AGUADULCE, Panama — Former Kentucky baseball middle infielder Chris Bisson belted a home run to lead Canada to a 12-2 win over Greece in the 39th IABF World Cup, moving Canada to a unbeaten record and first place in the Pool A standings on Tuesday.
A native of Orleans, Ontario, Bisson spearheaded a 14-hit attack for Canada with a three-run homer in his first at bat of the tournament on Tuesday. The hit was Bisson’s first career hit in an international game.
During his three-year UK career from 2008-10, Bisson emerged as one of the top middle infielders in college baseball, becoming the first UK player to earn back-to-back All Southeastern Conference honors in over 10 years, dating back to catcher John Wilson earned All-SEC accolades in 1999 and 2000. In 2009 and 2010, Bisson was selected second-team All-SEC at second base by the league coaches.
A fourth-round pick in the 2010 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres, Bisson played in 123 games in low Class-A for the Fort Wayne TinCaps in 2011, batting .261 (109-for-418) with 11 doubles, five triples, two homers and 43 RBI. Bisson added 21 stolen bases and reached base at a .345 clip for the TinCaps.
As a true freshman playing in the rugged SEC in 2008, Bisson was forced into action with injuries striking UK senior third baseman Chris McClendon in 2008. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder played in 27 games with 13 starts, batting .157 (8-for-51) with three doubles, four RBI and three stolen bases. UK entered the 2009 season unsure as to its starter at second base with All-SEC standout Ryan Wilkes departing following 2008. Bisson took control of the spot, leading UK in nearly every statistical category. In 2009, Bisson batted .360 (80-for-22) with 49 runs scored, nine doubles, three triples, two homers and 52 RBI, stealing 13-of-15 bases.
In 2010, Bisson solidified himself as one of the top players in the nation, entering the season as a preseason All-America selection by Baseball America. In 51 games and 50 starts in 2010, Bisson batted .329 (69-for-210) with 12 doubles, one triple, five homers and 35 RBI, stealing an SEC-leading 32 bases in 39 attempts. Bisson, who ran up two 12-or-more-game hitting streaks in 2010, reached base safely in 49 of 51 games played and with his 32 steals, became the first UK player to steal 30 or more bases since Chad Green stole a school-record 55 bases in 1995. Bisson was prolific throughout the season on the base paths, going through a seven consecutive game stretch with a stolen base, swiping 11 total bases in that span. In a win at Auburn, Bisson stole a career-best four bases. After jumping out to a hot start to open the season, Bisson was hit on the nose by a 1-2 fastball in a March 6 game against Monmouth in San Diego, breaking his nose and requiring surgery. Bisson showed tremendous toughness to return after just a five-game period, returning for a pinch-hit RBI single in the ninth inning of a game with Murray State. Before the injury, Bisson was batting .378 (14-for-37) with 10 runs, two doubles, one triple, two homers and 10 RBI. After the injury and while playing with a facemask at the plate and a face shield at second base for 15 games, Bisson batted .317 (19-for-60) with two doubles, no triples or homers and eight RBI.
During the 2010 summer, Bisson improved upon his status as a prospect with a strong showing in the prestigious Cape Cod League, leading the league in stolen bases with 36 steals in his 42-game summer and batting .269 (36-for-164). With 36 steals, Bisson equaled the Cotuit Kettlers club record and with over 30 steals, became just the fourth player in the Cape in the last 10 years and the third in the last nine years to steal 30 or more bases during a summer.
Canada will return to action against Chinese Taipei on Thursday night at 8:30 p.m. ET at Remon Cantera Stadium in Aguadulce.
