The tournament was held last weekend in Saint-Jean de Terre-Neuve. It’s amazing! I don’t even know how to describe the feeling. I made several other Canadian championships, but I never came back with gold. It’s a completely different feeling from the others, says the player.
Éla Day-Bédard got the start on the mound in the final, which Quebec won 13-9 against British Columbia.
« Knowing that your team is the first in Canada at this level is indescribable. There is no better feeling. »
The versatile player had a strong tournament in all aspects of the game. She maintained a batting average of .500, but it is above all her presence on base average that strikes the imagination.
Day-Bédard was hit eight times by pitching, in addition to getting three walks and five hits to find herself on base 16 times in 22 appearances, a .722 average.
Gatineau player Éla Day-Bédard won the Most Valuable Player award in the final against British Columbia.
Photo: Courtesy of Joanne Lockyer
It went really well throughout the tournament. I really knew how to stand out. In my opinion, it was probably my best tournament. I impressed myself! It’s a very nice weekend. Everything is going well until the final. Everything was going as we wanted
says Day-Bédard, who also stood out defensively on the mound, at shortstop and even in right field.
The player also won the golden glove for the best defensive player of the tournament, in addition to being named player of the match during the grand finale.
Day-Bédard stands out everywhere
The victory of the national tournament is the exclamation point on a great season for the Gatineau player. Day-Bédard shuttled all summer between Trois-Rivières and Gatineau.
In Mauricie, she aligned herself with the ABC Baseball Academy, which brings together the best players in the province. In Outaouais, it was with the Tyrans de Gatineau U17 AAA men that she had her place.
fun is that I had my place on the ground. I was on the starting lineup and then I stood out. I also impressed the guys. They said ”she has something to show us”, it’s a big pride, they saw that I deserved to be there”,”text”:”I was proud. I was coming to the pitch and the guys were like, ‘Oh my God, there’s a girl on the team’. Yes, there is a girl and what is even more fun is that I had my place on the pitch. I was on the starting lineup and then I stood out. I also impressed the guys. They said ”she has something to show us”, it’s a big pride, they saw that I deserved to be there”}}”>I was proud. I was coming to the field and the guys were like ”Oh my God, there is a girl in the team”. Yes there is a girl and what is even more the fun is that I had my place on the ground. I was on the starting lineup and then I stood out. I also impressed the guys. They said ”she has something to show us”, it’s a big pride, they saw that I deserved to be there
says Day-Bédard.
Éla Day-Bédard is congratulated by her teammates from Team Quebec.
Photo: Courtesy of Joanne Lockyer
The player who started playing baseball by throwing the ball with her father at the cottage during the summers off now has the national team in her sights. She does not regret having made extra efforts this summer to get closer to her goal.
It was really fun to do half and half. I was able to continue playing with the boys, my childhood friends, but also be with the girls on weekends. It was a good balance. It allows me to develop even more at the feminine level. It was busy, but that’s how we like summer
laughs Day-Bédard.
We will have to watch the young girl’s rise to the national team in the coming months. She will also be eligible for the next draft of the Quebec Junior Elite Baseball League next winter and could therefore become one of the rare players to have played in this circuit since its creation.
With information from Ismaël Sy
