CDN College/University Showcase: Pitching Data Dive
February 7, 2024
On Saturday, February 3rd the Prep Baseball Ontario staff hosted the annual Canadian College & University Showcase at BP Sports Park in Welland, Ontario. This event featured 30 prospects from the across the province in the 2024 and 2025 classes looking to play college baseball within Ontario and Canada. The event featured roughly a dozen college coaches within the province and allowed our staff an opportunity to get an in-depth look at the players, as well as collect updated metrics via our tech partner TrackMan.
Earlier this week, we broke down the top measurable data performers from the event with our Statistical Analysis and Quick Hits. Now, we will take a further in-depth look at the top pitchers with the help of our tech partnerships, broken down by the categories down below:
For complete event results, click here.
To view upcoming event schedule, click here.
FASTBALL
MAX VELOCITY (MPH)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Velocity (max) |
1 | Russell DuHamel | ON | Humberside | 2024 | RHP | 85.8 mph |
2 | Jack Comper | ON | Sacred Heart | 2024 | RHP | 82.5 mph |
3 | Matthew Lawrence | ON | Iroquois Ridge High School | 2024 | OF | 81.8 mph |
4 | Mathew Richmond | ON | Blessed Trinity | 2024 | RHP | 80.2 mph |
5 | Baeden Agnew | ON | CA-ON-St john Henry Newman | 2025 | 2B | 80.0 mph |
Max Fastball Velocity: This metric calculates the speed of the pitch as it’s released from the pitcher’s hand.
SPIN RATE (AVG)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Mathew Richmond | ON | Blessed Trinity | 2024 | RHP | 2210 rpm |
2 | Matthew Lawrence | ON | Iroquois Ridge High School | 2024 | OF | 2208 rpm |
3 | Baeden Agnew | ON | CA-ON-St john Henry Newman | 2025 | 2B | 2030 rpm |
4 | Nathan Lawrence | ON | Uxbridge | 2024 | RHP | 2001 rpm |
5 | Russell DuHamel | ON | Humberside | 2024 | RHP | 1971 rpm |
Spin Rate: This metric calculates the rate of spin on the baseball as it leaves the pitcher’s hand, measured in revolutions per minute (rpm). Historical data shows that high-spin fastballs lessen the impact of gravity, allowing for more ‘rise’ (or less fall, in other words) as it carries through the zone. Low-spin fastballs typically indicate the pitch has greater horizontal action, often making it tougher to square up, but generally easier to make contact with, leading to more ground balls, while high-spin fastballs show a correlation with swings and misses.
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | IVB (avg) |
1 | Zavier Zografos | ON | St. Augustine Catholic High School | 2025 | SS | 20.1 in |
2 | Markus Barbosa | ON | St. Marys | 2024 | 3B | 20.0 in |
3 | Matthew Lawrence | ON | Iroquois Ridge High School | 2024 | OF | 19.0 in |
4 | Baeden Agnew | ON | CA-ON-St john Henry Newman | 2025 | 2B | 18.9 in |
5 | Nathan Lawrence | ON | Uxbridge | 2024 | RHP | 18.7 in |
Induced Vertical Break: Used in short form as "IVB," this metric is most important on fastballs for creating rise and on curveballs for creating depth – it can also have some use when measuring sliders and cutters as well. Sliders tend to be closer to zero inches while cutters are generally between 5 and 15 inches. Usually fastballs and curveballs with large IVB have higher spin efficiencies as well. Sliders generally have very little (closer to zero) IVB and very low spin efficiency. You could also categorize IVB into spin rate as this is part of the “useful movement” you’re looking for. IVB is also a huge part of the vertical approach angle.
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Russell DuHamel | ON | Humberside | 2024 | RHP | 16.8 |
2 | Jack Comper | ON | Sacred Heart | 2024 | RHP | 15.2 |
3 | Samuel Szokola | ON | St. Marys Catholic | 2025 | 1B | 13.8 |
4 | Ivan Jakovljevic | ON | Applewood Heights SS | 2024 | RHP | 13.7 |
5 | Markus Barbosa | ON | St. Marys | 2024 | 3B | 12.4 |
Horizontal Break: Outlined on TrackMan’s own website: “... horizontal movement is measured in inches between where the pitch actually crosses the front of home plate side-wise, and where it would have crossed home plate side-wise if had it traveled in a perfectly straight line from release. A positive number means the break was to the right from the pitcher’s perspective, while a negative number means the break was to the left from the pitcher’s perspective.”
CURVEBALL
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Matthew Lawrence | ON | Iroquois Ridge High School | 2024 | OF | 2332 rpm |
2 | Nathan Lawrence | ON | Uxbridge | 2024 | RHP | 2108 rpm |
3 | Samuel Szokola | ON | St. Marys Catholic | 2025 | 1B | 2100 rpm |
4 | James Craig | ON | South Huron District | 2024 | 1B | 1990 rpm |
5 | John Gignac | ON | Greater Fort Erie Secondary School | 2024 | SS | 1908 rpm |
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | IVB (avg) |
1 | Zavier Zografos | ON | St. Augustine Catholic High School | 2025 | SS | -10.7 in |
2 | James Craig | ON | South Huron District | 2024 | 1B | 7.9 in |
3 | Cameron Wells | ON | Niagara Christian Collegiate | 2024 | C | 7.1 in |
4 | Ivan Jakovljevic | ON | Applewood Heights SS | 2024 | RHP | 6.3 in |
5 | Samuel Szokola | ON | St. Marys Catholic | 2025 | 1B | 5.9 in |
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | John Gignac | ON | Greater Fort Erie Secondary School | 2024 | SS | -17.0 |
2 | Zavier Zografos | ON | St. Augustine Catholic High School | 2025 | SS | -9.1 |
3 | Stephen De Rose | ON | St. Joan of Arc | 2025 | 1B | -9.1 |
4 | James Craig | ON | South Huron District | 2024 | 1B | -8.3 |
5 | Samuel Szokola | ON | St. Marys Catholic | 2025 | 1B | -5.4 |
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Zone % |
1 | Matthew Lawrence | ON | Iroquois Ridge High School | 2024 | OF | 66 % |
2 | Nathan Lawrence | ON | Uxbridge | 2024 | RHP | 50 % |
SLIDER
SPIN RATE (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Spin Rate (avg) |
1 | Russell DuHamel | ON | Humberside | 2024 | RHP | 2580 |
2 | Jack Comper | ON | Sacred Heart | 2024 | RHP | 2169 |
3 | Baeden Agnew | ON | CA-ON-St john Henry Newman | 2025 | 2B | 2063 |
4 | John Gignac | ON | Greater Fort Erie Secondary School | 2024 | SS | 1996 |
5 | Wyatt Jelley Reid | ON | AY Jackson | 2025 | RHP | 1962 |
INDUCED VERTICAL BREAK (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | IVB (avg) |
1 | Russell DuHamel | ON | Humberside | 2024 | RHP | -7.3 in |
2 | Wyatt Jelley Reid | ON | AY Jackson | 2025 | RHP | 5.2 in |
3 | Jack Comper | ON | Sacred Heart | 2024 | RHP | -3.9 in |
4 | Cameron Wells | ON | Niagara Christian Collegiate | 2024 | C | 2.6 in |
5 | John Gignac | ON | Greater Fort Erie Secondary School | 2024 | SS | 1.9 in |
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Russell DuHamel | ON | Humberside | 2024 | RHP | -19.4 |
2 | John Gignac | ON | Greater Fort Erie Secondary School | 2024 | SS | -10.2 |
3 | Baeden Agnew | ON | CA-ON-St john Henry Newman | 2025 | 2B | -7.2 |
4 | Markus Barbosa | ON | St. Marys | 2024 | 3B | -5.7 |
5 | Wyatt Jelley Reid | ON | AY Jackson | 2025 | RHP | -4.8 |
STRIKE ZONE %
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Zone % |
1 | Markus Barbosa | ON | St. Marys | 2024 | 3B | 80 % |
2 | Cameron Wells | ON | Niagara Christian Collegiate | 2024 | C | 50 % |
CHANGEUP
HORIZONTAL MOVEMENT (AVG.)
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | HM (avg) |
1 | Matthew Lawrence | ON | Iroquois Ridge High School | 2024 | OF | 18.2 |
2 | Ivan Jakovljevic | ON | Applewood Heights SS | 2024 | RHP | 17.6 |
3 | Wyatt Jelley Reid | ON | AY Jackson | 2025 | RHP | 13.8 |
4 | Nathan Lawrence | ON | Uxbridge | 2024 | RHP | 12.4 |
5 | John Gignac | ON | Greater Fort Erie Secondary School | 2024 | SS | 11.7 |
STRIKE ZONE RATE%
Rank | Name | State | School | Class | Pos | Zone % |
1 | Samuel Szokola | ON | St. Marys Catholic | 2025 | 1B | 66 % |
^ | Nathan Lawrence | ON | Uxbridge | 2024 | RHP | 66 % |
UPCOMING EVENTS
SHOWCASE | STATE | DATE | LOCATION |
2024 Greater Toronto Preseason ID | ON | 02/19 | Vaughan Sportsplex |
2024 Canada Reds Academy Scout Day | ON | 02/23 | Russell Sports Dome |
2024 Ottawa/Gatineau Preseason ID | ON | 03/01 | Bell Sensplex |
2024 Titans Scout Day | ON | 03/23 | True North Fieldhouse |
2024 Spring Future Games Trials | ON | 03/29 | The Athlete Matrix |
2024 Pitcher Only Future Games Trials | ON | 03/29 | NRS Institute |
2024 Pitcher Only Future Games Trials II | ON | 04/01 | NRS Institute |
2024 Junior Future Games Trials | ON | 04/01 | The Athlete Matrix |
2024 Spring Future Games Trials II | ON | 04/06 | Campus Fieldhouse |
2024 Unsigned Senior Showcase | ON | 04/07 | Campus Fieldhouse |
2024 Junior Future Games Trials II | ON | 04/13 | Campus Fieldhouse |
2024 Terriers Scout Day | ON | 04/24 | King's Christian Collegiate |
Improve My Profile with Game Video (Ontario) | ON | 08/29 | Ontario |
RELATED CONTENT
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- ON Spring Future Games Trials III: Hitting Data Dive 5/29/24
- ON Spring Future Games Trials III: Pitching Data Dive 5/29/24
- ON Spring Future Games Trials III: Statistical Analysis 5/29/24
- ON 2024 Best of the West: Eastern Canada Scouting Notes 5/10/24
- ON Terriers Scout Day: Statistical Analysis 5/10/24
- ON Ontario Blue Jays Scout Day: Quick Hits 4/25/24
- ON Ontario Blue Jays Scout Day: Statistical Analysis 4/22/24