For the first time since 2004, the Queen’s Baseball team are national champions.
The Gaels recently competed in the Canadian National University Baseball Championships in Ottawa from Oct. 22-25. Despite playing some of the top teams in the nation, the team went a perfect 5-0 in the tournament, eventually beating the Carleton Ravens 15-4 to win nationals.
Queen’s was coming off a strong regular season where they went 8-4, allowing them to qualify for the OUA playoffs.
But the team struggled in provincials. Despite beating the Waterloo Warriors in game one, the team faltered in the next two games against the Brock Badgers and Laurier Golden Hawks and were eliminated from the OUA playoffs.
“We were a little disappointed with the result,” Queen’s Baseball Head Coach Jeff Melrose said in an interview with The Journal. “That really hurt. I felt like we were playing too tight.”
The Gaels had a chance to redeem themselves though, as their strong regular season record also allowed them to qualify for nationals as well.
And redeem themselves they did.
Nationals began with three games of pool play. Game one was against the McGill Redbirds, who the Gaels proceeded to beat 7-3 behind a strong hitting performance from Jack Angel, Sci ’28.
The team then proceeded to play in a couple of low-scoring affairs.
They first got revenge on the Golden Hawks, beating them 2-0 in a complete game shutout from Mackenzie Rabeau, ArtSci ’27.
“The [win against] Laurier was particularly important, because they really are one of the top ranked teams in the OUA,” Melrose said.
The Gaels then rode Ryan Opresnik, ArtSci ’27, for another complete game shutout in a 2-0 victory over the New Brunswick Reds to move the team to 3-0 in pool play.
After going undefeated in pool play, the team received a bye past the quarterfinals and played a semifinal game against the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers, who they beat handedly by a score of 9-1. Adding to the trend, Robert Jamieson, ArtSci ’27, pitched another complete game for the Gaels.
“That was a really strong performance,” Melrose said on Jamieson’s outing. “We [also] got some offense from some guys who had been struggling a little bit as well,” he said.
That led the team to a date with the Carleton Ravens in the finals with a national championship on the line.
The Ravens were also undefeated heading into the finals and were the weekend’s host team.
Building on last game, the Gaels offence exploded against the Ravens, beating them by a score of 15-4 to win the national championships. Catcher Alex Cole, ArtSci ’30, had four hits, while Jonah Brotman, Sci ’27, and Clarke Needles, ArtSci ’27, each hit big home runs in the game.
Cole’s clutch performance in the finals is another accomplishment in an astounding season for the Gaels. After their main catcher went down early on in the season, Cole stepped in and caught almost every game from there on, also becoming one of the team’s best bats towards the end of the year.
“Alex’s contribution was pretty unbelievable, to go back there and catch day in and day out,” Melrose said. “What he did was outstanding.”
Melrose also praised Angel for hitting over .500 during the regular season, and the entire pitching staff for keeping the team in games throughout the year when the offense struggled at times.
When asked about what his team improved most this year, Melrose said that there wasn’t some big thing that got fixed, rather his team just “played looser” and bonded more as the season progressed.
“They didn’t look like a team that was afraid to lose. I think it has to do with the way that they bonded, and came together, and started to have a little bit of more fun,” he said.
With the busy season over, the players will have a bit of time to unwind and catch up on their academics. Training for next season will begin in January when the players hit the weightroom.
“They need a break, and everyone involved needs a break,” Melrose said. “We’re all exhausted, and this has been a long season, full of highs and lows too. There’s a physical toll and an emotional toll that it takes on everyone.”
The players can now relax with the glory of a national championship under their belt as they prepare all winter to defend their title next season.
Tags
Men's baseball, national championship
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