jon Castillo in the top of the 1st, by putting up 3 runs, including a leadoff homerun by Andrew Nagy. The Brants quickly responded in the bottom of the 1st with 4 runs on 4 hits to go up 4-3. JR Crosby, Jesse Shreve and Neil Fraser had RBI hits, and Matt Sikorski added an RBI groundout. With the Brants up 5-3 in the top of the 4th, and Castillo sailing along, the Reds mustered up 2 runs to tie up the game. Castillo pitched 5 innings, and finished up strong. Chris Cooney (Loss, 2-1) came on to relieve Castillo on short rest. Cooney was his dominant self, and mowed down the Thornhill hitters for 7 stellar innings of relief. Cooney gave up just 2 hits, which both came in his 7th inning of work. Unfortunately, the Brants couldn't push any runs across. The game went into extra innings, where the Reds added a run in the top of the 12th to go ahead 6-5. With the Brants down one, and Neil Fraser on 1st after a base hit, JR Crosby sent a deep fly ball to centrefield. The ball banged off the fence, and the ball was 5 feet away from giving the Brants the win. Crosby managed just a single as everyone in the park thought the ball was headed over the fence. With runners on 1st and 3rd, Thornhill reliever Miguel Sammy was able to get a popout and strikeout to end the game. Neil Fraser had 4 hits in the game, and Crosby added 2. Thornhill would eventually lose to Ajax in the finals. The Spartans made it there after beating Woodslee in the other semi-finals.
Neil Fraser and Joe Kirby led the way for the Brants this weekend. Fraser went 8 for 17 with 4 RBI, 3 runs and a walk. Kirby was 6 for 9 with 4 walks, 4 runs, a double and a stolen base. On the mound, Cooney pitched 10.1 innings, giving up 8 hits, 1 run, 4 walks, and struck out 5.
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Metros Tourney July 18-20
July 13, 2008 --
The Hap Walters tournament in St. Catharines is one of the best tests in the province each year. Last summer, the Metros were unable to host the tournament, because the eliminations were held a bit earlier. After the brief one year hiatus, the Metros will host the tournament again next weekend. The last time the tournament was held in 2006, the Peterborough River Dogs upended the Markham Pioneers in the finals. The River Dogs no longer have a team, and many of the top players from that 2006 team now play for the Oshawa Royals and helped them to a provincial title last year. In 2006, the Brants went 1-2 in the tournament. They lost 1-0 to Markham (who they open up against this Friday night), then they lost 7-1 to WAA, and then handled the Newmarket Hawks 11-1.
This year, the Brants have an even tougher draw. As mentioned, they square off against the Markham Pioneers in game one Friday night at 6:00 PM. In their second game, they take on the Ajax Spartans, who they beat 12-6 in Tillsonburg (the Spartans went on to win the Tillsonburg tournament). And in the third game, they take on the powerhouse known as the Windsor Stars. This will definitely be a tough pool to get through. Markham's ace Mark Cheeseman is one of the best pitchers around. He currently has a 1.77 ERA this season, and pitched a complete game 2-1 victory over Oshawa in the Royals' tournament in June. Ajax has a knack for scoring runs, and pummelled the Brants in last year's eliminations 11-4. Windsor is arguably the best team in the province, and has been for many years. The Stars have a great pitching staff that includes John Picco, Steve Carter, Hiarali Garcia, Brad Boussey and Adam Myers. They are also hitting over .300 as a team.
Pool A of the tournament includes the Oshawa Royals, Erindale Cardinals, Windsor Area Athletics (WAA) and the host Metros. The Royals are last years provincial champions and have not missed a beat this season. The likes of Geoff Davidson, Kris Ehmke, Shane Quinn, Kyle Maloney and Chris Kemlo make it tough for opposing batters to score runs. The lineup is also stacked with guys who can hit. Former Brant Ken Rodgers anchors the teams lineup. The Erindale Cardinals have been one of the best hitting teams for a long time standing. Geoff Cullen is arguably the best hitter in senior baseball. This year he has help from Kevin Treichel, Frank Coccia, and Chris Dubnyk. All 3 are proven hitters, but are hitting even better this season. Erindale was ousted in the semi finals in Oshawa. WAA appears to be rebuilding this season after losing some of its top hitters and pitchers from last season. The young squad has struggled to win games this season, but they also play in the tough CAN-AM league. The Metros are a scary team when they are on. The lineup has many players who can hit all kinds of pitching. Joe Roach, Jonathan Paul, Justin Czorny, Rocco Spano and Andrew Sorochan are proven hitters. Dustin Turner, Jason Ermers, and Robert Nixon make up one of the toughest pitching staffs around.
Pool C has the always tough Etobicoke Rangers, the tournament proven Newmarket Hawks, last year's provincial semi-finalist Leaside Leafs, and one of the hottest teams around, the Milton Red Sox. Etobicoke has lost a lot of key players from last seasons first place COBA team, but still has plenty of firepower. The Rangers have won three provincial championships (1999, 2002, 2004) in the last 8 years. Mark Capone is the team's best hitter. Shawn Silk has been dominant this season on the mound, and there might not be a pitcher in Ontario that is better in big games than Mike Janes. The Newmarket Hawks were one win away from a nationals berth two years ago. Last year they were 2 and out, but they are playing very well this season. Daniel Dobson is the team's ace and Mark West is back to control the back end of the bullpen. The Leaside Leafs are one of the top teams around. They have a deep pitching staff and a hard-hitting team. James Rutherford, Bryan Rock and Aaron Pitts are the team's offensive leaders. Brooke Coatsworth and Josh Howsam are the top pitchers on a very deep staff. Milton has seemed to find it's mark after a tough start to the season. The Red Sox lost some key players from last years team but seem to be getting things going at the right time. They are coming off a COBA playoff championship from 2007.
All in all, this weekend makes to be a very tough and gruelling challenge for all teams involved. Good luck to all the teams this upcoming week.
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Brant Go 2-0 in St. Catharines
July 21, 2008 --
The Burlington Brants headed to St. Catharines, Ontario to participate in the Hap Walters Tournament, and they were impressive in both of their games, posting a 2-0 record before rain whiped out the playoff rounds, as well as what could have possibly been the most exciting game in the tournament: the Brants and the Windsor Stars.
Game One: Burlington 5 Markham 0
The Burlington Brants took on the Markham Pioneers in game one of the Hap Walters tournament. The Brants put together a well played defensive game, a hard hitting attack, and a dominating pitching performance by Craig Hawkins (Win, 4-0). Hawkins shredded the good hitting Markham team for a complete game shutout. In the 7 innings, Hawkins gave up 3 hits, 3 walks, and struck out 11 batters. The only threat Markham posed was in the 4th inning, when Markham's first two hits and a walk loaded the bases with nobody out. "Hawk" found his extra gear and struck out the side to end the threat.
Offensively, Burlington knocked around Markham's ace, and one of the better pitchers in senior baseball: Mark Cheeseman. Matt McGraw started the Brants off with a lead-off double in the 1st, and they never looked back. A 3 run first inning was all they needed. They would add 2 in the 4th for good measure to seal the game. Cheeseman went all 6 innings and gave up 5 earned runs on 10 hits.
Matt McGraw doubled, singled, and scored 2 runs. JR Crosby hit 2 RBI singles, stole a base, and scored a run. Neil Fraser doubled and hit an RBI single. Joe Kirby singled, scored a run, and stole a base. Daniel Jagdeo singled and scored. Jesse Shreve hit an RBI single. Darryl Pierce also added a single.
The win solidified the Brants as being one of the better teams in the province. Beating Markham is difficult, and beating Cheeseman is an even more arduous task; and the Brants did it rather easily.
Game Two: Burlington 5 Ajax 2
The Brants improved to 2-0 in the Hap Walters tournament after beating the Ajax Spartans 5-2. The win solidified the Brants' chances of moving on to the semi-finals, and eliminated the Spartans from contention. Ajax had lost their first game to the favourite Windsor Stars in 8 innings the night before.
Chris Cooney (Win, 6-1) followed up the game one pitching performance of Craig Hawkins in fine fashion. "Big Country" pitched a complete game, and scattered 6 hits, walked a batter, and struck out 6. Cooney gave up 2 runs in the second inning, and never gave up any more, as the Brants came back to win 5-2.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the 2nd, the Brants scored 1 to cut the lead in half. Daniel Jagdeo doubled to lead off the inning, and came around to score on a Pat Mastrogiacomo ground ball. In the 4th, the Brants added 1 more on a Daniel Jagdeo RBI single to tie the game. In the bottom of the 5th, Joe Kirby hit a 2 run single to put the Brants up 4-2. A Jesse Shreve line drive over the fence in right centre made it 5-2 and all but sealed the deal for the Brants.
Jagdeo hit a double, single, drove in a run and scored a run. Kirby had a single, 2 RBI, and scored a run. Matt McGraw doubled and scored. Shreve hit his third homerun of the season. Matt Sikorski hit a single in his first game since injuring his ankle on June 30th in Oakville. And Darryl Pierce added a base hit and scored a run.
The win was Burlington's second of the season over Ajax, who they defeated 12-6 earlier in Tillsonburg.
Game Three: Burlington vs. Windsor Stars
As mentioned, the game between the Stars and Brants was called because of rain. The game would have seemed to be a simple formality before the Brants would play in the semi-finals. A 2-0 record and just 2 runs against left the Brants as the odds-on favourites to win the division over Windsor and Markham. Tim Lawrence and Steve Carter were expected to start in what promised to be a great game.
Summary
The Brants used this weekend to measure where they stood, and it appears that Burlington has the horses to make a great run this season. The Brants were really looking forward to playing against the Stars, and potentially gaining a berth in the semi-finals.
In Pool A, the Windsor Area Athletics (WAA) were surprise winners. WAA lost its first game 7-2 to the Oshawa Royals, but bounced back to beat the St. Catharines Metros and the Erindale Cardinals to win the pool. Erindale was 2-1 also, but lost the head to head matchup with WAA. The Metros and Royals were both 1-2, after St. Catharines won convincingly over Oshawa.
In Pool B, the Burlington Brants were 2-0 with wins over Markham and Ajax. If the Brants allowed 5 or less runs in the scheduled game against Windsor, they would have won the division. Markham was 2-1, beating Windsor and then Ajax after losing to Burlington. Windsor was 1-1, after beating Ajax and losing to Markham. The Ajax Spartans lost all 3 games, although they played each of them well.
In Pool C, the Leaside Leafs ran away going 3-0, outscoring the opposition 25-2. Etobicoke was 2-1 with its only loss coming at the hands of the Leafs. Milton beat Newmarket to go 1-2. The Newmarket Hawks went 0-3.
The semi-finals appeared to be WAA taking on Burlington in one of the games. The other looked like it would have been Leaside against either Markham or the Stars. Unfortunately the tournament could not be completed, and Mother Nature left many teams disappointed. The Burlington Brants would like to extend a warm thanks to the St. Catharines Metros for hosting Ontario's top teams in this great event. The Brants hope next year's edition of the Hap Walters will consist of the same great competition.
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Burlington's Season To This Point
July 23, 2008 --
The Burlington Brants have won 3 straight games to regain their lead in the COBA Major League. However, the Etobicoke Rangers are hot on their heels, as there is just one game separating the 2 teams. Burlington is 14-6, and Etobicoke is 13-7. The Brants have been playing consistent baseball all summer long, and have solidified themselves as one of the best senior baseball teams in the province. Overall, the Brants have a 19-7 record.
The most amazing thing about the Brants' season thus far, has been the fact that Burlington has been in all 26 games it has played this season, and has legitimately had a chance to win every game, except for one (last Monday in Erindale).
Their first game of the season resulted in a loss at Oakville. The Brants led that game, but a 5 run inning by Oakville at the hands of Guido Dell Unto resulted in a Burlington loss. May 24 in Milton was much the same game. This time, the Brants were deadlocked in game 1 of a double-header. After 4 innings, the score was 0-0. Dell Unto once again came on and gave up 5 runs without completing the inning. Burlington dropped to 1-2 on the season. Since then the Brants have posted a 13-4 record, and Guido has since retired from senior baseball. The Brants dropped their 3rd game to Thornhill, 6-5 in 12 innings. This game was the semi-finals in Tillsonburg. On June 7, also a double-header, the Brants once again dropped game 1. This time to Brampton. The 9-5 loss came after the score was 4-3 in the 4th. The Brants would win 6 straight before a brief 2 game losing streak brought their season loss total to 6. Oakville beat the Brants 8-5 in Oakville, and a couple nights later, the Metros handed Burlington an 8-4 loss. At one point, the Brants led the Oakville game 3-0. Against the Metros, the Brants were up 3-2 in the 7th, but the Metros came roaring back for the win. Last Monday in Erindale was the only game the Brants did not have a chance to win. The Cardinals beat the Brants 7-2, and were up all game. The Brants have not been shutout all season, and they have shutout the Etobicoke Rangers, St. Catharines Metros, and Markham Pioneers.
The newcomers to the team have all played pivotal roles in Burlington's success. 3B Joe Kirby leads the team with a .409 AVG. Kirby has been a virtual lock to get on base this season, as he has also added 23 walks to go along with the high average. CF Matt McGraw has quickly established himself as one of the most dangerous players in senior baseball. His fantasy baseball value has gone through the roof, as he has posted a .404 AVG, with 10 doubles (1st in Ontario), 25 stolen bases (1st by a long shot), 28 runs (2nd), and 2 homeruns to boot. After a slow start, DH Daniel Jagdeo is showing why he was the best hitter in the league last season. Jagdeo has seen his average skyrocket to .353, to go along with 3 HR, 19 RBI, and a province leading 24 walks. RF Jesse Shreve, who was batting less than .200 half way into the season, has seen an 11 game hitting streak increase his average to .269. Jesse has also added 3 HR, and 10 stolen bases (4th in Ontario). SS Neil Fraser is batting .280, and has banged out 5 doubles, and recorded 7 stolen bases, while playing a solid shortstop. On the mound, Craig Hawkins is quite possibly not only the best pitcher in COBA but in all of senior baseball. He is 4-0 with 1.14 ERA (4th in Ontario), 49 K (2nd) and 0.87 WHIP (4th). In his brief stint on the mound since joining the Brants half way through the season, Tim Lawrence has been impressive. The rookie has pitched 6 innings, struck out 8, and has not given up a run. Gurminder Singh has come over from Etobicoke to provide depth for the Brants. Singh is third on the team in innings with 25.2, and 10th in the province in appearances with 10. He has posted a 2.81 ERA. Aman Paul Kandola is 2-1, with 2 saves (2nd in Ontario) and has posted a 4.50 ERA.
Not to be outdone, some of the members from last years team have also done a great job this season. Burlington's best all around player continues to be C JR Crosby. Although JR is only hitting .260, he has 5 HR (2nd in Ontario), and 21 RBI (3rd). JR's hitting will most definitely pick up from an average standpoint, but even if it doesn't, his value will lie mostly in his defensive abilities. JR has continued to be a rock behind the plate, as he has thrown runners out, blocked pitches in the dirt virtually every time, and done a teriffic job handling the young Burlington pitching staff. After recording just 18 AB last season, Pat Mastrogiacomo has become one of the Brants' most clutch players. Mastro is batting .308 with 14 RBI, and has delivered in RBI situations from game one. 2B Darryl Pierce is arguably the best defensive second baseman in the league. The diminutive Pierce has committed just 3 errors this season. Only one of them coming after game 4. Chris Cooney is still the horse on the Brants' staff. Big Country has 6 wins (2nd in Ontario), 48.1 innings (3rd), 41 K (6th), a 0.93 ERA (2nd), and a WHIP below 1. Cooney has not let a knee injury hamper him. He continues to dominate senior baseball year after year.
First year coach Mike Steed has seemed to pull all the right strings this season. The Brants have responded to Steed's approach in a large fashion. The way the Brants play the game is reflective of their coaching staff. Steed, Bruce Evans, Jerry, and Bob Wood can all be credited for the Brants' success. Steed seems to be pulling off all the right decisions at all the right times, and hopefully the Brants can carry their play into next weekend.
Tonight, the Brants and Etobicoke Rangers will play a pivotal game. As mentioned, only one game separates the top 2 teams in the league. This game can potentially decide who wins the league pennant. Tim Lawrence will make his first start for the Brants. Lawrence has no record in his 6 innings, and is yet to allow a run this season.
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Five Brants Named to All-Star Team
July 24, 2008 --
Five Burlington Brants have been named to the Johnson Division All-Star team. The annual league all-star game will be held this Sunday at Bernie Arbour Stadium in Hamilton, ON.
DH Daniel Jagdeo makes his second all-star game appearance in as many years in the league. Last year, Jagdeo was named to the Andrews division team as an all-star. He batted cleanup for the team last year, and recorded a base hit. This year, Jagdeo is batting .353 with 3 HR, 19 RBI, and an amazing 24 walks to lead the league. First year players Joe Kirby and Matt McGraw were also named to the team. The two bat first and second in the Brants lineup, and are both having terrific years. Kirby is batting .409 with 23 walks, and a .620 OBP. McGraw is batting .404 with 2 HR and 25 SB to lead the league. C JR Crosby was also named to the all-star team for the third straight year as a member of the Brants. JR is second in the league with 5 HR, and also has 21 RBI to lead the team. He will also represent Burlington in the home run derby. The lone pitcher on the all-star squad is a perennial all-star: staff ace Chris Cooney. Cooney is once again having a great year, as he is 6-1 with a microscopic 0.93 ERA in 13 games.
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Brants at the Eliminations
August 2, 2008 --
The Burlington Brants were eliminated before they could even settle in at Windsor. The Brants went 2 and out. Ilderton and WAA laid a pounding on the Brants pitching staff, and sent the Brants home early. Coming in to the weekend, the Brants had high hopes and expectations, but failed to even come close to the results they had anticipated.
Game 1: Ilderton 15 Burlington 7
The Burlington Brants got pounded in game one of the Eliminations, by an impressive Ilderton squad. The Royals pounded out 16 hits, including a grand slam in the 2nd by Steve Charles, and a grand slam in the 7th by Jason Helps.
The Royals got to starter Tim Lawrence (Loss, 0-1), who made his first start of the season. Tim was roughed up for 7 earned runs, 7 hits, a walk, 2 hit batters, and 3 strikeouts in 2.1 innings. Kyle Bolton relieved Tim, and gave up 3 hits, 3 walks, and 2 earned runs in 3.2 innings. Kyle also struck out 3 of his own. Carlos Cabrero was also banged around for 6 runs on 6 hits, and 2 hit batters in his inning of work.
Burlington did show some life at the plate, putting out 7 runs on 11 hits of their own. They scored 6 runs in their final 3 innings. Matt McGraw had 2 doubles, a single, and scored a run. Joe Kirby hit 2 singles and drove in 2 runs. Neil Fraser had 2 singles, an RBI, and scored a run. Darryl Pierce singled, walked, and scored 2 runs. JR Crosby was hit by pitch 3 times, and scored a run. Daniel Jagdeo drove in 2 runs, and added a hit and a run. Jesse Shreve got a base hit for the 13th straight game. Matt Sikorski rounded out the hitting with an RBI single.
Game 2: Windsor Athletics 7 Burlington 4
Burlington sent Craig Hawkins (Loss, 4-1) to the mound in their second game. Hawkins suffered his first loss of the season, going 5 innings, and giving up 5 hits and 5 runs, with just 2 of them being earned. Hawkins also struck out 6 WAA batters. WAA got to Hawkins with a 2 out, 2 run base hit in the 3rd. In the 5th, WAA scored 3 unearned runs, on 2 Burlington errors, to go up 5-0. In the bottom of the 5th, the Brants answered with 3 runs, and also left the bases loaded. In the top of the 6th, WAA got to Burlington reliever Aman Paul Kandola for 2 unearned runs. Kandola walked 4 in his 1 plus inning, and never gave up a hit. With the score 7-3, the Brants scored 2 more in the bottom of the 6th to cut the lead to 2 once again. Ben McPhee pitched a perfect 7th to give the Brants a chance. In the 7th, the Brants loaded the bases, but failed to push ahead any more runs. Trevor Woodjetts battled the count full, but a ground ball to second base ended the Brants' run.
Neil Fraser had 3 hits and a walk. Joe Kirby had 2 singles, and 2 RBI. Daniel Jagdeo doubled and had an RBI. Pat Mastrogiacomo also singled. The story of the game for WAA was their 17 year old, hard throwing righty: Matt Cook. Cook worked into the 6th, and gave up all 5 runs, but was impressive.
Summary
The weekend was filled with a tonne of upsets and surprises. The 5 teams that went 2 and out were all teams that had high hopes. The Brants were joined by the Erindale Cardinals, Glanbrook Grizzlies, Leaside Leafs and the East York Bulldogs. All are good teams who caught tough breaks. The Cardinals handed the Oakville A's a victory by making crucial errors. The Grizzlies dropped a 2-1 extra inning decision to the Windsor Stars in round 1. In round 2, the Leafs squandered a 5-0 lead to the Kingston Ponies. The East York Bulldogs were upset by the Martingrove White Sox in round 2. Last year's semi-finalists, the Tecumseh Thunder, were also upset by Ilderton in the third round, and failed to make it to Sunday. Congratulations to the Oakville A's, Etobicoke Rangers, Milton Red Sox and St. Catharines Metros for making it to sunday, and representing COBA well. The A's made it into the final 7 before being beaten by Ilderton. The Royals of Ilderton were the surprise of the weekend, making it into the final 5. They were joined by the Newmarket Hawks, Markham Pioneers, Oshawa Royals, and Windsor Stars.
Congratulations also go out to the Windsor Stars and Oshawa Royals, who will be representing Ontario at the Nationals in Brandon, MB. The Stars beat the Royals by scores of 6-4, and 7-3 to win the Senior Eliminations once again. The Stars were also champions in 2006 and 2005. The Royals won it last year. Thanks also go out to the Windsor area teams for hosting the event.
The Brants and the rest of the COBA teams have no time to dwell on upsetting weekends. The COBA race for first is shaping up to be the best one in recent memory. The parity in the league has been on full display this season. 6 teams are within 3 games of eachother for first in the league. The Brants currently share the top spot with the Metros. Burlington faces Erindale in a very pivotal game this Wednesday at Nelson Park. Erindale is just half a game behind Burlington at 13-8. This game will also decide the season series between the 2 teams. Gurminder Singh (2-2, 2.51) will take the mound against the hard-hitting Cardinals.
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Top 10
August 4, 2008 --
The post eliminations top 10 sees some drastic changes.
Team name, followed by record and last weeks ranking.
1. Windsor Stars (38-8; 1)
2. Oshawa Royals (25-7; 2)
3. Markham Pioneers (20-10; 4)
4. Strathroy Royals (17-11; 19)
5. Oakville A's (23-13; 9)
6. Leaside Leafs (20-12; 3)
7. Newmarket Hawks (17-19; 18)
8. St. Catharines Metros (17-12; 5)
9. Burlington Brants (19-11; 6)
10. Thornhill Reds (14-20; 17)
Honourable Mention: Erindale Carindals (18-14), Etobicoke Rangers (19-13), Lakeside Lizards (17-8), Kingston Ponies (17-17), Tecumseh Thunder (18-14), Milton Red Sox (14-14), Glanbrook Grizzlies (10-12)
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COBA PITCHING LEADERS
August 11, 2008 --
Current pitching leaders (including league and tournament play). *stats are as accurate as possible.
ERA (min. 25 IP)
COONEY, Chris (Burlington) 1.03
GRABAUSKAS, Mike (Milton) 1.52
HAWKINS, Craig (Burlington) 1.59
SILK, Shawn (Etobicoke) 1.60
TURNER, Dustin (St. Catharines) 1.64
HOWE, Derek (Milton) 1.67
NIXON, Rob (St. Catharines) 2.03
ECCLETON, Mark (Etobicoke) 2.05
PAGE, Andrew (Glanbrook) 2.13
TAVENDER, TJ (St. Catharines) 2.38
W-L
COONEY, Chris (Burlington) 7-1
ROBERTSON, Gord (Oakville) 7-3
HAWLEY, Alex (Oakville) 6-3
ECCLETON, Mark (Etobicoke) 5-0
SILK, Shawn (Etobicoke) 5-2
NIXON, Rob (St. Catharines) 5-4
ZETTLE, Ian (Milton) 5-5
HAWKINS, Craig (Burlington) 4-1
GRABAUSKAS, Mike (Milton) 4-1
TURNER, Dustin (St. Catharines) 4-3
K
ROBERTSON, Gord (Oakville) 69
TURNER, Dustin (St. Catharines) 59
PAGE, Andrew (Glanbrook) 59
HAWKINS, Craig (Burlington) 55
NIXON, Rob (St. Catharines) 55
COONEY, Chris (Burlington) 52
ERMERS, Jason (St. Catharines) 49
BALDASSI, Alex (Mississauga) 40
ZETTLE, Ian (Milton) 39
TAVENDER, TJ (St. Catharines) 39
SV
SCHMITZ, Alex (Erindale) 3
PAGE, Andrew (Glanbrook) 3
CHISAMORE, Matt (Oakville) 3
WALTON, Marc (Oakville) 3
KANDOLA, Amanpaul (Burlington) 2
STEWART, Brian (Milton) 2
ESTEY, Dan (St. Catharines) 2
TAPLIN, Mark (Erindale) 2
ECCLETON, Mark (Etobicoke) 2
GRABAUSKAS, Mike (Milton) 2
WHIP (min. 25 IP)
PAGE, Andrew (Glanbrook) 0.97
COONEY, Chris (Burlington) 0.98
HAWKINS, Craig (Burlington) 0.99
TURNER, Dustin (St. Catharines) 1.02
HORNER, Ian (St. Catharines) 1.13
TAVENDER, TJ (St. Catharines) 1.21
GRABAUSKAS, Mike (Milton) 1.21
HOWE, Derek (Milton) 1.23
ZETTLE, Ian (Milton) 1.29
ERMERS, Jason (St. Catharines) 1.32
NIXON, Rob (St. Catharines) 1.32
IP
ROBERTSON, Gord (Oakville) 74.2
HAWLEY, Alex (Oakville) 67.1
NIXON, Rob (St. Catharines) 62.0
COONEY, Chris (Burlington) 61.1
ZETTLE, Ian (Milton) 55.2
ERMERS, Jason (St. Catharines) 47.0
ESTEY, Dan (St. Catharines) 47.0
HAWKINS, Craig (Burlington) 45.1
SILK, Shawn (Etobicoke) 45.0
TURNER, Dustin (St. Catharines) 44.0
ECCLETON, Mark (Etobicoke) 44.0
ERA in Relief (min. 7 GP in relief)
SINGH, Gurminder (Burlington) 1.08
KANDOLA, Amanpaul (Burlington) 1.13
COONEY, Chris (Burlington) 1.13
GRABAUSKAS, Mike (Milton) 1.99
McPHEE, Ben (Burlington) 2.12
TAVENDER, TJ (St. Catharines) 2.25
ECCLETON, Mark (Etobicoke) 2.69
HORNER, Ian (St. Catharines) 2.74
SCHMITZ, Alex (Erindale) 2.79
SPIERS, Steve (Milton) 3.24
Notable Starters:
C. COONEY (Burlington)
F. DEL RIO (Dundas)
C. HAWKINS (Burlington)
A. HAWLEY (Oakville)
D. HOWE (Milton)
C. McCANNA (Brampton)
R. NIXON (St. Catharines)
A. PAGE (Glanbrook)
G. ROBERTSON (Oakville)
S. SILK (Etobicoke)
D. TURNER (St. Catharines)
Notable Relievers:
A. AMORE (Dundas)
M. ECCLETON (Etobicoke) 14 GP, 2 SV, 3 Wins, 2.69 ERA in relief
M. CHISAMORE (Oakville) 14 GP, 3 SV in relief
M. GRABAUSKAS (Milton) 17 GP, 2 SV, 3 Wins, 1.99 ERA in relief
I. HORNER (St. Catharines) 11 GP, 2 Wins, 2.74 ERA in relief
A. KANDOLA (Burlington) 8 GP, 3 Wins, 2 SV, 1.13 ERA in relief
A. SCHMITZ (Erindale)
G. SINGH (Burlington) 9 GP, 1 Win, 1 SV, 1.08 ERA in relief
S. SPIERS (Milton) 14 GP, 3.24 ERA in relief
T. TAVENDER (St. Catharines) 11 GP, 2 Wins, 1 SV, 2.25 ERA in relief
M. WALTON (Oakville)
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Nationals to Have COBA Representation
August 11, 2008 --
For the second year in a row, COBA will have national representation. Last year, the Tecumseh Thunder chose to add Etobicoke Rangers' standouts, Mike Janes and Kyle Hill to their roster for the nationals. This year, COBA players will once again participate.
The Burlington Brants would like to congratulate Dustin Turner, Jason Ermers, and Wade Hill of the St. Catharines Metros. All three players have been named to the 21 man roster of the Oshawa Royals, who will be heading to Brandon, MB next week to represent Ontario at the nationals. This is a testament to not only the talent on the Metros' roster, but COBA as well. Thanks to the Oshawa Royals for allowing COBA players to be part of the prestigious event. Congratulations, and best of luck.
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