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Making history: OUA's youngest female athlete is the second woman to suit up for a men's university baseball team

Even more unusual, Jodouin joins the team as a pitcher
190618_Jodouin
This fall, 17-year-old Julia Jodouin of St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School will be making history as the first female athlete in Ontario University Athletics’ (OUA) history to play for a men’s varsity baseball team. (Supplied)

This fall, 17-year-old Julia Jodouin of St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School will be making history as the second* female athlete in Ontario University Athletics’ (OUA) history to play for a men’s varsity baseball team. 

In addition to this feat, Jodouin is also the youngest female athlete in the history of the OUA to crack the roster for a varsity team.

Julia will be working toward a Bachelor of Science in Nursing starting this September. She joins the team as a pitcher.

“One of the main reasons I accepted the offer at Laurentian was so that I could continue to play ball,” Jodouin said. “I am excited to begin my journey at Laurentian pursuing two things I love – nursing and baseball. September can’t come soon enough.”

Jodouin’s athletic success landed her a spot on the Sudbury Shamrocks peewee travelling team. She then joined the Team Ontario 16U girls’ team for two seasons. She played a summer of both softball and hardball with the Waterloo Ghosts Gold 16U fastpitch team, making it all the way to Nationals. 

She was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) and All-Star first base player with Team Ontario 21U Women’s team.

Julia continues to highlight her exemplary skills at all levels earning as spot on the the Canadian Women’s National team. Last summer she participated in a development series playing for Canada against Team USA.

“Jodouin is an excellent player. Having someone of that calibre on the team will raise the bar for each and every player,” said Brodie Jeffery, coach of the men’s baseball team at Laurentian. 

“When starting a baseball program from the ground up, you need good players to build a solid foundation. Julia not only brings the necessary talent, but also steadfast determination and commitment to the sport.”

*A previous version of this story indicated that Julia Jodouin was the first female athlete to play for an OUA men's varsity baseball team. This information was provided by Laurentian University and was incorrect. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.


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