Pitcher Brandon Deans has made his mark on the Humber Hawks baseball team after a historic performance on the mound.
In only his second start with the Hawks, the 6-foot-4 righty managed to find himself in the OCAA record books for most strikeouts in a single game with 16, against the Seneca Sting on Sept. 20.
Right out of the gate, the hard-throwing Deans was in a groove, striking out the side through the first two innings. He and his team knew it was a special night when he topped his last performance of 10 strikeouts by the fourth inning.
“I had no idea of the record then halfway through the game, I was told by coach (Troy) Black that I was a few K’s away from reaching it. Knowing that I was so close to it, I knew I wanted to have it done,” he said.
Brandon Deans smiles for the camera after a game against George Brown College on Sept. 28. Photo credit: Santiago Helou Quintero
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Deans blew a fastball by Seneca’s Roberto Pagliero, recording his 16th strikeout of the game and setting a new OCAA single-game record.
Third-year catcher Tyrus Bath had the best view of the night from behind the plate, catching Deans’ historic game.
“It was cool, it’s not something you see every day and to be a part of that, it was special,” he said. “The dugout knew at the time, I could hear them from where I was. Especially going into that inning, everyone was going crazy.”
Bath said that this record is not something that happened overnight and applauds Deans’ hard work.
“You know it’s something he’s been working toward, not even just at Humber but everywhere he’s been,” Bath said.
Before Humber, Deans spent three years at Oakland University playing in the NCAA. Realizing that playing baseball south of the border was impacting his passion for the sport, the Mississauga native decided it was time to leave and signed with the Hawks to finish his final year of school in the Police Foundations program closer to home.
Playing in the NCAA helped him figure out the type of player and person he is today. He said he gained experience pitching against big-time schools like Michigan State and some first-round draft picks, learning how to get them out and building confidence.
When recruiting Deans, the Hawks coaching staff, especially pitching coach Kyle Hill, found out Deans was a special player.
“He’s a gamer, he’s a very talented guy,” Hill said. “You don’t need to tell him too much, he knows what he’s got to do. You give him the ball and let him go.”
Humber catcher Tyrus Bath backstopped for Pitcher Brandon Deans who struck out 16 in a game against Seneca Sting. Photo credit: Santiago Helou Quintero
His historic performance earned him the OCAA and Humber’s Player of the Week for the first time in his young career on Sept. 25. He says he’s grateful for the recognition but credits his work ethic and team for his success.
“It’s very humbling to get recognition like that, it just shows my hard work is paying off and keeps me striving to get better every single day,” he said. “And even though these are single awards, I wouldn’t be able to do it without the team and coaches that I have around me.”
Deans looks to make history again as he’s currently sitting six strikeouts away from meeting his original goal for most strikeouts in a season by a Humber pitcher.