Starting in September 2024, the Limoilou Titans will have a baseball team joining the collegiate circuit, which brought together six teams last year.
This is a first in the Quebec region. Between 2009 and 2011, the St. Lawrence Lions provided a training structure but did not play in a league.
“It was a great training structure, but there was no official team and the boys didn’t play in a league,” explains the coordinator and coach of the new Titans team Dominik Walsh. It was difficult to recruit. By joining Limoilou you democratize the offer by joining a French-speaking institution. We couldn’t pass up an opportunity like this.”
The Titans will be the seventh team in a little-known district. “We have two missions,” emphasizes Walsh. We want to build the best possible team and contribute to the development of the race track. We want the circuit to be present everywhere in Quebec.”
Emptiness that needs to be filled
Walsh believes the arrival of a college team in Quebec will fill a void and complement the LBJEQ. “There are a lot of players who develop late and miss the structure of the Baseball Academy of Canada (ABC). At 17, guys like David Glaude, Mathieu Sirois, Vincent Ruel and Pierre-Olivier Boucher were not yet ready for the ABC, which only has 40 players, and they continued their development and had very good careers.
“The 17- to 18-year-old players needed a welcoming place,” Walsh added. The American college option remains. Maybe the boys will leave a little later. It will be on a case by case basis.”
The Titans will begin activities in mid-September once the LBJEQ playoffs are over. “At 17 and 18 years old, it’s important for young people to play as many games as possible,” says Walsh. For the first season we are talking about a schedule of 20 games and a training camp in Florida in March during the break for around ten more games. We will therefore go from zero games to 30.
Easy choice
The project has been in the works of the Canonniers de Québec for some time. “Limoilou was a natural choice and we didn’t look elsewhere when we saw their interest,” explains Walsh. The proximity of the Quebec campus to Canac Stadium played a role in the outcome. We will play our local games at Henri-Casault Park and Canac Stadium before the dome is installed.”
The Titans haven't played a game yet, but expansion plans are already in the air. “We will start modestly, but in the medium term we could add a tour in the eastern US at the end of October,” says Walsh. As for a university team in Laval, that is part of the future scenarios.
Drummondville and Édouard-Montpetit are the two strongest programs, according to Walsh, who wants to draw inspiration from what's happening in Centre-du-Québec to lay the foundation for the Titans.