Valley East natives Justin Dandeneau and Félix Aubin have spent plenty of time together on informal baseball workouts, the tandem separated by a metaphorical hop, skip and a jump in Hanmer.

Earlier this week, the Sudbury Voyageurs duo shared the next step in their journey on the diamond as The Baseball Academy hosted a signing event, with Dandeneau committing to Marshalltown Community College in Iowa while Aubin stays much further east, heading off to Garrett College in McHenry (Maryland) come late August.

“These guys just kept sticking it out, grinding it out,” said Voyageurs head coach Jean-Gilles Larocque. “They started a business together so they could do more baseball things, always wanting to find a way to get better.”

Smaller in stature than the majority of his teammates, that perseverance and desire to develop is at the root of the Justin Dandeneau story as the soon-to-be graduate of Ecole secondaire catholique l’Horizon prepares to patrol the outfield in the American Midwest.

“I knew I had to stop comparing myself to everyone else,” said Dandeneau. “It’s me versus me. It’s focusing on bettering myself and showing up with other little things on the field: always hustling, beating out a ground ball.”

A left-handed thrower, Dandeneau played plenty as a center fielder early on but has shifted to either right or left in recent years – though some of the core fundamentals remain largely unchanged.

“For me, it’s all about getting that really good first step,” he said. “That first step is the most important, so that was something I really worked on – and tracking the ball and getting to the spot early. Then you get in good position to throw it.”

Every bit as much of his make-up as his prowess in the outfield is his ability to hit at the top of the order, typically ranking as one of the team leaders in runs scored from one summer to the next.

“I am just trying to spark the team,” Dandeneau noted of his role as an offensive catalyst. “I try and put together good at bats and see lots of pitches – and I can hit deep in a count.”

While confident that his bat can play at the next level – “if you hit, you’re going to be in the lineup” – Dandeneau suggested a jump in quickness would absolutely help his game, on both sides of the ball.

“I used to do a lot of just strength training but now I’ve shifted that to more power and explosiveness,” he said.

As all three Sudbury Voyageurs teams look to a month of July that sees them travelling south of the border for showcase events, Félix Aubin can attest to the benefit. One of his best weekends, both at the plate and defensively, came as the northern Ontario squad competed last fall on the campus of Garrett College.

“I was talking to a few schools but deep down, I always knew that was the number one place where I wanted to be,” said Aubin.

The Garrett College Lakers are coming off their most successful season in program history, posting an overall record of 36-19, including a 21-13 mark in the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference, finishing 5th in a bracket of 14 teams.

The Lakers advanced to the NJCAA Division II Region-20 West tournament before being eliminated following losses to third-seeded Hagerstown Community College (6-3) and #1 Frederick Community College (16-9).

As good as his in-person audition was during the Voyageurs’ trek to Maryland, Aubin remained thankful that not everything rested on that singular showing. “In a sense, all the technology now helps to take the pressure off that one weekend showcase,” he explained. “With all of these schools, I had already sent them a bunch of video of me hitting and what not.”

“That way, when we are there, I can focus on the controllables: my hustle, work ethic, being a good teammate.”

Still, there are definite glimpses of the on-field talent that can really be appreciated in a non-video setting. “My arm strength and leadership in the infield stand out right away,” said Aubin, a long-time shortstop in the Sudbury program but open to also playing either third base or second to get in the lineup come the fall.

“And then there’s the power potential, showing I can drive the ball deep to the outfield with some good juice is a nice thing.”

Almost as nice as sharing this special day with a special friend and teammate.