Baseball: the Voltigeurs always aim for excellence

BASEBALL. The Voltigeurs continue to strive for excellence. The Cégep de Drummondville baseball team will soon set out to conquer a third consecutive championship within the Quebec Student Sport Network (RSEQ).

Double playoff winners in 2018 and 2019, the Voltigeurs saw the 2020 season be canceled due to the pandemic. Established in 2016, the Drummondville program was recently named the best college team in Canada.

This season, head coach Samuel Guilbert will count on a roster of around 30 players, including no less than 22 rookies.

“We will still have a very good team. In each position, we have very good athletes. In our recruitment, we went to look for players from all over Quebec. Even if the guys didn’t know each other at the start, there is already a good chemistry that has settled into the team, ”explained Samuel Guilbert.

For this reason, the Voltigeurs pilot is approaching the season with confidence. “We have all the elements to go all the way, but the first objective is to make it to the playoffs. As the semi-finals and the final are played in one game, you have to hope to get up on a good day. Even if we have an all-star team, it is played out on the pitch. As reigning champions, we will have the advantage of playing in front of our fans, but anything can happen, ”said the 28-year-old coach.

On the offensive, the Voltigeurs will count on the return of 20-year-old veteran Samuel Rajotte. The Dukes of Longueuil outfielder has established himself among the best players on Quebec’s elite junior circuit this season. “Our speed is our main strength. Our outer field is very comprehensive. From first to ninth batter, we’re going to be very quick, ”said Samuel Guilbert, who patrols center field with the Brock in the Quebec Major League Baseball.

At the mound, Charles Trépanier and William St-Pierre should see a lot of action this season. “We have a lot of pitchers, both starters and relievers. Everyone will have to understand their role and do their job. We have guys who throw a lot of takes. We have a very good defense, so we are going to ask our pitchers to avoid the goals on the ball. This will be the key to success for us, ”said Guilbert.

A busy schedule

The Voltigeurs will start their regular season this Saturday, September 18, at noon, at the Jacques-Desautels stadium. The representatives of Cégep de Drummondville will play a double program against the Blues of Dawson College.

Composed of 12 games for each of the five teams on the circuit, the RSEQ’s regular schedule will continue until mid-October. The Jacques-Desautels stadium will host the playoffs on Saturday, October 23. The teams holding the first four positions in the standings will be in action in the semi-finals.

Lately, the Voltigeurs have refined their preparation by playing a tournament in Ottawa. The Drummondville team admitted defeating 6-4 in the semifinals against the University of Ottawa Gee Gees. The eventual champions of the competition erased a 4-0 deficit in the seventh set before winning 7-1 in the final.

“What’s interesting is that we came out there with a roster full of rookies. Most of our players were in the junior elite playoffs. We didn’t really have any expectations. I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of our young people, ”said Samuel Guilbert.

Throughout their regular season, the Voltigeurs will play exhibition games against Canadian university programs, notably those of Concordia and Carleton. In total, the team will be involved in nearly 40 games this fall.

“We have acquired a lot of notoriety with our first position in the Canadian rankings. Our university opponents have asked us to put our best lineup on the pitch. On our side, we want to win all our games, regardless of the context. We always arrive on the pitch with the same mentality, ”concluded Samuel Guilbert.