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Anthony Quirion with the Big Bill Friday | Sports | The gallery

Lhe young man from Coaticook will be able to touch the field, he who is eligible for the major baseball draft, from July 11 to 13.

The 23-year-old Quirion has just completed his stint in the NCAA with Lamar University, in the Southland Conference, Texas. In 48 games, he led his team with 12 home runs, which placed him second among Canadian players in NCAA Division 1, in addition to producing 39 points.

“I drafted Anthony last year, telling myself that if he could play with us, it would be a big advantage. He signed on to play in the Ontario IPL League this summer, but activities have been delayed a bit. Currently, he is waiting for the draft in the MLB before deciding what to do next. He hopes to be drafted, and we too would like him to be! But in the meantime, last Friday, he gave me a call to see if he could play with us until the draft, in order to stay active. We will see then. If he is not drafted, it will be up to us to convince him to stay with us so that he is ready for the Frontier League next year, ”said Big Bill head coach Jonathan Breton.

The Big Bill concluded their 2020 season with a record under 0.500, seven wins and eight losses, before being shown out of the playoffs in the first round.

In preparation for this 2021 season, the Big Bill has managed to train regularly and the enthusiasm is present, says Jonathan Breton.

“We practiced even more than usual! The guys couldn’t wait to play. We had to do groups, because of sanitary measures, and also because I had too many guys interested in practicing. And that is rare in senior baseball! We practiced once a week, but from May we started training with the team. I was 16-17 guys. We were supposed to play exhibition games, but because of the complexity of organizing it all, it didn’t happen. We finally played an exhibition game last weekend against the Coaticook Rocket of the LBJEQ. We did well, the guys were doing well, my pitchers too. “

Berube present?

The key, a lot of times in senior baseball, is depth at the mound.

“I think I have a club to be in the top third of the league: it remains to be seen if my pitchers will be there. This is often the senior. If my pitchers are there, we’re in the car. I have never had a team with so much depth, and this, in all positions. There are puzzles in sight. The young people that we drew up are present, they have not missed a training session, ”confirmed Jonathan Breton.

“Samuel Poliquin, who arrived with us last year, was aiming for a position in the Frontier League this year. But since they made only one team, from three teams, he was not chosen. With us, he wants to be good, and to prove that he has his place in the Frontier next year. He’s going to give a lot, so I’m going to have to protect him a bit. “

The presence of Marc-Antoine Bérubé with the Big Bill could greatly change the situation, said Breton.

He played in Baseball Quebec before being a 28th round pick by the Oakland Athletics in the 2015 MLB Draft.

Since 2017, he has been acting as the pitching coordinator for the ABC and he is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in athletic therapy at Concordia University.

“This is our question mark for the past two years. He’s a guy who will dominate in our league, he played at level A, in the minors. He came to training camp last year. But this year the ABC is due to leave for the United States from July, but it will stay here. When we get to the playoffs, he’ll be available. I have high hopes for him. We will see what he will be able to give us. This is the first year he’s told me he’s available. All the teams that have won in the last few years have had a high quality pitcher. So if Bérubé shows up, I can tell myself that I’m in the car for the playoffs! “

Jean-Sébastien Gauthier will be back with the team, he who had been traded two years ago to Saint-Jérôme.

As for veteran Vincent Guay, a calf injury suffered during the exhibition game against the Rocket could cost him the entire next season.

A change of division

The LBMQ has reshaped its divisions at the dawn of this 2021 season.

Thus, Coaticook now finds itself in the company of the new concession of Drummondville, Shawinigan, Thetford and Victoriaville.

The very long rivalry against the Sherbrooke Expos is over. At least, apart from a few games.

“It’s a shame, because it cuts our rivalry against Sherbrooke, and I find that boring. We face Sherbrooke this Friday, and a week later, but then we don’t see them again before a semi-final, or a final. It’s disappointing. But hey, it was accepted by the governors. We understood that Drummond (new club) was coming to our side, but I don’t really understand Sherbrooke; yes, they have a lot of players from the Montreal area, but you cut off a natural rivalry, which has always been very good at the wickets, ”said Jonathan Breton.

Repeat 2018

Jonathan Breton believes he has in hand elements similar to those which, in 2018, allowed the Big Bill to reach the final of the LBMQ.

“Last year, our problem was that we started late. We started with a few losses, we were never sure we would have a full roster, because of COVID. This year, seeing 17 guys show up for training, I expect to have a lot more complete rosters and a more competitive team. We want to finish in the top third of the league. We have the club to finish in the top three in our division and then, we can surprise, a bit like in 2018, when we made the final. “

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