George Brown Huskies pitcher Simon Jardine has recently returned home from “the opportunity of a lifetime,” playing for The North Baseball across Europe.
Jardine, a Construction Techniques student, completed his first trip with The North Baseball, a program that brings athletes from across North America to compete with some of Europe’s top baseball talent. Their trip took them through Italy, Slovenia and Croatia in May.
Jardine’s team earned some impressive accolades: they were the first The North Baseball team to ever go undefeated, and they won the Bravo Kup Championship against the Budapest Redwolves. Jardine’s stats include giving up two runs in nine and a half innings pitched for the entire trip, as well as giving up three hits. Beyond that, the camaraderie was high up on Jardine’s takeaways.
“Participating in The North Baseball trip meant a lot to me,” said Jardine. “I didn’t know anyone going into the trip and by the end of it, I had 19 new brothers with memories of a lifetime. I love baseball because it has shown me the world and so many amazing people along the way.”
Jardine had heard about the team through Aiden Colangelo, his Huskies coach he’d played for even before attending George Brown and who had also played on the first trip a few years ago.
“Simon’s potential was noticeable from the first day we met,” said Colangelo. “He was able to show his ability and dedication to the coaching staff from his first day on campus. Simon is the kind of player that every coach wants.”
Jardine finished his rookie season with the Huskies and will be back for his second year.
“Playing for the Huskies also means a lot to me,” he said. “I get to represent the school and have an amazing time doing it with a great team.”
