Titans’ Director of College Placement Bailey commits 22 “Class of 2024” student-athletes to US and Canadian destinations

July 4, 2024 · 0 Comments

The Titans Baseball Club, whose five Canadian Premier Baseball League teams play out of St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, faced a significant challenge last September: placing the largest graduate class in its five-year history.

The Class of 2024 featured 22 student-athletes seeking a post-secondary destination to continue their baseball career and secure a degree or diploma.

The Herculean task of securing academic-athletic opportunities for the Class of 2024 belonged primarily to Director of College Placement and 15U Head Coach Denis Bailey.

Bailey, a former NCAA D1 catcher and current resident of Orillia, tirelessly placed all 22 student-athletes from the Titans Class of 2024, including two Aurora residents: Luc Gelinas and Tyler Pridham.

Gelinas, a pitcher-infielder for the 18U Titans, was placed by Coach Bailey at St. Xavier University in Chicago, Illinois where he will suit up for the NAIA Cougars in September.

The graduate of St. Maximilian Catholic High School is ready to embrace life as a student-athlete in the American Midwest in one of the continent’s most bustling cities.

Coach Bailey assessed Gelinas’s pitching and hitting potential for the Cougars: “Luc is a player that truly intrigues me and I can’t wait to watch his college career start. He has a plus arm and will develop into a pitching role as well as a bat that has juice in it.”

Pridham, an 18U Titans centerfielder, got his wish to play in a sunny destination.

After getting Pridham acclimated to Florida at IMG Academy, Coach Bailey placed the Aurora High School graduate at the State College of Florida in Bradenton where he will play for the D1 NJCAA Manatees in September. After completing his career as a Titan, Pridham will enjoy a student-athlete’s life on the Gulf Coast.

Coach Bailey was effusive in his praise of Pridham: “Tyler has the five tools necessary to be an impact guy south of the border. Watching his progress has been amazing and I can’t wait to see what he does.”

The Titans’ College Placement Officer derives much satisfaction in finding the right school for his players where they can thrive in a competitive athletic environment and succeed in an academic environment to secure a degree and/or diploma.

“Finding these student-athletes the right place is the most satisfying thing. Seeing them move on to careers after and becoming successful in the business world shows us the impact we truly have.”

Coach Bailey placed the following student-athletes in these “right places” across the United States and Canada over the last ten months:

Jayden Bailey to the Eastern Michigan University Eagles in Ypsilanti, Michigan (NCAA D1);
Liam Beninati to the Seneca Polytechnic Sting in Toronto, Ontario (OCAA);
Ronan Burke to the University of Toronto Blues in Toronto, Ontario (OUA);
Adam Darlison to the University of Northwestern Ohio Racers in Lima, Ohio (NAIA);
Colin Dudgeon to the University of Rio Grande Red Storm in Rio Grande, Ohio (NAIA);
Noah Durance to the West Virginia University—Potomac State College Catamounts in Keyser, West Virginia (NJCAA D1);
Colby Edwards to the Florida National University Conquistadors in Hileah, Florida (NAIA);
Luc Gelinas to the Saint Xavier University Cougars in Chicago, Illinois (NAIA);
Kai Hernandez to the Rend Lake College Warriors in Ina, Illinois (NJCAA D1);
Michael Kennedy to the Dalhousie University Tigers in Halifax, Nova Scotia (ACUA);
Ricardo Lora to the University of Toronto Blues in Toronto, Ontario (OUA);
Graham Marshall to the Garrett College Lakers in McHenry, Maryland (NJCAA D2);
Brice Matthews to the Fanshawe College Falcons in London, Ontario (OCAA);
Henry McCutcheon to the Western University Mustangs in London, Ontario (OUA);
Brandon Nandoo to the Saint Xavier University Cougars in Chicago, Illinois (NAIA);
Owen Norris to the Glenville State University Pioneers in Glenville, West Virginia (NCAA D2);
Matt Paolucci to the St. Thomas Aquinas College Spartans in Sparkill, New York (NCAA D2);
Ricardo Pontual to the Queens University Golden Gaels in Kingston, Ontario (OUA);
Tyler Pridham to the State College of Florida Manatees in Bradenton, Florida (NJCAA D1);
Sam Puttock to the City College of New York Beavers in New York, New York (NCAA D3);
Lucas Seto to the University of Rio Grande Red Storm in Rio Grande, Ohio (NAIA);
Jordan Sfyndilis to the Saint Xavier University Cougars in Chicago, Illinois (NAIA).

All told, the Titans’ Class of 2024 will be residing in Michigan (1), Ontario (6), Ohio (3), West Virginia (2), Florida (2), Illinois (4), Nova Scotia (1), Maryland (1), and New York (2) for the upcoming school year.

There is no rest for Coach Bailey as he is currently in the American Midwest.

The trip was part of a sentimental journey he took with his dad, renowned Toronto baseball coach Al Bailey.

The indomitable father-son combo—who coached the 18U Titans in 2021-22 – visited the timeless Field of Dreams set and the new baseball facility in rustic Dyersville, Iowa.

The time in Iowa gave the veteran baseball coach an opportunity to reflect on his Class of 2024 placements and to look ahead to the Class of 2025.

“It’s been a pleasure serving these kids and I’m looking forward to our next class as the work has already started.”

By Jim Stewart