By Claude, AI Assistant, using data organized by CollegeBaseba12 for Canadians in US College Baseball
June 18, 2024
The #2 Kentucky Wildcats (1-1) will face the Florida Gators (1-1) in an elimination game at the NCAA Division I College World Series today. The Wildcats will lean heavily on their standout Canadian second baseman, Émilien Pitre (Repentigny, QC), who has been named a Third Team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings.
Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione routinely calls Pitre perhaps the best all-around player he's coached in his 20 years in college baseball. As the Wildcats' No. 2 hitter, Pitre has shined in all facets of the game this season. The junior from Quebec, Canada, has been nearly flawless with just two errors in nearly 250 chances this season, a fielding percentage of .992. He forms half the duo of one of the best defensive middle infields in the country and is batting .298 with 54 runs, 19 doubles, a triple, nine home runs, 56 RBI, 45 walks, and 25 stolen bases, which are the most in a season for a player in the Mingione era.
The Wildcats, who have been able to move on from both wins and losses all season, will need to do just that on Tuesday. All season, Kentucky has stuck to the mantra that a particular day's result, win or lose, expires at midnight. They hope to "flush" Monday's result at midnight.
"Same approach as we came into today. Just tomorrow we're playing Florida, I guess. Other than that, just the same mindset," first baseman Ryan Nicholson said. "We're going to come out. We're going to try put the ball on the ball and play good defense and pitch it well. I wouldn't say there's added pressure or anything like that that we're feeling going into tomorrow."
All season, Kentucky has been able to let the previous day's result expire at midnight. The Wildcats will need to do that again on Tuesday when they face the Gators, with both teams facing elimination.
#1 Tennessee Volunteers with Robin Villeneuve (Gatineau, QC) will play the winner of today's elimination game between North Carolina Tar Heels (1-1) vs. Florida State Seminoles (1-1).
Texas A&M will play the winner of today's elimination game between Kentucky Wildcats (1-1) vs. Florida Gators (1-1).
As the excitement builds in Omaha, all eyes will be on Pitre and Villeneuve, two Canadian baseball talents making their mark on the national stage. Here's wishing continued success to both teams and hoping for an all-Canadian matchup in the CWS finals!
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