TITANS CONTINUE 2025 ROSTER BUILD WITH SEVERAL NEW ADDITIONS

OTTAWA, ON - The Ottawa Titans Baseball Club announced today that they have agreed to terms on contracts with four new players: Canadian right-handed pitcher Brandon Marklund, right-handed pitcher Dazon Cole, outfielder Ren Tachioka, and outfielder Jo Oyama for the upcoming 2025 Frontier League season.

Marklund, 28, inks a deal to join the pitching staff with parts of three seasons of professional experience. The Canadian right-hander began the 2024 campaign with the Québec Capitales, pitching to a 3.60 ERA over five innings. After his release, Marklund joined the Welland Jackfish of the Intercounty Baseball League – going 1-1 with a 6.42 ERA in 12 games (six starts, six in relief) over 28 innings. In the postseason, Marklund pitched to a perfect 0.00 ERA with 15 strikeouts and only 3 walks over 8.1 innings of relief.

Hailing from North Vancouver, British Columbia, Marklund was signed by the Kansas City Royals in 2019 following a dominant winter pitching in Australia. Marklund suited up for the Lexington Legends in 2019, the Royals’ Class-A affiliate, posting a 0.46 ERA with 44 strikeouts and 19 walks over 39.1 innings of work.

Internationally, Marklund played for the Canadian National Team at the 2019 WBSC Premier12 and the 2023 WBSC Americas Pan Am Games Qualifier.

Post-pandemic, Marklund was sidelined for the entirety of the 2021 and 2022 campaigns due to two separate Tommy John surgeries. The 6-foot-2 right-hander returned to pro baseball in 2023 with the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association. In 12 games for the Goldeyes, he registered nine strikeouts across 13.1 innings out of the bullpen.

Marklund pitched two seasons at Bryan College (Dayton, Tennessee) from 2017-2018, going 11-6 with a 4.07 ERA in 42 games (18 starts, 24 in relief) – striking out 124 over 121.2 innings for the Lions.

Cole, 28, heads north of the border to join the Titans’ bullpen with seven professional campaigns under his belt in various minor leagues and independent circuits. In 41 appearances in 2024 for the New Jersey Jackals, Cole went 2-2 with a 4.60 ERA across 43 innings pitched – walking 35 opposing hitters while striking out 36. Cole registered a team-leading six saves and posted two separate stints of five-inning scoreless streaks during his second Frontier League season.

The Pontiac, Michigan product was selected in the 25th round of the 2018 June Amateur Draft by the Los Angeles Angels out of Central Michigan University (Mount Pleasant, Michigan) – in which Cole tossed parts of two years for the Orem Owlz of the affiliated Pioneer League. Since his release from the Angels organization, Cole has pitched in three independent leagues, including the 2021 campaign under the leadership of Titans manager Bobby Brown with the Missoula PaddleHeads.

Tachioka, 24, is slated to debut in professional baseball this coming summer after wrapping up a four-year collegiate career. The 5-foot-8 left-handed hitter slugged to a .363 average in 49 games a season ago at the University of Southern Indiana (Evansville, Indiana) – posting six doubles, a triple, one home run, and cashed in 23 runs. Tachioka finished in the top ten in the Ohio Valley Conference in batting average, on-base percentage (.453), and stolen bases (17).

Hailing from Saitama, Japan, Tachioka suited up in 152 career collegiate games for the Screaming Eagles – hitting .318 with 22 doubles, seven triples, three home runs, and 79 RBI.

Earlier this off-season, Tachioka was a member of Team Japan at the annual Caribbean Series – hitting .333 (4-for-12) with a double and three stolen bases in four games.

Oyama, 24, signs his first professional contract following five seasons of collegiate baseball in California. In 2024, Oymana hit .296 with 13 doubles, four triples, slugged nine home runs, and knocked in 55 runs at the University of California, Irvine (Irvine, California) – leading the Big West with 59 games played. Oyama ranked within the top ten in the Big West in plate appearances (296), at-bats (223), runs (64), total bases (114), triples (4), RBI (55), hit by pitches (26), sacrifice hits (11), and extra-base hits (26).

The 5-foot-6 left-handed hitter was named to the ABCA/Rawlings West All-Region Second Team, the Corvallis All-Regional Team, and the All-Big West Second Team last season – while also becoming the fourth Anteater to hit for the cycle on March 8 while adding a program record nine RBI in the game.

The Naha, Japan product originally began his baseball journey in North America at Merced College (Merced, California) – where he was a lifetime .331 hitter with 40 doubles, 18 triples, 24 home runs, and 169 RBI across 201 games at the Junior College and Division 1 levels.

The Ottawa Titans begin the 2025 season on the road versus the Down East Bird Dawgs on Friday, May 9 at Grainger Stadium in Kinston, North Carolina. The 2025 Home Opener is scheduled for Tuesday, May 20 at 6:30 p.m. against the New Jersey Jackals at Ottawa Stadium.

For information on Ottawa Titans’ 2025 Season Tickets, Group Outings, and Nine-Game Mini Packs, visit the Titans’ official website at www.ottawatitans.com.