Antoine Jean named Canadian Baseball Network’s College Player of the Year

November 6, 2025

Official Canadian Baseball Network News Release

The Canadian Baseball Network (CBN) announced its 2025 Canadian College Player of the Year and its 26th annual All-Canadian College teams on Thursday. 

Antoine Jean (Montreal, Que.), a dominant left-handed reliever for the University of Houston Cougars in the spring, has been voted CBN’s College Player of the Year. The 6-foot-2 left-hander received first-place votes on 38 of 49 ballots cast by a large panel of scouts, coaches, executives, former players and baseball writers. 

Jean becomes the second player from the University of Houston, who compete in the NCAA’s Big 12 Conference, to win the award. Right-hander Jesse Crain (Toronto, Ont.) was the co-winner of the award in 2002. 

The 24-year-old Jean posted a 5-1 record and a 2.55 ERA, while striking out 110 in 67 innings while recording five saves, in 21 relief appearances for the Cougars in 2025. Opposing batters hit just .167 off him. 

His dominance made him just the second reliever in Cougars’ history to collect 100 strikeouts in a season. The Académie Baseball Canada and Canadian Junior National Team graduate also topped the Big 12 Conference in strikeouts per nine innings (14.78) and hits allowed per nine innings (5.37). He was also second nationally in those categories. 

Among Canadian NCAA Div. 1 pitchers, Jean ranked second in saves and third in strikeouts. For his efforts, he became the first relief pitcher to win the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year award. Jean was also selected to five All-America teams: American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), Baseball America, College Baseball Foundation, National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and Perfect Game. 

The left-handed starter, who completed his senior year at the University of Houston, was selected in the seventh round of the MLB draft by the Colorado Rockies in July. 

Jean also claimed the relief pitcher’s position on CBN’s All-Canadian First Team. He is one of five players from Quebec on the squad. The First Team also boasts three players from Ontario, two from B.C. and one each from Alberta, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan. 

The Canadian Baseball Network’s 26th annual All-Canadian First Team (as noted below) consists of six NCAA players, four NAIA players and three NJCAA players. 

The players on the All-Canadian teams represent the best of the 1,187 Canadians that played the majority of their schedule south of the border in 2025. 

First Team 

LHP – Will Anderson (Delta, BC), UBC Thunderbirds, NAIA 

RHP – Blake Gillespie (Arva, Ont.), North Carolina-Charlotte 49ers, NCAA 

RP –Antoine Jean (Montreal, Que.), Houston Cougars, NCAA 

C – Deiten Lachance (Sherbrooke, Que.) McLennan Highlanders, NJCAA  

1B – Nash Crowell (Yarmouth, N.S.), Reinhardt Eagles, NAIA and Jimmy Dionne (Quebec, Que.), Howard Hawks, NJCAA 

2B – Mack Mitchell (Toronto, Ont.), Southern Illinois-Edwardsville Cougars, NCAA 

3B – Connor Crowson (Okotoks, Alta.), Montevallo Falcons, NCAA Div. II 

SS – Alfonso Villalobos (Kirkland, Que.), Southeastern Fire, NAIA 

OF – Charles Davalan (St-Bruno-De-Montarville, Que.), Arkansas Razorbacks, NCAA 

OF – Simon Grinberg (Kitchener, Ont.), Keiser Seahawks, NAIA 

OF – Jordan Bach (Ladner, BC), Southern Illinois Salukis, NCAA 

DH – Cory Wouters (Saskatoon, Sask.), McCook Indians, NJCAA  

Second Team 

LHP – Haden Dow (Saint John, N.B.), Southeast Missouri State Redhawks, NCAA 

RHP – Tyler Bremner (San Diego, Calif.), Santa Barbara Gauchos, NCAA* 

RP – Tate Carey (Tecumseh, Ont.), Michigan Wolverines, NCAA 

C – Logan Grant (Chestermere, Alta.), Bellevue Bruins, NAIA 

1B – Brendan Lawson (Toronto, Ont.), Florida Gators, NCAA 

2B – Yosuke Fujie (Mission, BC), Campbellsville Tigers, NAIA 

3B – Jakob Poturnak (Vancouver, BC), Sacramento State Hornets, NCAA 

SS – Core Jackson (Wyoming, Ont.), Utah Utes, NCAA 

OF – Jonny McGill (Richmond, BC), UBC Thunderbirds, NAIA 

OF – Noel McGarry-Doyle (Maple, Ont.), Mid-America Christian Evangels, NAIA 

OF – Carter Beck (Carnduff, Sask.), Indiana State Sycamores, NCAA 

DH – Ayden Makarus (Okotoks, Alta.), Bellevue Bruins, NAIA 

*His father Jason is from Mississauga, Ont., and his late mother Jennifer was from Queensville, Ont. 

Third Team 

LHP – Alexis Gravel (Repentigny, Que.), McNeese State Cowboys, NCAA 

RHP – Kyle Froehlich (Nipawin, Sask.), Texas at Tyler Patriots, NCAA Div. II 

RP – Kai Fyke (Langley, BC), Central Arizona Vaqueros, NJCAA 

C – Tyler Favretto (Montreal, Que.), Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes, NAIA 

1B – Tyler Doucette (Dartmouth, N.S.), Rutgers Scarlet Knights, NCAA 

2B – Joey Marino (Surrey, BC), Cloud County Thunderbirds, NJCAA 

3B – Edouard Tardif (Trois-Rivières, Que.), Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Golden Norsemen, NJCAA 

SS – Nigel Sebastianelli (St. Catharines, Ont.), SUNY Niagara Thunderwolves, NJCAA Div. III 

OF – Noah Cassie (Vancouver, BC), Mineral Area Cardinals, NJCAA 

OF – Turner Zdunich (High River, Alta.), Colby Trojans, NJCAA 

OF – Max Hartman (St. Albert, Alta.), Washington State Cougars, NCAA 

DH – Sam White (Aurora, Ont.), West Virginia Mountaineers, NCAA 

Forty-nine baseball experts from Canada and the U.S. voted for the Canadian Baseball Network’s annual college All-Canadian teams which have been recognized since 2000. The Canadian Baseball Network is regarded as the premier source of information on Canadian college players. Pete Berryman was the primary statistician for this project. 

For more detailed information about each member of the Canadian Baseball Network’s 26th annual college All-Canadian teams, visit https://www.canadianbaseballnetwork.com/. 

List of previous Canadian Baseball Network college Player of the Year winners: 

2024 – LHP Jackson Soucie (Cambridge, Ont.), Wabash Valley Warriors 

2023 – C Brady Cerkownyk (Etobicoke, Ont.), Connors State Cowboys 

2022 – 1B Matt Coutney (Wetaskiwin Alta.), Old Dominion Monarchs 

2021 – INF Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.), Wright State Raiders 

2020 – INF David Mendham (Dorchester, Ont.), Connors State Cowboys 

2019 – LHP Ryan Johnson (Winnipeg, Man.), Lubbock Christian Chaparrals 

2018 – DH Edouard Julien (Quebec, Que.), Auburn Tigers 

2017 – OF Christopher Acosta-Tapia (Laval, Que.), Oklahoma Wesleyan Eagles 

2016 – LHP Guillaume Blanchette (St-Constant, Que.), Lubbock Christian Chaparrals 

2015 – 3B Connor Panas (Toronto, Ont.), Canisius Golden Griffins 

2014 – 2B-OF Craig-St. Louis (Gatineau, Que.), Seminole State Trojans 

2013 – LHP Ryan Kellogg (Whitby, Ont.), Arizona State Sun Devils 

2012 – 2B Maxx Tissenbaum (Toronto, Ont.), Stony Brook Seawolves 

2011 – OF Chase Larsson (Vancouver, BC), Cameron Aggies 

2010 – OF Marcus Knecht (North York, Ont.), Connors State Cowboys 

2009 – 3B Jesse Sawyer (Calgary, Alta.), South Dakota State Jackrabbits 

2008 – DH Mike Gosse (Pitt Meadows, BC), Oklahoma Sooners 

2007 – 1B Kevin Atkinson (Surrey, BC), New Mexico Jr. College Thunderbirds 

2006 – OF Jon Baksh (Mississauga, Ont.), Florida Tech Panthers 

2005 – 1B Karl Amonite (Woodslee, Ont.), Auburn Tigers 

2004 – OF Charlie MacFarlane (Lantzville, BC), Cumberland Bulldogs 

2003 – C Aaron McRae (Delta, BC), LSU-Shreveport Pilots 

2002 – tie: OF Ryan Kenning (North Vancouver, BC), New Mexico State Aggies; RP-SS Jesse Crain (Toronto, Ont.), Houston Cougars. 

2001 – LHP Jeff Francis (North Delta, BC), British Columbia Thunderbirds 

2000 – OF Ben Emond (Farnham, Que.), Texas Longhorns 

*Bold indicates they went on to play in the big leagues.