Titans Top Ten CPBL Performances—Week 8

The 17U Titans ended their CPBL regular season in Windsor in a celebratory blaze of offensive glory, but starter Cameron Byers provided the weekend’s brightest fireworks.  The graduate of St. Andrew’s College threw the first no-hitter in Titans franchise history and was backed by a potent offensive attack in a 13-0 shelling of the Windsor Selects at Woodslee Orioles Park.  Head Coach Lawrence Vera was pleased with his starter’s performance and his team’s offensive display during the four-game road trip to Windsor:  “Not only was Cameron brilliant on the bump in his no-hitter, but, as a collective, the 17U’s racked up 33 hits over the weekend, hitting .375 as a team, and amassing a team OPS of 1.072.”  Offensive firepower and other sparkling pitching performances highlight this week’s countdown, including:   Josh Yi’s 9 RBI for the 17U Titans versus the Windsor Selects; Eric Gregato’s booming home run for the 14U Titans versus the Great Lake Canadians —his first tater of the CPBL season; Austin Sherman’s first CPBL home run for the 15U Titans versus the Terriers; and a pair of quality starts by Adam Visram (14U), who lowered his CPBL regular season ERA to 2.25 , and Kai Hernandez (16U), who led all Titans pitchers on the weekend with 8 strikeouts.

Here are our Top Ten Titans for the weekend of June 25-26:

Cameron Byers (17U)—The veteran Titans hurler spun the first no-hitter of his pitching career and the first in the Titans’ two seasons in the CPBL. Byers’s No-No Line was 5 innings pitched, 0 runs allowed, 0 hits allowed, 6 K’s, and 2 walks in a 13-0 victory over the Windsor Selects.   Coach Vera was most impressed with his starter’s efficiency:  “Cameron was extremely efficient versus Windsor during his no-hitter. His pitch count averaged only 13 pitches per inning.”

Josh Yi (17U)—Yi, who was accepted to York University this week and will play for the Lions OUA squad in 2022, went 5 for 9 (.556 BA) to lead the offensive onslaught in Windsor and finish the regular season on a high note.  Coach Vera used superlatives to summarize Yi contributions at the dish: “Josh led the team this weekend with 9 RBIs and 2 doubles. He was an RBI machine against the Selects.”

JT Fenn (17U)—Fenn had “a break out weekend,” according to 17U Titans Head Coach Lawrence Vera. “JT’s bat is coming back to life just in time for our road trip to USA tournaments in Ohio and Kentucky. He batted .667 (6 for 9) on the closing weekend with 2 doubles. JT led us in scoring by crossing the plate 7 times.”

Adam Visram (14U)—A mainstay on the Titans Top Ten lists this season, Visram spun another quality start, this time against the Great Lake Canadians.  Head Coach Johnny Bethune delineated the fine points of his starter’s performance:  “Adam’s pitching line-- 5.2 IP, 2ER, 1BB, 6K—was generated against a very good hitting GLC team. Adam got ahead in counts and limited the walks. He lowered his season ERA to a sparkling 2.25.”

Nate Windle (16U)—Another mainstay on the Titans Top Ten lists this season, Windle “continues to stay very hot at the plate,” according to his Head Coach Eddie McKiernan. “Nate hit .500 this weekend with 5 hits and 3 RBIs. Every at-bat from Nate is a quality at-bat. Even his outs are long at-bats or he moves a runner over.”

Eric Gregato (14U)- - Gregato had a big weekend versus the Great Lake Canadians. Head Coach John Bethune praised Gregato’s breakthrough performance: “Eric hit .429, scored three runs, drew 2 walks, and hit the 14U Titans’ first homerun on the season by crushing a 325-foot shot down the line.”

Austin Sherman (15U)—Sherman is a weekly fixture on the Titans Top 10 list and he delivered another productive weekend versus the Terriers.  Head Coach Nick Dimpfel delineated Sherman’s offensive performance:  “Austin had 3 hits, 3 runs, 2 walks, and 3 RBI's to go along with his first career CPBL homerun. He continues to be a spark plug for our lineup.”

Kai Hernandez (16U)—Hernandez continues to impress his Head Coach Eddie McKiernan in Week 8 of the CPBL season:  “Kai went 5.1 innings, striking out 8, and got a no-decision. He was a bulldog, he attacked the zone, and got outs with his fastball. I’m looking forward to see his dominance continue in the States, starting in Cincinnati at the All Prospect Freedom Classic.”

Nick Carnovale (14U)—Head Coach John Bethune assessed his most consistent hitter’s performance versus the Great Lake Canadians:  “Nick put together a .375 BA  on the weekend with 3 runs scored, 2 RBI, and 2 doubles. Nick has been clutch all year and continued that trend this weekend.”

Tim Khan (15U)—Head Coach Nick Dimpfel assessed his top of the order hitter: “Tim continues to produce out of the leadoff spot. He had 4 runs and 3 hits to go along with 2 walks and played solid defensive games against the Terriers. He was the heart and soul of the squad on the weekend.”

Honorable Mention: 

Myles Hazen (14U)—Hazen hit .286 and “was a big run producer for us this weekend collecting 4 RBI and 2 walks,”  according to Head Coach John Bethune. 

Christian Arturi (15U)—Head Coach Nick Dimpfel was impressed with Arturi’s middle relief on the weekend:  “Christian came in to relieve effectively against a potent Terriers team. He pitched 3.1 Innings and scattered 4 hits and allowed only one earned run in a gutsy performance.”

Looking Ahead:  Titans’ USA Tournaments in July

With the CPBL regular season drawing to a close, the Titans Baseball Club turns its collective attention to Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio where all five teams will be competing in “The All-Prospect Freedom Classic”—our teams’ first USA tournament of 2022.  The Titans will be facing international competition in “The Queen City of the Midwest” from June 30 to July 3. After playing in Cincinnati, all five Titans teams will shift their focus to “The Best of Bluegrass” tournament in Lexington, Kentucky from July 7 to July 10.  The tournament will be hosted by Eastern Kentucky University. The Titans’ final tournament is “The PBR North Coast Challenge” in Toledo, Ohio. This tourney will run from July 21 to July 24.  Following the three tournaments in the USA, the Titans 14U-17U teams will start their CPBL playoffs at the end of July.