The Edmonton Collegiate Hawks would love for history to repeat itself.
In 2023, the fourth-place team during the Canadian College Baseball Conference regular season, the University of Calgary Dinos, took home the championship.
Despite starting the season with 16-straight games on the road, the Hawks finished in fourth place with a 15-15 record.
It was a year where any team seemed capable of beating any other team on any given weekend, which veteran outfielder Réjean Bourget says is a product of the quality of rosters each program has put together.
The Bonnyville, Alberta product was limited to just 10 games during the season, hitting .333 with two runs batted in and four stolen bases after a CCBC All-Conference First-Team nod in 2023.
Earlier in the season, we sat down with the St. Francis Xavier High School product to talk about the lengthy roadtrip, growing up with a twin brother (Gino) and his favourite card game for an episode of Alberta Dugout Stories: The Podcast.
1. You spent a lot of time on the road to start the season. Was it a good thing for team bonding or was it a bad thing because you weren’t able to get that home-cooked meal more often?
My parents hated it, that’s for sure. My parents are huge ball fans and they haven’t been able to come see us on the road. Going back to the team, I feel like the bonding is great. I can’t tell you how many games of “President” we’ve played on the bus and I think it’s pretty rad. We kind of have this weird addiction to cards because we’ve played so many games. For bonding, it’s great. It just comes down to staying focused, having good rest and trying to eat as good as you can on the road and getting the best sleep you can. It is super-difficult, especially on a bus. You’re on the road, you’re stopping at multiple Subways or gas station areas so you’re not getting the best fuel. It does fatigue some players but I think, at the end of the day, for me, being an older player now, hopefully it was a learning experience for our younger talented players will see that and understand how to prepare for future roadtrips.
2. What’s your message been to those younger players about the marathon but a spring of the season and the lead-up to World Series?
I try to reinforce to them that nothing is ever given, especially in the game of baseball. I feel like we take that for granted, just seeing how good our staff has been for us. This year, from a hitter’s standpoint and a defensive standpoint, we can’t expect to go in and roll teams. You have to learn to respect your opponents, no matter who they are or what their rank is. In any moments in life, nothing is ever given to you and you have to really work for it. Obviously, I think we have one of the best pitching staffs in the league and some of the best players. We just have to come with that better mindset and that approach to respect your opponents because they’re also there trying to give it their all and they’re playing the same game as you are.
3. What do you see out of your staff as well as your position players that make you think that is going to be a team to be reckoned with in the CCBC World Series?
I’m at a loss for words with this staff. I’d never want to face them. Honestly, I sometimes feel bad because I can’t even imagine going up against those arms like (Riley) Barrett, (Halen) Knoll, (Nick) Backstrom, (Matthew) Ridsdale, Reece (Devlin), and all of our ‘pen guys too. I’m pretty fortunate to be a Hawk sometimes, that’s for sure, because just facing them, they’re just super-talented players. They definitely make you work up there.
From some of our offensive players, I feel like we’ve been going through a bit of a slump. I preach a lot is just having that mental toughness and going through these tough series and just understanding and having that self-confidence in you. Because that was the biggest help for me throughout sports or bad slumps or life moments was just having confidence or that belief in yourself. That’s helped me honestly prevail, I think, especially throughout my baseball career. It’s a sport where we fail a lot, right? It’s about how you get to that next at-bat or how you prepare or get ready mentally to get to that next at-bat or get that next ground ball or that next big pitch for your team.
I can’t stress it enough: the more you try to pressure yourself as an individual with either individual accolades or statistics, the more pressure you put on yourself, it just doesn’t happen man. I’ve been there before as a 17- or 18-year-old freshman in the United States and it’s obviously a hard start for me and really eye-opening. I had dry spells and slumps in high school as well, and the more pressure I put on myself as an individual, I wasn’t seeing the results at all. But the more I generated my focus on my at-bats towards my team, it is amazing what that can do and help settle your mind, especially when your sport is based on failure.
4. How did you get into the game in the first place?
I’d like to take this time to thank Fred Cardinal and Jim Church. Also, my father as well. They were three people who got me interested in the game of baseball. Frank and Fred are like the baseball godfathers in our town. They were guys who coached for a long, long time. Jim Church, especially, even when his sons were done playing, he was somebody who continued to coach and even umpire. So to see his level of passion and how much drive he had to keep a sport that’s not as well-known as hockey, it’s inspiring.
I’d also like to thank Rod Scammell. He was my coach with the Edmonton Cardinals when my brother and I made our first move out to Edmonton and just his passion for the game and how much he supported me during some of the harder times in my career, like when I was struggling at the plate or not performing as well. His passion and drive and confidence he had in me, so just a huge thanks to him. He’s somebody who pushed me to get to these higher levels, for sure.
5. What’s it like growing up in a household with a twin?
It’s super-funny that you ask that, man. It’s good and bad for sure. It’s obviously awesome having that family support and having my brother with me in high school, junior high, we went to Garden City for that same year as well. Same room, same dorm. It’s nice to have that social support and somebody that’s always been by your side. But we obviously butt heads though a fair share as well. We’ll talk about tough at-bats or tough plays, and we’d have some good, chippy matchups and some good chirps.
At the end of the day though, I’m super-blessed to have that family support and he is a great influence on me. He was obviously a good hitter as well in high school so that pushed me to try to beat him because you know how it is with family, friends and close teammates. You always want to compete with them a bit and I feel like we had that so it was something that helped us excel, especially during our high school years of ball. It was tough not having him throughout my college career and it’s still tough now, but he’s come to watch my games, it’s tough to see him up in the stands. But having him in the early days was a huge support for me.
6. A couple of fun ones for you: what’s your card game of choice?
President, for sure. It gets at least seven players involved. We even jotted out this little standing board so guys have been itching to knock off on the top. Big shout-out to Gooch here too. He actually knocked me off the leaderboard late last night. I’ll be gunning for them on the next trip.
7. What is your go-to walk-up tune?
“Thief” by Ookay.
8. If you had advice for those kids just starting out on their baseball journeys in Bonnyville or anywhere in Alberta, what would you say to them?
Just to have lots of belief and self-confidence in their abilities. Also to work hard every day because nothing is ever given.
9. What does the game of baseball mean to you?
It means a lot. Coming back from the US (Garden City Community College), it was obviously hard to find that love again because everyone wants to have that higher career and play down south. Once I came back, it was hard to find that love. But again, a huge shout-out to the Edmonton Hawks staff and all the players in helping me find that love again. Jake Lanferman, our head coach, Weegs (Nolan Weger), Coff (Nathan Coffin), Flasch (Dylan Flasch), they all helped me regain that love and just being around a great group of guys for the last three years. It’s hard to put into words. They helped me come back and find that love again. I can’t thank them enough.
