Baseball in Quebec this week: Greg Bird in Trois-Rivières

Here's our roundup of recent baseball action on fields across Quebec. Let's start with the latest weekend of play in the LBMQ.

The Acton Vale Castors stayed true to form by delivering a night of quality baseball to the many fans gathered at Léo-Asselin Stadium. Éric Gagné's presence brought back memories of his MLB career for many, and the pitcher took the time to chat with fans and sign autographs before the game. Beyond the statistics, it was seeing the former Dodger give back to the sport that made this evening a success in and of itself.

Coaticook's “Big Bill” now leads the overall standings, and the Thetford team finally secured its first win of the 2026 season—a victory eagerly anticipated by the organization and its fans.

In Sherbrooke, May belonged to Ismael Ballard, who was named the league's top hitter. Meanwhile, the Montreal Jets will officially pay tribute to François-Alexandre Tambasso—a familiar face to fans of the league—on June 21.

In news from the Aigles and the Capitales, a shout-out to TJ White's winning start as the new manager of the Trois-Rivières team. He has surrounded himself with a strong staff by bringing in his former teammates as assistants: Evan Rutckyj will be in charge of the pitchers, while Greg Bird will handle the team's hitters. If the name Bird sounds familiar, it's because he's the former first baseman for the New York Yankees. A big challenge lies ahead for the three men, but hope is back with them now that they're on the job in the Mauricie region.

In the old capital, Patrick Scalabrini's men continue their dominance in the Frontier League. The names drawing attention are those of pitcher Rafael Perdomo, still undefeated on the mound, and his teammate Kyle Crowl. Crowl, for his part, is making his mark in the organization's record books with several impressive statistics early in the season. Additionally, he was named Player of the Week in the Tahsler circuit.

The home run of the week goes to the project by Steve Villeneuve, a producer and director by trade. With a group of enthusiasts, he travels the province covering the various events offered by our wonderful sport. The ultimate goal: to produce a documentary on the impact of baseball in the community. My Summer Will Be Baseball will therefore bring together several well-known and respected figures from the sports world. The success of this documentary is assured thanks to the professionalism of those in charge. You can follow their summer adventures and discover their magnificent work simply by visiting Facebook.

Abitibi also deserves our attention this week, as representatives of the Rouyn-Noranda Pats are about to embark on a unique experience. The group of young U11 players will soon fly to a tournament in Ohio. As representatives of Quebec, their journey will begin exactly on June 21. Facing off against 19 other teams, the selected group will participate in an opening ceremony, a skills competition, and a circuit competition, in addition to playing at least six games. The Ripken Tournament is an annual event featuring high-level competition. The event is directly linked to the involvement of former Baltimore Orioles star Cal Ripken Jr.

• François Lafrenière recorded his 1,000th strikeout during his last outing in Acton Vale. The Saint-Jean Pirates pitcher thus joins an exclusive group in the LBMQ record books.
• The city of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu recently completed renovations at the Claude-Raymond baseball complex.
• On July 12, the Nicolet U11 B2 minor league baseball players will be hosted by the Trois-Rivières Eagles for a pre-game ceremony.
• The municipality of Berthier-sur-Mer has qualified to modernize its baseball facilities through the Blue Jays Care Foundation program.

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