PADRES ALUMNI

Welcome to the Edmonton Padres Baseball Alumni section, where we celebrate the remarkable achievements of our former players. These talented athletes have not only excelled during their time with the Padres organization, but have also continued on to make their mark in world of baseball and beyond.

This page is just getting started, so stay tuned for more amazing Padres Alumni added in the near future.

BRAYDEN MICHETTI

Brayden started his career with the Padres as an 11U player. He quickly understood what it meant to be dedicated and never stop working hard. His first year saw him win City championships and move on to a silver medal at Provincial A.

Nominated 6 times as Baseball Alberta player of the year, Brayden enjoyed several other baseball opportunities in his high school career…T-12 ID, Alberta summer games, several “Best of the West” tournaments, Keith Jorganson memorial show case tournaments, Toronto Blue Jays summer camps, Spokane wood bat classic tournament and many other showcase tournaments.
Brayden was a fierce pitcher, pitching his very best game in the Canadian Westerns Championships in 2016. The silver medal was the result.

After that, Brayden became a full-time middle infielder with a tremendous batting average and also hit for power. He led the 18UAAA Norwest league in triples and OBP in his first year in the league.

After high school, Brayden joined the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks in the Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC). In his rookie year, he hit .317 with an .452 OBP, earning him “Rookie of the Year”. That year, he was also named to the second “All conference team” in the CCBC championships. Signing a contract with the Edmonton Riverhawks of the WCL was certainly a wonderful way to start his college baseball career.

Although he felt engineering was his love, he has shifted to earning his degree in accounting. His goal is to be a CPA, but law is still not out of the question. He always maintains that education is first, and sport can get you there.
A proud alumnus of the Edmonton Padres, Brayden has committed to also coaching and instructing with the Padres academy programs. He wants to give back what he learned and continue the great success of all Padres baseball programs.

CONNOR WANHELLA

Connor Wanhella started his baseball career off playing for his hometown of St. Albert. After many years in St. Albert, he joined the Edmonton Padres fall and High-Performance offseason program. This is where he quickly realized what it took to compete at the next level. Working hard on the field and in the weight room quickly became a huge part in Connor’s development.

A couple years after joining the offseason program, Connor joined the Padres U18 AAA team competing in the Norwest League. Connor was a key component of this Padres team as a power hitter and great defensive first baseman. This team was one of the most competitive baseball Connor has ever played and showed him what being a teammate was all about. Everyone still says, “Best first baseman in the history of the Padres”. Nothing got by him, and he turned first to second double plays like it was natural.

After his career with the Padres, Connor went on to play for the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks for four seasons in the CCBC. Immediately, Connor made an impact for the Hawks leading the team in RBI’s and Innings played in his freshman year. Playing both first and third base, he became a leader on the Hawks early and continued to lead throughout his collegiate career. Connor also signed with the Edmonton Riverhawks in his rookie year in the WCL. During his time with the Hawks, Connor went to the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Marketing which he will be completing in April of 2026.

Currently Connor is back playing for the Padres with the Senior AAA Sunburst Team. He loves coming back to the diamond with many of his friends he has played and competed with along his career. Connor is a proud Padres alumnus and contributes much of his baseball career success to the Edmonton Padres and their programs.

ERIC PANKIW

Eric Pankiw began his extensive career in baseball at a young age. Trying out for a Single A baseball team saw him selected for a Provincial A team. He quickly became an asset both offensively and defensively, cementing his spot as a solid pitcher and hitter for the years to come.

He worked his way from single A to AA while continuing his successes through 15UAA into 18UAAA. He was scouted for two Western Championships as a pitcher/utility player in his 18U years. One was with the Leduc Giants and the other with the St. Albert Cardinals. During his Midget years, Eric travelled to many showcase tournaments from Western Canada, Western US states and Texas.

Eric had the opportunity to play his overage season with the newly minted AAA Padres in the Norwest league. He recorded a spot in the top 5 among Strikeout league leaders and most singles is a single season amassing 50 total hits. Even though he never played at that level before, he still managed an outstanding batting average of .300. He pitched efficiently and effectively. Utilizing his entire team as well as his arsenal of pitches, while recording numerous strikeouts along the way. He showed that hard work and resilience always pay off. As well as being a leader for his other teammates, he put in the extra work and helped push his teammates to be the best they could be. Eric helped shape the standards of Padres AAA baseball to this day. In his final year of high school baseball, he won the prestigious Baseball Alberta EIBF scholarship, which he used to help fund his studies in years to come at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT).

JADEN BABIUK

Jaden Babiuk, a proud Edmonton Padres alumnus, has built an outstanding collegiate baseball career defined by consistency, versatility, and leadership. After playing for the Padres, he continued his academic and athletic journey at Valley City State University, competing in the NAIA’s North Star Athletic Association.

Across four seasons with the VCSU Vikings, Jaden appeared in 188 games and became one of the program’s most accomplished hitters. He recorded 224 career hits, placing him 2nd all-time in both hits and doubles, while also earning multiple Top 10 rankings in RBIs and total bases. He also holds the school record for at-bats with 677. At the plate, he posted a career batting average of .331, collecting eight home runs, 45 doubles, and 92 RBIs.

A true leader on and off the field, Jaden earned All-Conference honors as a catcher in his sophomore seasons and as a shortstop in his junior season. Known for his defensive reliability, he excelled not only behind the plate but also at shortstop, second base, and third base—demonstrating the adaptability that made him an invaluable piece of the Vikings’ success.

Jaden’s impact extended into the summers, where he played in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL) for the Fort McMurray Giants (2023) and the Medicine Hat Mavericks (2024–2025). There, he surpassed 300 total collegiate hits, further establishing himself as a durable and productive player. In 2025, he hit .309 for Medicine Hat, continuing to bring veteran leadership and steady offensive production.

Through his dedication and work ethic, Jaden has left a lasting mark on VCSU baseball and has set a standard of perseverance and passion for future athletes from the Edmonton Padres. His journey reflects the commitment to growth and love for the game that began right here at home with the Padres organization.

NOLAN RIVARD

Nolan started his baseball career playing with his hometown of Legal. After winning a Baseball Alberta Provincial championship with them, he moved on to play with the Edmonton Padres in the 18U AAA Norwest league.

Nolan came to the Padres primarily as a pitcher, but the coaching staff quickly realized he was much more than that. He became a true utility player, able to play infield and outfield, while still throwing it hard off the mound. At the plate, he not only hit for average, but he also hit for power. Incredibly fast on the basepaths had him known as a dangerous base-stealer.

During his high school career with the Padres, Nolan also had the opportunity for many other high profile baseball opportunities. To name a few…Alberta Prairie Sticks Showcase tournament, Team Alberta (Canada Cup) and the BLE Scout Team (Arizona). He also played in numerous “Best of the West” showcase tournaments and represented Alberta at the Canadian Western baseball championships (silver medal). Nolan was an active player in the Padres High Performance Academy.

Nolan signed with the Okanagan College Coyotes in the Canadian Collegiate Baseball Conference (CCBC) in 2021, where he continued performing at a high level. A highlight was winning the CCBC championship in 2023, earning himself a championship ring.

After three years with the Coyotes and completing his Business Administration Diploma, Nolan returned to Edmonton to attend NAIT and obtain his Industrial Mechanic certification. While doing this, he finished his last year of college baseball eligibility with the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks.

Nolan is a proud Padres alumnus, and the association is incredibly proud of his baseball accomplishments as an alumnus of the Edmonton Padres.

THOMAS MUHLETHALER

Tom, a proud NEZ (Now Padres) Baseball alumnus, continued both his academic and athletic journey at Hancock College in Santa Maria, California. There, he competed in the highly competitive Western State Conference within the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA), equivalent to NCAA Division I for junior colleges.

After two seasons and earning an Associate of Arts Degree in Business, Tom transferred to Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins, Texas, where he competed in the NAIA's Red River Athletic Conference during his junior and senior years. His senior season was nothing short of exceptional. Tom led the league with a .424 batting average, ranked second in on-base percentage at .497, fifth in total hits (59), third in slugging percentage (.576), third in RBIs (37), and led the conference in stolen bases with 30.

Tom excelled both on and off the field. Academically, he earned the prestigious President’s Award for maintaining a high GPA and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business. Athletically, he earned multiple accolades including:

Gold Glove Award (Centre Fielder)
First Team All-Conference
Conference Batting Champion
Conference Player of the Year
NAIA Honorable Mention All-American

During the summers, he also continued playing baseball in the Sunburst League. In his final season, he claimed the league’s batting title—joining his father as the only father-son duo to have their names engraved on the trophy.

A true multi-sport athlete, Tom also played minor hockey and competed in high school volleyball and basketball. He has always believed in the importance of being a student-athlete—with the emphasis on student. He understands that without dedication to academics, athletic dreams can be cut short. Tom remains deeply proud of his roots and his association with NEZ-Padres Baseball.

ZELAYA DOWNS

Zelaya Downs (right in photo) has always been involved with baseball, whether it was playing baseball herself, watching others play baseball or coaching.

Following in her father’s footsteps (Will) Zelaya started playing baseball with the Northeast Zone association at 5 years old. She began playing competitively with the Padres since its inception in 2011 until she was 17 years old. Throughout those years from 2015-2019, she was a five-time Team Alberta member (14U and 16U), competing in several Western and National Championships.

Zelaya then took a brief break from baseball before transitioning into coaching. Despite the 2024 baseball season being her first official year of coaching, she was quite successful as she helped lead the 13U AA Edmonton Padres and 14U Team Alberta Girls to gold medals at Provincial and Western championships, respectively. Also, in 2024, she served as an assistant coach for the 18U Padres Fall Ball performance team. This past baseball season (2025), Zelaya, alongside coaching with her sister, Kirah Downs, won another Provincial championship with her 13U AA Padres team.

During the 2024 offseason, Zelaya received two coaching awards: the Baseball Alberta “Ted Rudd” Minor Baseball Coach of the Year award and the Edmonton Padres “Will Downs” Coach of the Year award. Aside from coaching, Zelaya also assists NEZ Sports Council as the Girls Baseball Director, where she created and led the inaugural, as well as subsequent, all-girls offseason baseball camps.

Outside of baseball, Zelaya recently completed her Bachelor of Science degree and is currently studying to become a chiropractor at CMCC in Toronto.

Zelaya is a proud Padres alumnus and always believes that hard work, dedication and education are everything you need to succeed in baseball and in life.