By JOE McFARLAND

If anyone is licking his chops waiting for the playoffs to begin, it’s Medicine Hat Mavericks catcher Nick Thibodeau.

The Burlington, Ontario product made quite the first impression on the Saskatoon Berries, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and five runs batted in when the two teams first locked horns on May 29.

In all, he’s picked up 15 hits in 27 at-bats while knocking in 14 runs in seven games against the Berries, who the Mavericks face in the opening round of the Western Canadian Baseball League playoffs.

Thibodeau is coming off a great season for the Mavs, where he hit .332 while leading the team in homers (11) and RBI (63) and was named a WCBL All-Star.

The 6-foot, 185-pound backstop is a Howard College alumni and is now majoring in Accounting at the University of West Alabama.

Our Ian Wilson caught up with Thibodeau before the Mavericks took on the Weyburn Beavers on Canada Day, which helped form our latest 7^th Inning Stretch.

1. How did you get into baseball in the first place?

Growing up, my brother played baseball. My dad also played baseball through elementary school and high school. I originally grew up playing hockey and lacrosse, but as I got older, I kind of stopped wanting to play lacrosse and wanted to pick up baseball. So I started when I was around seven or eight years old and, from there, played throughout elementary and high school, and now I’m in college.

2. What was it about baseball that made you want to ditch the other sports?

More just being in the summertime, playing hockey was only a wintertime situation. Being able to play a sport throughout the summer as well as in the winter, it worked well with what I wanted to do. And as I kept playing baseball, it grew on me more and more. I figured that’s what I wanted to pursue in college and that’s what I chose.

C #22 Nick Thibodeau (Burlington, ON) on his 2-4, 5 RBI night. His thoughts on returning to school in Livingston AL, and a shout out to the best fans in the WCBL.@TourismMedHat | @wcbleague | #medhat pic.twitter.com/bBolO44FWr
— Medicine Hat Mavericks (@mhmavericks) August 2, 2024

3. This is your first time playing in Canada outside of Ontario and Quebec. What’s the experience been like for you in Medicine Hat?

I think the community is really great. Coming from back home, I was born and raised in a city of about 200,000 people. So coming out here in, what I like to say jokingly, the middle of nowhere, it’s different for me. I know with school in junior college was the same kind of thing. But I think the town here is great, the people here are amazing. The fans come out and support us, the coaches and my teammates – it’s been a great experience.

4. And how about the on-field experience?

On the field, being here for the first home game, being able to catch on day one for the home-opener was pretty crazy for me. I’ve never really played in front of more than 200 people at most, so having on average over 1,000 fans a game has been a new experience. I’ve come to enjoy it and like it. I think the crowd really supports us through what we do and how we play. It’s just been amazing to come out here every day and play.

5. What is your walk-up song right now and how did you land on it?

“Voices” by Motionless in White. I like a different sort of music. I love country music. Going to junior college in Texas, it was straight country music and I loved listening to that on a daily basis. Usually before games, it’s a lot of heavy metal, screamo and emo, just to help lock me in.

6. What is your favourite ballpark food?

I always have to go for a hot dog. And just ketchup for the toppings.

7. Any words of wisdom or pieces of advice you like to impart on young kids just starting out on their baseball journeys?

Always put in the work. Don’t allow the small things to affect you. Just go out there and do your best every single day even if you don’t feel at your best. Just go out there, do what you can do and let the chips fall where they may. It’s all you can do.

The Mavericks host game one of the WCBL Division Semi-Finals on Wednesday, August 7. The series shifts to Saskatoon for game two on Thursday and, if necessary, game three will go Friday back at Athletic Park.