Baillargeon Ready For 'Competitive Environment' At Maine

Gavin Baillargeon RHP / Morse, ME / 2023

WOOLWICH, Me. - It was two years ago when Gavin Baillargeon made a big decision.

“I hit a realization sophomore fall that I need to be better if I want to play at the level I hoped,” the Morse High School senior reflected on his college baseball dream. “I always loved baseball and that was a realization that I have to get better.”

Improvement followed and with it came college interest.

“Before last year I was 80-82,” the 6-1 185-pound right-handed pitcher related. “I knew if I wanted to play college baseball I had to get better. I grinded every day and the jump was substantial. By the end of summer I was up to the upper-80s. That jump showed I wanted to work to achieve my goals.”

It made an impression on the University of Maine.

They saw me pitch at the Maine All-Star Game and asked for my summer schedule,” Baillargeon noted. “They saw me at the NEB complex in Northborough (Massachusetts) with the Maine Lightning and asked me to come up on a visit. I met all the coaches and took a tour of the athletic facilities. We touched on more than baseball and that was big for me.”

An offer came, but Baillargeon had more to consider with interest from Massachusetts Amherst, Hussin, Southern Maine and American International.

“A lot more time passed, but at the end of the day I knew that’s where I wanted to be,” Baillargeon said of the university in Orono located two hours from home. “It’s cool to stay local and close. A lot of these communities are tight-knit and I’m excited to be a Black Bear.

“When I made my list I didn’t think about going to Maine, but after a while I thought it was best for me,” Baillargeon added. “It’s kind of funny, I went in the opposite direction of what I thought.”

Education played a big part in the decision by Baillargeon, who carries a 3.9 GPA at Morse.

“They have a really great outdoor program,” Baillargeon noted about Maine. “I’m going to study WildLife Ecology with the idea of being a marine biologist, wildlife biologist or something in the game warden field. Maine is a place where I can learn and also play good baseball.”

The recruiting process was not a long one for Baillargeon.

“Last summer I did an exposure camp in Portland, Maine, that’s the first I’d done,” Baillargeon explained. “I also did some camps with my summer team. From there it took off with a lot of local D3s and then came more attention from schools like Maine. The biggest exposure was at Diamond Nation in New Jersey. I pitched well and that got me some attention for sure.

“The hard part for me was I had command issues,” Baillargeon added. “They’d like me but then I wouldn’t have command and they’d lose interest.”

Credit with improvement was given to pitching coach Matt Johnston, while Ryan Cupp was the vital person when it came to recruitment.

“Matt Johnston helped so much,” Baillargeon said. “He’s the reason I made a big jump. Ryan Cupp, recruiting-wise, talked to so many coaches and helped me so much.”

It all proved beneficial for the soon-to-be 18-year-old in reaching the goal to play at the next level.

“It was an exciting time, it was exciting to announce it,” Baillargeon said of his commitment. “My family was so excited because they can watch me pitch.”

But the work is far from done.

“I need to keep in the weight room and keep fine-tuning my mechanics,” Baillargeon admitted. “I want to be the best I can be when I get up there.”

The hard-throwing right-hander is confident about what he can provide the America East Conference program.

“I’ll bring them high-level intensity,” Baillargeon said. “I love to work hard. I know I’ll compete, work my hardest and try to win some games.”

There is more that Baillargeon is looking forward to while playing Division I college baseball.

“I’m excited for the travel,” Baillargeon concluded. “I love to see new places. I’m also excited to play at a high level in an extremely competitive environment.”