Four Former Wildcats Named to 25th Anniversary All-Canadian Collegiate Team
Four former University of Kentucky baseball players have been named to the Canadian Baseball Network’s 25th anniversary All-Canadian College Team, it was announced. The CBN is regarded as the premier source of information on Canadian college players.
Pitchers Andrew Albers, James Paxton and Zach Pop, along with infielder Emilien Pitre were honored for their performance. Each has either played in Major League Baseball or remains a current professional ballplayer and played an important role in the ongoing pipeline from the Canadian amateur baseball ranks to Kentucky.
ANDREW ALBERS, LHP
Albers, from North Battlefield, SK, played at UK from 2005 through 2008 before embarking on a professional career that saw him play five seasons in Major League Baseball as well as in Japan and Korea. He was drafted out of high school and then again out of UK in the 10th round of the 2008 draft by the San Diego Padres.
He appeared in 81 games with the Wildcats, posting a 20-18 record and 12 saves with a 4.47 earned run average in 239.1 innings. His best season came in 2008 when he pitched to a 2.40 ERA with five saves.
JAMES PAXTON, LHP
Paxton, from Ladner, British Columbia, pitched at UK from 2007-09. He was drafted twice – in the first round in 2009 and the fourth a year later – before he settled in for an 11-year career. Currently a free agent, he is expected to retire before the 2025 season. He was a two-time MLB Pitcher of the Month and three-time Pitcher of the Week during his career.
He appeared in 55 games for UK with a 4.91 ERA and 168 strikeouts in 148.1 innings. He had a 14-strikeout game at LSU in 2009 that stands as one of the top pitching performances in program history.
ZACH POP, RHP
Pop, from Brampton, Ontario, donned blue and white from 2015-17 before being selected in the 7th round of the 2017 draft (he also was picked out of high school). He made his MLB debut in 2021 with the Miami Marlins and has appeared in parts of four seasons with the Marlins and Toronto Blue Jays.
Pop pitched in 52 games across his three-year UK career, going 1-3 with a 4.48 ERA as a late-inning setup man. His best season came in 2017 as UK advanced to its first Super Regional, pitching to a 3.48 ERA in 22 games.
EMILIEN PITRE, INF (Honorable Mention)
Pitre, from the Montreal area (Repentigny, Quebec), helped lead Kentucky to its first College World Series in school history in 2024 and a Southeastern Conference championship. He was a Third-Team All-American by a pair of publications, was a member of the All-SEC Defensive Team and an Academic All-American. He had 23 multi-hit and 16 multi-RBI games with 24 two-out RBI.
At UK, he started 123 of 134 games and batted .307 in 466 at bats. He had 143 career hits, 36 doubles, two triples, 11 home runs and 109 RBI with an .893 OPS and stole 46 bases in 59 attempts while posting a .985 fielding percentage. He was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2024 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays.
