Édouard Julien is the youngest player to play in the Quebec Junior Elite Baseball League (LBJÉQ) to advance to Major League Baseball. He wore the uniform of the Quebec Diamonds in 2017, well before he wore the colors of the Minnesota Twins earlier this season. He was only 18 years old.
Obviously, Julien’s leap into the big leagues has been an inspiration to all young Quebecers preparing to start their new season at the LBJÉQ.
“To see a Quebecer going into Major League Baseball gives hope that maybe one day he’ll go there,” said Liam Marcoux, a 17-year-old rookie with the Aigles Junior Elite, based in Trois-Rivières.
“A role model like Édouard Julien paves the way for the youngest players,” confirmed Louis Ager, 22-year veteran of the Trois Rivières side. So does Nathan Landry, a former Eagles teammate who now plays with the Red Sox affiliates. It’s about proving to the youngest that anything is possible. It’s inspirational!”
Marcoux and Ager were present in Trois-Rivières on Tuesday afternoon at a press conference organized by the circuit, which brought together several players who are among the best in Quebec.
“A lot of times we tend to say that to grow you have to go somewhere else, like American colleges, but the fact of the matter is that the Quebec Junior Elite Baseball League remains a very good option,” Ager said.
It starts on Saturday!
The 77th season of the elite youth league must therefore start on Saturday, May 20th. Five games are scheduled, including that between the Laval Pirates and the Orioles, which begins at 2 p.m. in Montreal at Gary Carter Stadium. A doubleheader is announced at Saint-Eustache as the bison host the Coaticook Rocket. Two games are also planned at LaSalle, where the Voyageurs de Jonquière will visit the Cardinals.
The LBJÉQ consists of a total of 13 basic formations. Charlesbourg, Gatineau, Granby, Longueuil, Quebec, Repentigny and Trois-Rivières are added to the picture, while the CBA under-16 team plays each team once.
The Eagles at the Canadian Championship
Before the start of the season, it is also clear that the Aigles de Trois-Rivières will take part in the Canadian championship in Manitoba in early August. This project was made possible by an agreement with the leaders of the LBJÉQ.
“The Eagles are a very good team that will represent Quebec well at this tournament,” noted LBJÉQ commissioner Rodger Brulotte, who is also a colleague at Le Journal.
“It adds an extra challenge to our season as we really aim for the playoff championship in the LBJÉQ,” Ager commented. That is our big goal!”
Our Quebecers
THREE RIVERS EAGLE
Appendicitis in Louis-Philippe Pelletier
The Trois-Rivières Eagles, a Frontier Baseball League formation, is deprived of a key element early in the season when Louis-Philippe Pelletier suffered an appendicitis attack. The Quebecer is likely to stay away from the competition until early June. In 2022, Pelletier dominated the Aigles with a .340 batting average in 85 games. The Trois Rivières club started this season with a 1-2 record.
GARY CARTER STADIUM
A Frontier League game in Montreal
The newly renovated Gary Carter Stadium will host a Frontier League game in Montreal for the first time on Saturday, June 3rd. The Aigles of Trois-Rivières will then roam the metropolis, while their opponents will be the Boomers of Schaumburg. If Louis-Philippe Pelletier is looking to make a comeback for this game, the opportunity could also offer pitcher Jesen Therrien, a former Philadelphia Phillies, a chance to reunite with his old supporters from when he was with the Montreal Orioles in the Quebec Elite Junior Baseball League played .
NCAA
Raphaël Pelletier nominated for Buster Posey Prize
21-year-old Raphaël Pelletier is in contention for the Buster Posey Award, presented each year to the top receiver in the NCAA First Division. Pelletier plays for the Kansas State University Wildcats and is known for his defensive skills. However, in 50 games that season with the Wildcats, he also hit five home runs and had 25 RBIs. The Quebecer was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 25th round of the 2019 draft. After opting for the NCAA, he could be re-drafted in the future.