By JOE McFARLAND

In looking through the last five years of the ADS All-College Team rosters, there has always been a strong contingent of returning veterans year after year.

However, younger players have been knocking on the door every year and, this year, they broke through in a big way.

READ MORE: Take a look back at the 2020, 2021, 2022 & 2023 ADS All-College Teams

And as noted last year, a few players from the 2022 team are back after getting their first taste of higher-level college ball in 2023 then excelling this past season.

The 2024 squad had a few record-setting performances at the plate and on the bump, with many of them picking up All-Region or All-Conference recognitions along the way.

As always, we had a preference for those born or who spent the majority of their childhoods in Alberta. Numerous athletes come from other provinces to train at our world-class academies and facilities, including Tyler Boudreau, Micah McDowell and Haden Dow. We could have created a whole new roster just based on players who moved here for their high school baseball.

After flipping through hundreds of box scores and stats reports, plus our continuous coverage during the season, here are our picks for the top US college performers from Alberta who make up our fifth annual ADS All-College Team.

Catcher – Jacob Wrubleski – Okotoks

A Canadian Baseball Network (CBN) All-Canadian First-Team selection, Jacob Wrubleski had a freshman season to remember with Chandler-Gilbert Community College. The Dawgs Academy alum hit .409 with nine home runs, 50 RBI and five stolen bases on his way to being named First-Team All-Region and First-Team All-ACCAC, sporting the third-best batting average and fifth-best on-base percentage. Wrubleski has already committed to a major NCAA Division I school in Gonzaga.

First Base – Tom Poole – Calgary

After rewriting the history books with Cloud County Community College, Tom Poole went right to work making a name for himself in his second season with Dallas Baptist University. The slugger hit .352 with 13 roundtrippers, 37 RBI and nine stolen bases in 49 games. The Calgary Bucks alum captured plenty of attention in May when he hit two walk-off home runs in the span of a week, being named the Conference USA Hitter of the Week and Canadian Baseball Network College Player of the Week.

Second Base – Kalem Haney – Lethbridge

Whether it was timely hitting or big defense, Kalem Haney was all over it with the University of Mary in 2024. The Vauxhall Academy grad made major strides offensively, boosting his batting average to .354 while also improving his numbers in triples (4), home runs (5), RBI (43) and stolen bases (14). He was named the Canadian Baseball Network’s College Player of the Week in Week 4 of the season, and finished the season by being named All-NSIC First-Team and to the NSIC All-Defensive Team.

Third Base – Connor Crowson – Okotoks

Making the jump from Bossier Parish Community College to the University of Montevallo proved to be no problem at all for Connor Crowson. An ADS All-College Team member in 2023, the Dawgs Academy alum hit .338 with eight home runs, 41 RBI and seven stolen bases in 52 games for the Falcons. Crowson was also named the UM Player of the Month for March, helping set the stage for an unforgettable summer season back home in Okotoks.

Shortstop – Jaden Babiuk – St. Albert

Jaden Babiuk is the first to admit he didn’t have the strongest start to the season offensively, but managed to turn it up when it mattered the most for the Valley City State University Vikings. What might have been most impressive for the junior from St. Albert is that he made a major positional change in 2024, moving from catcher to shortstop. Babiuk finished the season hitting .293 with 12 doubles, 24 runs scored, two homers and 15 RBI, drawing a team-high 27 walks and earning a NSAA Baseball Second-Team All-Conference selection.

Outfield – Ben Hoshizaki – Calgary

Ben Hoshizaki was intent on rewriting the record books at Chandler-Gilbert Community College and he did his absolute best through the 2024 campaign. His 63 runs scored places him second on the Coyotes’ all-time list (ahead of fellow Dawgs’ alum like Tyler Hollick and Tristan Peters) while his 45 stolen bases lands him in third behind Hollick (61 in 2012) and Nick Daley (57 in 2017). Like his teammate Wrubleski, Hoshizaki was also named First-Team All-Region and First-Team All-ACCAC.

Outfield – Tucker Zdunich – High River

For the fourth time in his college career, Tucker Zdunich has been named to the ADS All-College Team and for good reason. He put the wraps on his outstanding collegiate career with his best overall season at Reinhardt University, setting personal bests in hits (83), runs scored (67), RBI (69), home runs (20), extra-base hits (38) and total bases (163). The Dawgs product was once again named to the Appalachian Athletic Conference First Team thanks to his performance.

Outfield – Max Hartman – St. Albert

Everyone in Alberta has known Max Hartman’s potential. Getting a chance to be an every day starter with Washington State University, he showed the NCAA world what he’s capable of in 2024 with an outstanding performance. The St. Alberta Minor Baseball and Dawgs Academy alum hit .286 with three homers, 41 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 49 games. He also excelled in the classroom, being named a CSC Academic All-District, collecting a 3.56 cumulative GPA while being named to the President’s Honor Roll while majoring in civil engineering.

Designated Hitter/Utilityman – Logan Grant – Chestermere

Logan Grant is going to need a new trophy case with all of the accolades he received in 2024. The Bellevue University catcher, who also plays outfield, was named the North Star Athletic Association Playero f the Year First-Team All-NSAA, NSAA Gold Glove winner, and Bellevue University Male Athlete of the Year, after hitting .346 with 20 home runs and 66 RBI in 53 games. A four-time ADS All-College Team member, Grant was also recognized as a Second Team NAIA All-American.

Pitcher – Reece Hemmerling – Beaumont

Everywhere you turned, it felt like you were hearing about Reece Hemmerling. The Barton Community College sophomore was electric during the season, going 9-4 with a 3.65 ERA in 15 games (including 13 starts), striking out 65 batters in 79 innings. Hemmerling also tossed four complete games, including his final two starts, on his way to being named Second-Team All-Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference West and to the Region VI All-Tournament Team. In April, the AHP Academy alum announced he would be continuing his collegiate baseball career with the University of South Carolina Upstate.

Pitcher – Graham Brunner – Sherwood Park

In his senior season, southpaw Graham Brunner was a workhorse for Emporia State University. The Dawgs Academy alum was second on the team in starts with 12, going 3-1 with a 4.25 ERA. He was third on the team in innings pitched (55) and, of the team’s big three starters, had the most strikeouts with 59 while allowing just 61 hits and 26 runs. Brunner was named Honorable Mention All-MIAA for his on-field performance and was recognized as a CSC Academic All-District with a 3.69 GPA in Sport Leadership. He also became the all-time wins leader for the Okotoks Dawgs after collecting 30 victories during his Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) career.

Pitcher – Cohen Achen – Calgary

It was another banner year for Cohen Achen at Lindsay Wilson College. The senior right-hander was a strikeout machine, notching 101 to set the school record for career punchouts. He did it all in just 64.1 innings to go along with a 5-5 record and 4.90 ERA. Achen was also named Mid-South Conference All-Conference and Academic All-Mid-South Conference. The icing on the cake for him was being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 14^th round of July’s MLB Draft.

TAXI SQUAD

Given all of the outstanding performances last season, we unveiled our taxi squad to recognize a trio of “honorable mentions.” This year, a trio of infielders found themselves just on the outside looking in.

Cleary Simpson (Elnora) put the wraps on his outstanding college career by hitting .326 with six homers, 49 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 60 games for the Northern Kentucky University Norse. The St. Joseph Academy product was named All-Horizon League First-Team at third base.

Like Babiuk, Gavin Fraser (Spruce Grove) was a standout for his glove during the 2024 season with the Cerro Coso College Coyotes. At the plate, he hit .333 with 16 RBI and nine stolen bases in 37 games. At shortstop, the redshirt freshman posted a .968 fielding percentage en route to being named All-Conference and a Golden Glove recipient.

And finally, Riley Pearce (Lethbridge) had a great second season with Bismarck State College. He hit .348 with a homer, 27 RBI, 43 runs scored and 14 stolen bases in 43 games as he was named Mon-Dak All-Conference at second base.

As always, many of these athletes were singled out by the Canadian Baseball Network in their annual All-Canadian Teams. If you haven’t already, check out their yearly recognitions here:

READ MORE: CBN All-Canadian First Team
READ MORE: CBN All-Canadian Second Team
READ MORE: CBN All-Canadian Third Team

As always, we love hearing from you. Any of these performances stand out as the best to you? Any that we might have missed? Let us know in the comments below or on our social media channels.