Baseball Quebec wishes to develop its sport at the college and university levels. A desire that receives careful attention from the president of Baseball Bas-Saint-Laurent, Luc Jobin.
The latter is also part of a working committee set up by the provincial federation on which also sit Marc Vadeboncoeur, president of Baseball Quebec, Mathieu Blondin, president of the Outaouais region, Rodger Brulotte, president of the Junior League elite of Quebec, as well as Benoît Carrière, director of the RSEQ, college level.
At the end of the committee meeting earlier this week, Mr. Jobin said he was very excited about the project. “I got a call from Rodger Brulotte the next day. He encouraged me in my steps. He advocates the development of baseball in Quebec. The RSEQ is ready to integrate several other Cégeps into the current league. »
Programs in two Cégeps outside Montreal
In a document sent to the general management of the Cégep, Mr. Jobin states that the offer at the college level, and especially at the university level, is very poor in terms of baseball in Quebec. At the college level, the offer is concentrated in the Montreal region, in addition to Laflèche (Trois-Rivières) and Drummondville, which have a program.
“As president of the Bas-Saint-Laurent region and member of the working committee, I have the mandate to develop the college baseball service offer in Bas-Saint-Laurent. I am therefore officially approaching the Cégep de Rimouski with the aim of offering players in the region a men’s collegiate baseball team that would join the RSEQ for the 2023 season, ”he explains.
Continuity of civilian programs
Mr. Jobin adds that a first men’s collegiate team in Rimouski would be a continuation of the actions deployed in recent years with the establishment of AA and AAA teams in the Bas-Saint-Laurent in addition to the three junior BB teams on the territory. Actions that have resulted in some fifteen elite players from the region expatriating last fall to Trois-Rivières and Drummondville for the sole reason of being able to play baseball at the college level.
In terms of infrastructure, the senior field at Complexe Guillaume-Leblanc will undergo a major upgrade in the coming months. The regular season on the college circuit takes place in September and October. In terms of training, the opening of a specialized Baseball ID center is an important asset.
Benefits and support
Among the advantages in the project, the addition of students from outside who would register constitutes a plus at a time when CEGEPs are in a way competing in the recruitment process. Also, we can consider that the implementation costs, particularly with regard to equipment, are much lower than for a hockey or football team.
The project receives various supports: the provincial deputy, Harold Lebel; the managing director of the Senior Shaker of the Puribec League and former member of the Fondation du Cégep de Rimouski, Michel Francoeur; Leisure and Sport Bas-Saint-Laurent (formerly the URLS); the union of Cégep teachers (SEECR), the General Association of Cégep students (AGECR), and the Rimouski company Baseball ID
A female component, currently absent at college, could be considered in the medium term in Rimouski, especially with the establishment in Trois-Rivières of the Canadian Baseball Academy (ABC) for girls. A college network would be a logical continuation of things.
