Falcons Men’s Baseball Capture First OCAA Championship in Program History

(London, Ontario) – On Saturday, October 18 at Lacasse Park in Tecumseh, Ontario, the Fanshawe Falcons men's baseball team (16-7) captured the first Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) Championship in program history.

The Falcons entered the Championship tournament as the second seed after finishing the regular season with a 12-6 record. They opened the tournament on Friday, October 17 with a nail-biting 3-2 victory over Durham (12-9). Holden Heipel (Clinton, ON) and Alex Miller (Hamilton, ON) combined to pitch seven strong innings, keeping the Durham bats quiet. In their second game, Fanshawe faced St. Clair (13-10), who were seeking their fifth consecutive OCAA title. The Falcons fell 6-2, but with the double-elimination format, their championship aspirations remained alive.

Fanshawe began day two with a must-win game against the top-seeded Lambton Lions (13-8), with a berth in the final on the line. After four innings, the game was tied 4-4 before the Falcons broke through in the fifth with three runs, highlighted by a two-RBI double from Heipel. Fanshawe then pulled away in the seventh as Trent Lamb (Tillsonburg, ON) and Nolan Rice (Port Hope, ON) each delivered two-RBI doubles to secure a 12-5 victory and a spot in the final.

In the championship matchup, the Falcons needed two wins over St. Clair, while the Saints required just one. In game one, Fanshawe jumped ahead 3-0 early, but St. Clair rallied to take a 4-3 lead. The Falcons responded late, with Travis Rainey (Brampton, ON) delivering a bases-loaded two-RBI single in the seventh to give Fanshawe a 7-5 win and force a winner-take-all game two.

Game two saw Fanshawe storm out to a 5-0 lead, fuelled by a two-run homer from Jud McGowan (Lakefield, ON). St. Clair battled back to tie it 5-5, but in the seventh inning, Connor Rodwin (Burlington, ON) delivered a clutch two-RBI single to regain the lead. Kaleb Seguin (Welland, ON) came in to close and shut the door, striking out the final batter to seal the 7-6 victory and the first OCAA Championship in Fanshawe Falcons baseball history.

First-year infielder McGowan was named Championship Most Valuable Player, going 6-for-15 (.400) with six RBIs and five runs. Teammates Rice and Marcus Normandin (Mississauga, ON) were named Championship All-Stars for their consistent performances. Both Rice and Normandin collected hits in each game of the tournament.

This marks Fanshawe's first podium finish since 2022-23, when they earned bronze. For head coach Brian Harvey, who has led the program since its inaugural season in 2014, the long-awaited OCAA Championship joins his 2016 National title.

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