Big year for Falcons baseball team recognized at season-end awards

The Fanshawe Falcons baseball team went into the 2026 regular season as the defending Ontario champions.

Trying to repeat what was done a year ago can load on the expectations.

But the Falcons have blown any expectations out of the water with a 17-1 record and a 13-game winning streak to close the schedule. They allowed just 43 runs in the 18 games they played.

Those stats and that performance came into the spotlight as the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association announced the league award winners.

The Swiss-army knife on the Falcons, Holden Heipel of Clinton, ON was named the Player of the Year.

Head Coach Brian Harvey was named Coach of the Year and six other Falcons earned OCAA All-Star honours.

Heipel finished in the topo-15 in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage and tied for second in the OCAA in extra-base hits.

He also had 13 stolen bases on the year.

Heipel, Owen Constantineau, Luke Allen and Connor Rodwin were named First-team All-Stars.

Hunter Wright, Jud McGowan were named OCAA Second Team All-Stars and Ryan Baynton was named to the OCAA All-Rookie Team.

Harvey claimed his first OCAA Coach of the Year award.

Fanshawe is home to St. Clair on Saturday, Oct. 17 at noon in Game 1 of the OCAA Championship semi-finals.