Blaze Bio

Organization History and Objectives

The Langley Blaze Baseball Organization provides their players an opportunity to develop the skills necessary to compete at the highest level of high school age baseball available in Canada.  In doing so, the players also learn about the life skills and knowledge that are necessary to graduate beyond the Blaze to the ‘next level’ wherever that may take them.

As an organization, we have teams registered in the challenging and highly competitive BCPBL – British Columbia Premier Baseball League and  BCJPBL – British Columbia Premier Baseball League. Both teams play an extensive tournament schedule in addition to a 48 game regular season that runs from April thru July with the provincial tournament taking place in early August.

The Premier Blaze maintains their reputation as the best high school aged team in Canada through their accomplishments on the field and their successes off the field. The Junior Premier team (generally grade 10 and 11 students) is groomed to become more familiar with the necessary skills and work ethic required for success at the Premier level. Coaches of both teams work collaboratively to provide positive reinforcement, character mentoring, and developmental training while introducing the players to the Blaze tradition and our ‘lead by example’ mentality.

While athletic accomplishments are widely publicized the individual dedication and focus necessary to achieve these successes is rarely acknowledged. The Blaze organization is generally revered for their ongoing baseball success but that aspect may be surpassed by the coaching staff’s ability to work with young men to shape their futures. The coaches identify and assign responsibility, set and monitor priorities and goals, and help players to maintain a balance between school, baseball and teenage life. The coaches nurture life skills and reinforce team qualities that create successful young men, capable of making worthwhile contributions in their community and towards personal success. It is the objective of the organization to provide high level baseball training and development; instil a team oriented work ethic and attitude; and cultivate personal development enabling academic and athletic opportunities at the next level, albeit a student-athlete in college or university or that of a professional baseball player.

Of utmost importance to the Blaze organization is the developmental progression of its players which may result in being drafted into the professional ranks or the placement of graduating players into U.S. college programs where new educational and athletic opportunities await them. Numerous Blaze alumni are current student-athletes attending post-secondary institutions in Canada and the U.S. as illustrated in the following sortable table: Langley Blaze alumni in college ball 2011-2012. The Blaze alumni who have been fortunate enough to have college opportunities are getting the dual benefit of receiving a post-secondary education while playing college baseball. These players get significant exposure to scouts who scour the college ranks looking for drafts prospects for the yearly MLB amateur draft. Being in the right place at the right time may lead to an opportunity for a professional baseball career upon graduation from university or college. The 2011 Langley Blaze program had 17 players receive college commitments from U.S. schools which, again, is a testament to the caliber of the program and the respect that the organization garners from U.S. colleges and universities and their baseball programs.

While a number of Blaze players have been drafted by MLB teams directly from the Blaze, a number of alumni have also been drafted by MLB teams upon graduation and completion of the collegiate careers and are now playing professionally as well (Langley Blaze alumni in pro ball 2012). That being said, the Blaze organization is extremely proud to have had 29 players drafted by MLB clubs since 2001 , more than any other high school or club team in Canada. The ongoing development of high caliber players and the program’s reputation for excellence has enabled the Blaze coaching staff to build relationships with MLB general managers, scouts and scouting directors as well as U.S. college and university recruiters and coaches. These relationships lead to ongoing communication and expedited access to ensure that any potential opportunities at the higher levels are maximized wherever possible.

The most recent Blaze MLB Amateur Draft picks have been:

  • 2011 – Tom Robson (4th round Toronto); Dustin Houle (8th round Milwaukee); Justin Atkinson (26th round Toronto)
  • 2010 – Kellin Deglan selected 22nd overall (1st round) by the Texas Rangers; Mike Ellis selected in the 35th round by the San Diego Padres
  • 2009 – Wes Darvill (5th round Chicago Cubs); Mike Monster (25th Cincinnati); Colin Kleven (33rd Philadelphia); Rory Young (39th Houston); Brooklyn Foster (43rd Arizona)
  • 2008 – Brett Lawrie drafted 16th overall (1st round) by the Milwaukee Brewers – the highest Canadian positional draft pick ever; Carter Morrison (Cincinnati) and Stosh Wawrzasek (Milwaukee) selected in the 16th round

Brett Lawrie (Toronto Blue Jays) and Scott Mathieson (Philadelphia Phillies) are two Blaze alumni who made it to the big leagues this past season. Their emergence and the steady progression of other Blaze alumni in pro ball bears proof, once again, to the integrity and legitimacy of the Blaze programs.

Recent Successes

We are proud of our tradition and have been fortunate to experience numerous successes both on and off the field. We feel that our accomplishments are of significant value in that they document the growth and development of our players into young men and provide an example to those coming up through our system as to what is possible and that dreams can be realized. A number of our recent on-field achievements are as follows:

Yearly highlights of the Premier Blaze:

  • 2011 BCPBL Provincial Champion (2011, 2006, 2005)
  • 2011 – Three-peat winner of BC’s ‘Best Tournament’ held in Kamloops (2011, 2010, 2008)
  • 2011 – PBL Awards: 4 All-conference players; 3 players chosen as Top Achievers; Best Team Batting average; Best Team ERA; Most Strikeouts by Pitchers
  • 2011 – Several players attended training camps for Canadian Junior National baseball team and played in Junior World Qualifier in Cartagena Columbia.
  • 2011 – 3 players chosen in Major League Baseball draft (subsequently signed and now playing professional baseball)
  • 2010 – 2009 – 2008: 3-time repeat winners of the Premier Baseball League (BCPBL) Championship title (regular season)
  • 2010 – BCPBL regular season League Champions; Provincial Final 4 qualifier
  • 2010 – PBL Awards: Top pitcher; Top ERA; Top Achievement; Most Runs Scored; Team ERA; Most Strikeouts by Pitchers; Fewest Runs Allowed
  • 2010 – Several players attend training camps and tournaments for the Canadian Junior National baseball team in Florida, the Dominican Republic and on Canada-wide tours; Blaze players represented Canada at the World Junior Championships
  • 2009 – BCPBL  regular season League Champions; Team of the Year; Best Team ERA; repeat League Champions; Provincial Final 4 qualifier
  • 2009 – PBL Awards: MVP; Golden Glove; Top Achievement; Best Team ERA; Most Strikeouts by Pitchers; Most Home Runs
  • 2009 – Several players attend training camps and tournaments for the Canadian Junior National baseball team in such places as Florida, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and represent Canada on a joint U.S-Canada cross country series

Yearly highlights of the Junior Blaze:

  • 2011 – Repeat winner of BCJPBL Regular Season League Champion
  • 2011 – Nick Rutckyj – Triple Crown (HR, RBI, Batting Average) 
  • 2010 – BCJPBL Provincial Champion
  • 2010 – BCJPBL Regular Season League Champion

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