Laurentian University announced the introduction of baseball to its varsity sports today. The team will begin their inaugural season September 2018 with Brodie Jeffery at the helm serving as head coach for Voyageurs Baseball.
“I’m excited to be part of this initiative at Laurentian University,” said Head Coach, Brodie Jeffery. “It opens up pathways for baseball players who want to pursue the sport they love while getting a top-notch education.”
Bodie Jeffery’s coaching experience began as an instructor with the Toronto Mets in 2013, followed by Assistant Baseball Coach at Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tennessee, and Assistant Baseball Coach at Athens High School in Athens, Alabama. He has been an Ontario Youth Team Evaluator since 2013 and the Director of Player Development at the Baseball Academy in recent years.
Along with Brodie Jeffery, Jean-Gilles Larocque joins the coaching staff as Assistant Coach with Michel Larivière, and Matt Braumberger assumed the role of pitching coach.
Dr. Larivière is a professor in the School of Human Kinetics at Laurentian University since 2005. He has academic appointments in the Psychology Department, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and the Université de Moncton. As a practicing clinical psychologist and researcher, he is particularly interested in the mental aspects of the game, team dynamics, as well as baseball analytics. He also offers opportunities for students to engage in baseball-related research.
Sudbury native Matt Braumberger, was Junior Varsity Head Coach at Clearwater High School in Kansas City before joining the Sudbury Baseball Academy in 2012 as pitching coach. Matt’s baseball career spans a decade beginning as a member of the Ontario Blue Jays from 1999 to 2003, playing for Friends University in Wichita, Kansas from 2002-2007, a member of the Western Major Baseball League in 2008-2009 playing for the Swift Current Indians and finally playing for the Wichita Astros 2009-2010 where he was the All NBC World Series Starting Pitcher.
“We are excited to add baseball to our roster of varsity sports at Laurentian,” said Chris Mercer, Associate Vice-President of Student Life, Enrolment Management and International at Laurentian University. “This opportunity was made possible by a group of passionate community leaders who brought this opportunity to our doorstep at no cost to the university, so we couldn’t say no.”
A year ago, Laurentian partnered with The Valley East Minor Baseball Association and The Baseball Academy to facilitate the growth of baseball from grassroots player development through to the elite level within the Greater Sudbury region.
“This announcement is exciting not only for the future development of northern Ontario athletes but to attract talent to the North,” said Jean-Gilles Larocque owner and director of the Baseball Academy. “Although the baseball season is short, there is a huge demand to compete at a higher level and I’m excited to see Laurentian create opportunities for athletes to compete within the Ontario University Athletics association.”
Meet the coaches and the first group of student-athletes recruited on April 27, 2018 at 10 am at the Atrium, Laurentian University.
Home openers are scheduled for September 8, 2018 against Western University and September 9, 2018 against the University of Guelph. Mark your calendars!
More information to follow.