Mitchell Canham

Mitchell "Mitch" Canham (born September 25, 1984 in Richland, Washington) is a former catcher and infielder for the Oregon State Beavers baseball team. [cite web|title=Mitch Canham |url=http://www.osubeavers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=24962&SPID=1962&DB_OEM_ID=4700&ATCLID=130916&Q_SEASON=2006|accessdate=2006-06-21|publisher=OSUBeavers.com] Canham was on both the 2006 and 2007 OSU teams which won back to back NCAA Baseball National Championships at the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, as well as the 2005 team which made it there and lost in two games. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball with the 57th overall pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. [cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2007/drafttracker.jsp 2007|title=MLB.com Draft Tracker|accessdate=2007-06-21|publisher=MLB.com]

Canham attended Lake Stevens High School in Lake Stevens, Washington, where he was a three sport star and honor student.

College

Canham was named to the preseason All-American second team by the Collegiate Baseball newspaper and as a third team All-American by Baseball America. He ended the season as a third team All-American selection by the Collegiate Baseball newspaper. [cite web|title="LOUISVILLE SLUGGER'S" ALL-AMERICAN BASEBALL TEAMS|url=http://www.baseballnews.com/allamericans/currentallamericans.htm|accessdate=2007-06-30]

Family

Canham's mother died while he was a freshman in college.cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/columns/story?columnist=crasnick_jerry&id=3492010&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1 |title=ESPN - A brother's burden: Baseball in a time of tribulation - MLB |format= |work= |accessdate=2008-07-17] Mitch's younger brother, Dustin Canham, died in 2008 while serving with the United States Marines in Djibouti; the circumstances surrounding Dustin Canham's death received national attention based on a perceived cover up by the military and allegations that the death was due to hazing.cite web |url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/369272_marine03.html |title=Marine's death in Africa wasn't hazing, Corps says |format= |work= |accessdate=2008-07-17]

Mitch's great uncle, Major General Charles D. W. Canham, commanded the 29th Infantry Division's 116th Infantry Regiment during its D-Day landing on Omaha Beach, earning the Distinguished Service Cross for valor in combat.

References