Jacques ready to help Badgers reclaim top spot in OUA

Craig Jacques (pronounced Jakes) has played a lot of baseball in a lot of different places over the course of his young career. The Delhi, Ontario native, currently in his third year at Brock, took a unique path to becoming the Badger he is today.

"I originally went to St. Clair Community College in Port Huron, Michigan which was a Division II Junior College. My coach transferred after that season and took the coaching job at Blue Ridge CC which is a Civision I Junior College in North Carolina. He brought a few players down there with him. The ball down there was some of the best I've ever played and was a great experience, we were playing conference games in early February. We played against teams that went to the Junior College World Series on a yearly basis. Schools like Young Harris, Louisburg, Pittsburgh and Spartanburg Methodist. I think we had more than a handful of guys get drafted out of our league that year alone. I had to battle for a starting position on our team and we finished middle of the pack in the conference. The depth and talent down there is incredible. And the experience I gained was unparalleled."

Jacques, a physical education major, admits that when he chose to move back to Canada to continue his schooling, Brock was an easy choice.

"When I decided to come home to a Canadian school, Brock seemed like the right fit. It had a great reputation for running a competitive and successful baseball program and the school also has some of the best physical education and kinesiology programs."

After last season's heart-breaking loss in the final game to miss the playoffs, Craig already has his sights set on winning games this year and reminding other schools that last season was a fluke.

"The thing I'm looking forward to the most about next season is re-establishing our program as one of the best in the OUA. Every year we have one of the most talented teams in the league, last year just seemed like we fell apart the second half of the season and I know that was an eye opener to many of our guys, that we can't just show up and win. But I feel like it was a learning experience and it has inspired us to work harder this off season."

It is this mindset that fuels Craig's motivation during off-season workouts

"This off-season, along with practices twice a week now, I've been playing in rec hockey leagues a couple nights a week and weight training 4-5 times a week."

Jacques, who batted .174 last season from the lead-off spot, is concentrating on becoming a more reliable hitter this season.

"One thing personally I need to work on is my consistency at the plate. I've always been a streaky hitter. I need to find a comfort zone early, relax and wait for good pitches to hit. If that happens then it will result in good at bats and that is huge in such a short season like the OUA. I need to be more patient. I feel I was over aggressive and swinging at pitches that weren't great pitches to hit. I need to relax, take more pitches and draw more walks. Getting on base is key in the lead off role to allow the middle of the order to drive me in."

The center-fielder is comfortable with his role on the team, as a guy who goes out on a day-to-day basis and leaves it all on the field. The type of player that his teammates can trust and respect.

"I don't necessarily feel any added pressure to step up and be a leader. I feel comfortable in any role that is asked of me. I know that being a veteran and an older guy on the team usually means being a leader but I feel we have plenty of guys that can lead this team whether it's in the locker room or leading by example on the field."

Ultimately, Jacques, or Butters as he is known around the clubhouse, realizes that at the end of the day, it all boils down to playing the game he loves.

"Baseball is a very unique game. It incorporates individual competition between hitter and pitcher, while being a team sport at the same time. I play baseball over any other sport because of my passion for the game. That's why I'm here."

We'd like to thank Craig for taking the time to discuss Badgers baseball and we wish him the best of luck for the upcoming season. In addition, we will be posting current player and alumni articles on a more frequent basis as the new season approaches. Check back every week for the latest interviews.
Stay tuned for our "Where Are They Now" article on Fabio Del Rio, as it will be posted when Fabio returns from his trip to Vancouver for the Olympics.

Written By:
Mike Hardill
Brock Baseball
Head of Communications