The University of Toronto Varsity Blues are the proud hosts of the 2016 OUA baseball championship, October 14-16, at Dan Lang Field and Ajax Sportsplex.
 
The Blues kick off the three-day tournament at Dan Lang Field at University of Toronto Scarborough Campus this Friday, October 14. Toronto will take on the top seeded Laurier Golden Hawks with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m., following a special opening ceremony.
 
The other teams competing this weekend are the No. 2 seed and OUA defending champion Western Mustangs, No. 3 Brock Badgers, No. 4 Guelph Gryphons and No. 5 Waterloo Warriors.
 
The Blues will be in search of their fifth OUA title in program history and first since winning back-to-back in 2011 and 2012. Western and Brock rank just behind Toronto having won the banner four times, while Laurier and McMaster each have one championship since its inception in 2001.
 
Finishing in sixth place in the OUA with a 7-10-1 the Blues will face the toughest road in the double elimination championship tournament. Taking on the 15-3 Golden Hawks, U of T will face a team who leads the OUA in hits (181), walks (101), and all three batting categories (average, on-base percentage, and slugging) displaying a the true offensive punch Laurier has possessed all season long.
 
However, Toronto has a duo of pitchers who have proven to be able to hold down potent offences this season. Fourth-year veteran Colin Edwards and sophomore Josh Graham rank among the top seven pitchers in the OUA with ERA's under three. Edwards previously pitched against the Golden Hawks this season, holding the Laurier bats to just three earned runs in a tough 4-3 loss on September 25.
 
If the Varsity Blues pitching is able to stifle the Golden Hawks hitting, look for a trio of 2015 OUA first team all-stars to deliver at the plate in fourth-year veterans Bradley Bedford and Tanner Young-Schultz and second-year standout Gabriel Nakonechny.
 
Second baseman Nakonechny has had a fantastic 2016, finishing first in the OUA in stolen bases (16) and tied for fourth in batting average (.426) showcasing an ability to be a difference-maker once he puts himself on the base path. Bedford and Young-Schultz finished tied for third in run production for the team scoring eight RBI apiece.
 
Following the tournament opener at Dan Lang Field, the championship will move to the Ajax Sportsplex, home of the 2015 Pan Am Games. Action in Ajax starts Friday, October 14 at 12 p.m.
 
2015 OUA Baseball Schedule
 
Friday, October 14
Game 3 – 11:00 a.m. - Toronto vs Laurier - Dan Lang
Game 1 – 12:00 p.m. - Waterloo vs Western - Ajax Sportsplex Diamond 5
Game 2 – 12:00 p.m. - Brock v Guelph - Ajax Sportsplex Diamond 6
Game 4 – 6:00 p.m. - Winner Game 1 v Winner Game 2 - Ajax Sportsplex Diamond 5
 
Saturday, October 15
Game 5 – 10:00 a.m. - Winner Game 3 v Loser Game 1 - Diamond 5
Game 6 – 10:00 a.m. - TBD vs TBD
Game 7 – 2:00 p.m. - TBD vs TBD
Game 8 – 2:00 p.m. - TBD vs TBD
Game 9 – 7:00 p.m. - TBD vs TBD
 
Sunday, October 16
Game 10 – 11:00 a.m. - TBD vs TBD
Game 11 – 3:00 p.m. - TBD vs TBD (if necessary)