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Yes, it's true! Baseball is back, NDBA fans!
After an extended winter hiatus, we’re dusting off the old typewriter and bringing you layered coverage for the duration of this season. Be on the lookout for more fan-favourite segments than ever before as we embark on yet another journey to crown Niagara’s top dogs in men’s senior baseball.
Let’s kick off the summer with a massive recap of last season, which we’ll rehash in the form of our beloved Power Rankings – a cult classic. We should all know how this works by now but let me fill in some of the newcomers:
Once a month, we’ll rank the seven teams in the league based on rank AND how they’ve performed over the span of one episode to another. For the EARLY SEASON edition, I’ll be basing my list on how teams finished last season in the NDBA playoffs and OBAs, as well as how I feel teams have improved over the winter.
We’ve got tons to cover, including roster transactions, general buzz and this humble reporter will take his shot at ranking the teams based on how I think they stack up after a long offseason.
Let’s dig in.
Notable Subtractions: Mitch Boutros
Notable Additions: Evan Arnold, Caleb Burleigh, Nolan Gallagher, Gabriel Knox, Troy Reimer
After winning just about everything there is to win in senior baseball last season, the Beamsville Yellow Jackets are back and sporting the same dependable roster with a healthy mix of new blood to spice things up.
This team has just about everything that makes a successful senior baseball club. The core players who provide a spark on offense, the infield and enough pitching depth to take them as far as they want to go. Last year’s OBA championship run and subsequent NDBA title is a testament to that.
The core group extends beyond that of everyday players like Matt Holman, Alex Davy, Tyler Rose, and Zac Decker to create a plethora of talent that makes it nearly impossible for this team to have a bad showing.
Looking poised to repeat, the Beamsville Yellow Jackets are undoubtedly the team to beat coming into 2024.
Notable Subtractions: Dave Sagloski, Corey Legros
Notable Additions: Sean Allen, Mitchell Montague
The natural selection for the second pick may seem like a slam dunk when you consider that this Welland team made it all the way to the NDBA finals behind their 2023 roster. But, it’s also easy to forget that this team went on a 10-game winning streak to close out the regular season last year.
Simply put, this team was unstoppable through the latter half of July and into July. If not for an empty tank, this team could have gone a whole lot further. Losing two quality players in Dave Sagloski and Corey Legros may upset the balance of their pitching staff, though skipper, Jerry Searight is optimistic about the additions they’ve made to shore up the losses:
” The core remains very solid with veteran leadership coming from Scotty Cole, Brian Lepp, Mark (Jaro) Jaroslawski and Frank Barber,” Seright said. “All very experienced. All capable of hitting at a 400 clip, while playing solid defense and providing mentorship to the younger guys.”
The team lost 16 of its 24 players during the layoff in 2020 due to Covid and the rebound has been phenomenal. Look for the Pioneers to take another step forward this season with virtually the same group returning.
Notable Subtractions: Zach Bush, Spencer Edwards, Jesse Balice, Nico Balice
Notable Additions: Jake Riddle, Zac Porter, Nick Ranta, Chris Vogin
The Cannons are yet another example of a team that has retooled and his hungry to get back into the conversation of who’s the top team in the NDBA. With Fort Erie, the conversation usually goes as follows: “The core is aging… will they be as effective?” and then that same core goes and puts up 15 runs and you stop to wonder.
It’ll be interesting to see what newcomers, Jake Riddle and Nick Ranto bring to the table, but we know the Cannons pitching staff is getting an upgrade with the acquisitions of P Zac Porter and P/INF Chris Vogin, the latter of whom last played in 2022 for the organisation formerly known as the Welland Chiefs.
Regardless, it feels like perennially this team will put up a boatload of runs and stifle you with top tier pitching when the right 9 guys are on the field. What the Cannons lacked last year was depth behind those starting pitchers and the style of stingy defensive play that has guided them to championships in the past. That said, a pennant is theirs for the taking if they so choose.
Notable Subtractions: Bill Livingstone, Zack Decaire, Patrick Topping, Ian Hamilton, Dustin Jenckes, Cole Cote
Notable Additions: Jacob Reynen, Austin Morrison, Josh Grassick, Mike Brettell, Ethan Wells
After falling just short of the NDBA finals last year, the Alliance have overhauled their pitching staff and injected a few young arms into their roster, a position they feel could use some shoring up:
“Adding to our pitching depth and overall roster depth has been key. Semi- finalists 2 straight years leaves us hungry for a title,” Matt Brady, veteran arm for the Merritton Alliance said in an online interview. “Adding three young arms in Ethan Wells, Jacob Reynen and Austin Morrison. All 3 are ready to step in and see innings for the Alliance this season.”
With one major offseason concern addressed, the team will hope to start off the 2024 campaign with some of that offensive touch that they managed to find at the end of last season.
The team would also like to wish Cole Cote all the best as he faces new challenges in the IBL this season as a member of the Welland Jackfish.
Notable Subtractions: Taylor Anderson, Garrett Fisher, Jack Kemp, Cody Lyndon, Vito Scaringi, Matt Watson
Notable Additions: Serge Gervais, Tyler Goosen, Justin Rencon, Jackson Mackesy, Brian Chatt, Michael Schram, Ryan Nicholson, Al Stephens
If you’re looking for more Expos, there’s already a very good preseason wrap by William Morrison here where you can read all about the accolades of last season. I’ll touch on a few other points:
Firstly, it’ll be interesting to see how well the new players mesh with the core group. Injecting youth seems to be the theme on most NDBA teams this year, though Serge Gervais will likely be their best ‘return on investment’ as the veteran makes the move from St. Catharines.
Second and final thought – the Expos lost a few key pieces, including some impact players such as Garrett Fisher, Vito Scaringi and rookie, Jack Kemp, who made a splash for his defensive prowess in centerfield last year. Look for the team to have a hipper style and a new dynamic with a new wave of talent rushing in.
Notable Subtractions: Luis Rodriguez, Ryan Dalley
Notable Additions: Carson Eden, Mark Suntz
Coming in at the number six spot are the Thorold Anchors and as we do with the Thorold Anchors in every early season, we ask ourselves: will this be their year?
The team is coming back a year older and a year wiser and are just one season removed from an OBA championship on home soil. Last summer saw the emergence of such players as Rylie Gambell (.366/.480/.903 in 50AB last season) on offense and Ben Dobrowolski (10ER & 16K in 24 innings last season) on the mound as both players took on an expanded role in their second seasons as Anchors.
The next step for them involves taking on some of the league’s elite and hanging in there for seven solid innings. For more on the Thorold Anchors preseason, check out their blog post by Chris Ciolfi here.
Notable Subtractions: Reid Ackland, Serge Gervais, Kris Habjan, Eric Houghton, Connor Jackson, Josh Jackson, Owen Narhi, Josh Tallman, Darrel Tucler,
Notable Additions: Jordan Clinch, Gambino Garcia, Zach Decaire, Luis Rodriguez, Corey Legros, Josh Mckee, Nick Sousa, Lucas Tronzo
The Cobras flipped half the team during the offseason in what can only be described as a complete overhaul of personnel… I like some of these additions.
The Cobras started out their 2023 with a 3-2 record and looked to have finally dug out of some of the trenches they had to bear over the course of the last several seasons. They simply fizzled out, and the result was another season of shortcomings behind a short bench on most nights and a pitching staff that seemed to be dependent on how far Matt Skubel and Blair McNeil could take them into ballgames.
Joining them this season are three proven veteran arms in Zach Decaire, Luis Rodriguez and Corey Legros, who can offer some support in the starting rotation and later innings no doubt.
As the league continues to grow and players continue to shift, look for this list to change a lot as well over the course of the summer. If nothing else, the NDBA is unpredictable and we’re no doubt in for another entertaining and unpredictable baseball season!