One thing that has become apparent to Sudbury baseball fans over the years is that the post-secondary pathways of local talent can vary greatly from one individual to the next - with that message drilled home, once again, at a recent Sudbury Voyageurs signing celebration.

Despite their lengthy bonds on the diamonds, Alex Frawley (Northern Iowa Area Community College) and Callum Baron (Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks - Kitchener, Waterloo - OUA) have found future fits that work for both yet contrast in so many ways.

"I really like the coach; I really like the whole vibe of the school," said Frawley, a catcher by trade who will immerse himself in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference, a 12-team gathering that will expose the local product to a good number of the nearly 87,000 farms located throughout the state as part of his baseball travellings.

"Everything is right on campus' everything I need is there - and I get the sense that they are one of the stronger academic junior colleges," added Frawley. "My parents liked that one."

The hope is to follow in the steps of other Voyageurs who springboarded from the JUCO (junior college) setting to an NCAA Division I scholarship, with Frawley more than happy to leap into the environment that awaits him.

"At college, everyone wants to get to that next level," he suggested. "That kind of energy - I think I will benefit from that. Junior college is definitely not the end goal, so it's time to get to work and see what happens after that."

"It's a great place to be for the next two years."

With academics and athletics intermixed so tightly at NIACC (home of the Trojans), Frawley finds comfort in a setting which compares favourably to the one he currently knows so well.

"I just love putting in the work," he explained. "I'm in here (The Baseball Academy in Sudbury) all the time. Overe the winter, I was in here pretty much every day. I am looking forward to finding more guys who like the same thing, grinding and getting better together."

Beginning his studies in Psychology and Neuro Science in the fall, Callum Baron sought out a somewhat different set of surroundings, despite his shared interest to hit the road.

"I knew that I wanted to get out of town, to develop and become more independent - but staying in Ontario is a very comfortable place for me," stated the recent graduate of Lockerby Composite School.

"I like the six week fall season and Laurier is a very good school for my undergraduate programs."

It's not only the destination that will differ for Baron, with the positional requirements of his spot on the mound dictating a divergent "modus operandi" for the balance of the summer.

"We have a few more weeks left so I will obviously monitor my arm and throw every weekend for the rest of the season," said Baron. "The arm needs to be healthy for the six to eight week period (OUA schedule - September/October)."

"I will likely take a week or two break from throwing at the end of our season but then get back on the plyometric program, prep myself to be ready to throw again in the fall."

While velocity is so often the "go to" when it comes to specific aspects of pitching that most require improvement as local recruits make the jump to post-secondary ranks, Baron suggests a slightly altered focus is required from his end.

"Velocity is the first thing that comes to mind, but at the OUA level, I think my velocity is there," he opined. "It's more about stamina and endurance in the games. The velocity is up early in the game, but throughout the game, I lose some of that velocity."

"I need to do whatever I need to do to be able to throw for a six or seven inning start."

All while acknowledging that his first start at the university level might not occur right out of the gate.

"I have an understanding that a lot is going to change from what I am used to in Sudbury right now," said Baron. "I will have to know my role. I might get bounced around throughout the lineup; I might not be a starter."

"Laurier is a good team so you have to fight for your position. I want to try and earn my position."

Whether that be in the hub on the Ontario Octoberfest region or in the heartland of the United States of America, that mindset prevails for every single Sudbury Voyageur prospect looking to navigate successfully the next step of their baseball voyage.