Carillon’s Dayton Christensen, Brady Papineau named to MJBL all-star team

If there were a play to sum up why Brady Papineau is the Manitoba Junior Baseball League’s two-time defensive player of the year, it came in game three of the finals.

With the Carillon Sultans down a run in game four, a light grounder came rolling up to Papineau at centre field. It looked like a runner charging from second base to home was going to be safe by yards, but he was met at the plate by a monster throw from Brady Papineau.

“If I was that coach, I would have sent him too,” Sultans coach Rick Penner said.

“If I’m the opposition, I’m thinking anything that goes to (Papineau), I’m not trying to take any extra bases on it.”

Later in the game, on a deep fly ball with just one out, The Elmwood Giants didn’t even try to tag up from third to home, showing respect to the best outfield arm in the league.

Papineau was given the defensive player of the year award before the start of game two of the MJBL finals July 28. The Valley City State University player was also named to the all-star team, chipping in offensively with a .382 average 24 RBIs and going 18/19 when attempting to steal a base.

“He just makes it look so casual all the time and yet he never misses,” Penner said.

“His instincts are so good there… When he does have to throw he makes guys pay for it. I’m surprised from time-to-time that guys still take a chance at it.”

Joining Papineau on the all-star team is rookie catcher Dayton Christensen. Christensen was nominated for rookie of the year honours, but lost out to St Boniface’s Leif Sigurdson.

Christensen hit .385 with 29 RBI’s, stepping up defensively into the void created by NCAA Division 1 catcher Cody Gunderson’s departure. With back-up Rylan Penner injured, the St Adolphe player caught all but 19 innings for the Sultans this season.

Penner praised the Lakes Region College player for his steady play and good relationship with Carillon’s pitchers, noting there isn’t many times when his initial call from behind the plate is shaken away.

“He’s willing to eat innings, he never complains about it,” Penner said.

Gunderson, who won both the rookie of the year and defensive player of the year in 2023, was set to play the year at a higher level before an injury derailed his season.

The top defender in the MJBL is given the Len Gzebb award. Gzebb was a top player for the Elmwood Giants junior team from 1946-1950, being named a league all-star three times in that span. After aging out of junior, Gzebb turned to coaching, where he excelled as well.