On October 12, the Varsity Blues baseball team won their OUA title game, defeating the Waterloo Warriors 15–5 at the Ajax Sportsplex. This marks their second consecutive OUA championship and third championship in four years. With eight OUA championships in its program history, the team has the most in OUA baseball. 

The playoff hunt for the Jason Guindon Trophy began with the regional round, where the Blues achieved a perfect 4–0 record. They shut out the York Lions 6–0 in Game 1 on October 4, before defeating Toronto Metropolitan University Bold and the Laurentian Voyageurs in Games 2 and 3 on October 5. The Blues then advanced to the OUA North regional finals, where they edged out York in a 3–2 nail-biter on October 6.

The Blues then competed in the OUA Final Four, where the champions of the four OUA regions faced off in a two-round, single elimination tournament. Facing the Queens’ Gaels on October 11 at the Ajax Sportsplex, the Blues — who haven’t missed the OUA Final Four since 2015 — showed their experience and composure by demolishing the Gaels 15–4. The team’s batting ran riot, scoring 14 unanswered runs between the third and seventh innings. 

The Waterloo Warriors then defeated the Brock Badgers 12–10 on the other side of the tournament bracket, setting up a rematch of the 2023 Championship game, which the Blues had won 6–5.

Pitcher Josh Neposlan sends a pitch flying. COURTESY OF BARRY MCCLUSKEY CC VARSITY BLUES MEDIA

What happened?

The Blues entered the game with a 21–10 record against the Waterloo Warriors, riding an active eight-game winning streak. Averaging 9.75 runs over those eight games, the matchup was promised to be a high-scoring contest. 

Despite giving up a 2–0 lead, the Blues responded immediately with a double by utility Sam Aslanowicz in the second inning to make it 2–1. The Blues’ batting exploded mid-game, scoring eight combined runs in the fourth to sixth innings while conceding just three — bringing the score to 9–5 by the end of the sixth inning.

The team held onto their lead thanks to a phenomenal pitching clinic by relievers Connor Broughton, Paul Kosztowniak, and Ethan Kwong. The trio combined to allow no hits, after Broughton relieved starting pitcher Josh Neposlan in the fifth inning. 

With both offence and defense firing on all cylinders, the Blues added six more runs in the eighth and ninth while conceding none — ending the game 15–5 and claiming their OUA medals.

Infield Ryan Hsu had a clutch game, recording three hits, six Runners Batted In (RBI) performance from six at-bats. Aslanowicz contributed four hits and three RBIs, with the pair combining for 11 of the Blues’ 15 runs against the Warriors. Owen Taylor also stood out with six walks. Over the Final Four weekend, Hsu recorded five hits in two games, earning him OUA Athlete of the Week honours in an accolade filled weekend.

The Varsity Blues are a dominant force in OUA baseball. COURTESY OF BARRY MCCLUSKEY CC VARSITY BLUES MEDIA

What’s next?

With championships in 2021, 2023, and 2024, the Varsity Blues can confidently claim their status as the best team in OUA baseball. After a grueling season that included the regular season, regional playoffs, and championship tournament, the dominant Blues will enter the off-season with an active 11 game win streak in all competitions.