Brian Canada Honored as Distinguished Miami Baseball Alumnus
2/15/2022 10:15:00 AM | Baseball
OXFORD, Ohio—Miami Baseball announced Brian Canada '05 as the recipient of the program's Distinguished Achievement Medal at its annual First Pitch Banquet over the weekend.
The medal is awarded for "Superior and Exceptionally Meritorious Service" to someone who has supported and made a difference in the lives of those who have played baseball for Miami University. Canada is the inaugural recipient.
"Brian was a special teammate," said Miami head baseball coach Danny Hayden. "He was the best leader I ever played with. It's really satisfying to see that he's been able to apply the same things that made him so successful as a player and teammate to his adult life. Brian never slowed down and he never looked back. He has just kept leading from the front. He has impacted so many people's lives in such a positive way, including my own. I owe Brian so much and was thrilled that our baseball program was able to honor him in this way."
As a student-athlete at Miami, Canada was a four-year letterwinner and two-year captain of the baseball team. He ranks in the top 10 in career hits and doubles and was a first-team All-Mid-American Conference selection in 2005. He also was an Academic All-MAC performer in 2004 and in 2005 and earned the University's Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award in 2005. Canada was part of two MAC championship teams, winning the MAC East in 2004 and the regular-season title along with the conference tournament in 2005. The 2005 team won more games than any in Miami program history, amassing a record of 45-18, including a victory in the NCAA Tournament.
Canada serves as an active member of the Miami Baseball Alumni Board. He has worked for Stryker since graduation and has earned multiple promotions throughout the last 17 years of his sales career. Today, he serves as the Senior Director of Sales for Stryker Instruments, a position he has held since January 2020. As a leader of Stryker, Canada has recruited 20 former Miami baseball players to work for the company, in addition to numerous other former student-athletes and Miamians.
"Receiving this incredible award from Miami University and Miami Baseball is so special and something I will cherish forever," said Canada. "Miami changed my life. I met my wife in Oxford, and now we have four amazing children. I have lifelong best friends: that was rooted from playing baseball and being a Miami alumnus. I have an elite degree from the Farmer School of Business, one of the best business schools in the country. Because of Miami connections, I was introduced to Stryker and have now spent 17 amazing years with a company I cherish. Some of my proudest moments post-college have been watching my former teammates at Miami succeeding and winning in various careers, as that winning mentality, high-achievement mindset, and performance-driven culture does not just stop once your college career is over. It is who we are and it is what we do as Miami alumni. Love and Honor."
Chad Reineke, a college teammate of Canada's, added, "Student-athletes are evaluated by their performance on the field, their performance in the classroom, and who they were as a teammate. In my four years at Miami, I can't think of another teammate that excelled in all three areas to the level Brian did.
"On the field, I remember him for his work ethic, his ability to lead, and his reliability. You could always count on him to make all the plays in the field, and he was a guy you wanted at the plate in the big moments. You could tell he loved playing baseball. In the classroom, Brian always had one of the top GPAs on the team as a business major at one of the best business schools in the Midwest.
"As good as Brian was on the field and in the classroom, it pales in comparison to how Brian was as a teammate and a friend. He was a guy that everyone enjoyed being around and has a way of making people around him better. Some of the greatest memories of my life were in Oxford, and Brian was usually right there with me."
Miami Baseball begins its 2022 campaign this weekend at the University of Tennessee-Martin. Click HERE for the RedHawks' full schedule.
The medal is awarded for "Superior and Exceptionally Meritorious Service" to someone who has supported and made a difference in the lives of those who have played baseball for Miami University. Canada is the inaugural recipient.
"Brian was a special teammate," said Miami head baseball coach Danny Hayden. "He was the best leader I ever played with. It's really satisfying to see that he's been able to apply the same things that made him so successful as a player and teammate to his adult life. Brian never slowed down and he never looked back. He has just kept leading from the front. He has impacted so many people's lives in such a positive way, including my own. I owe Brian so much and was thrilled that our baseball program was able to honor him in this way."
As a student-athlete at Miami, Canada was a four-year letterwinner and two-year captain of the baseball team. He ranks in the top 10 in career hits and doubles and was a first-team All-Mid-American Conference selection in 2005. He also was an Academic All-MAC performer in 2004 and in 2005 and earned the University's Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award in 2005. Canada was part of two MAC championship teams, winning the MAC East in 2004 and the regular-season title along with the conference tournament in 2005. The 2005 team won more games than any in Miami program history, amassing a record of 45-18, including a victory in the NCAA Tournament.
Canada serves as an active member of the Miami Baseball Alumni Board. He has worked for Stryker since graduation and has earned multiple promotions throughout the last 17 years of his sales career. Today, he serves as the Senior Director of Sales for Stryker Instruments, a position he has held since January 2020. As a leader of Stryker, Canada has recruited 20 former Miami baseball players to work for the company, in addition to numerous other former student-athletes and Miamians.
"Receiving this incredible award from Miami University and Miami Baseball is so special and something I will cherish forever," said Canada. "Miami changed my life. I met my wife in Oxford, and now we have four amazing children. I have lifelong best friends: that was rooted from playing baseball and being a Miami alumnus. I have an elite degree from the Farmer School of Business, one of the best business schools in the country. Because of Miami connections, I was introduced to Stryker and have now spent 17 amazing years with a company I cherish. Some of my proudest moments post-college have been watching my former teammates at Miami succeeding and winning in various careers, as that winning mentality, high-achievement mindset, and performance-driven culture does not just stop once your college career is over. It is who we are and it is what we do as Miami alumni. Love and Honor."
Chad Reineke, a college teammate of Canada's, added, "Student-athletes are evaluated by their performance on the field, their performance in the classroom, and who they were as a teammate. In my four years at Miami, I can't think of another teammate that excelled in all three areas to the level Brian did.
"On the field, I remember him for his work ethic, his ability to lead, and his reliability. You could always count on him to make all the plays in the field, and he was a guy you wanted at the plate in the big moments. You could tell he loved playing baseball. In the classroom, Brian always had one of the top GPAs on the team as a business major at one of the best business schools in the Midwest.
"As good as Brian was on the field and in the classroom, it pales in comparison to how Brian was as a teammate and a friend. He was a guy that everyone enjoyed being around and has a way of making people around him better. Some of the greatest memories of my life were in Oxford, and Brian was usually right there with me."
Miami Baseball begins its 2022 campaign this weekend at the University of Tennessee-Martin. Click HERE for the RedHawks' full schedule.
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