Bourdon Set For Center Stage

Bourdon worked hard in the offseason to improve, and the results speak for themselves—he leads the team in the majority of their offensive categories.

“I think [the improvement] is having a year of experience,” Bourdon said. “That first year can get a little frustrating, but now, going into this year I knew what to expect.”

Gambino was more specific. “One of the things that troubled [Bourdon] last year was that he was impatient at times,” Gambino said. “He’s shown much more discipline at the plate, and he’s shown that if you make a mistake, he’s going to hammer it.”

Hammer it he does, as he leads the team 18 doubles and nine home runs. But Bourdon doesn’t see himself as a power hitter, preferring to be known as a doubles hitter who works the gaps. Obviously he’s content with home runs, but knows that when he starts thinking about the long ball, he’ll start pulling off and missing balls.

And while you could make the case that he’s the best player on the team, Bourdon still has respect for the players in the classes above him. There are a number of guys in the program that he looks up to and sees as leaders, and he’s fortunate to have those teammates show him the road of being a sophomore. Bourdon tries to emulate what they do with the younger kids on the team, and sees himself as a leader in that regard. The camaraderie between teammates is undoubtedly strong, as contributions from all ages have led BC to a solid season.

The team’s record stands at 20-26 for the year, and with nine wins in ACC play, the Eagles are only one game out of qualifying for the conference tournament. The feeling from both Bourdon and his coach is that the team likes the position they’re in. Their goal at the beginning of the year, according to Bourdon, was to be playing the best possible baseball going into the home stretch of the year. After a three-game sweep of Wake Forest this past weekend, that objective seems to be coming true. If the team keeps playing Gambino’s brand of fundamental baseball while also staying loose and having fun, Bourdon thinks they’ll be in a spot to make a run for it.

While the Eagles fight for that playoff berth, they also play for another reason. When asked if his goal is to reach the MLB, Bourdon responds with enthusiam.

“Absolutely,” he said. “Along with everyone on our team, we want to play at the highest possible level we can—that’s why we came here.”

If he can’t make it in the pros, Bourdon has thought about either going into coaching or the business world. He notes the importance of a backup plan, which BC’s high-quality education provides.

Sports fans at BC have recently been treated to past Eagles having success at the professional level. Luke Kuechly, the former Eagles linebacker, was drafted ninth overall in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. Chris Kreider, part of the 2010 and 2012 hockey NCAA Championship teams, has scored two goals for the New York Rangers in their playoff run. Most students have probably seen these athletes at work during their tenure at BC, as hockey and football represent the two most popular sports on campus.

What many people don’t know, though, is that Bourdon has the potential to be next on that list.

The sophomore centerfielder is content with the amount of attention the baseball team gets, but admits that the players strive to get to the point where “everyone is stopping by and seeing, ‘Wow, the baseball team is doing really well.’”

But it shouldn’t take the team winning for fans to notice them. When the 2014 MLB Draft takes place, Bourdon’s name will likely be called. You certainly don’t want to be the BC student who never got a chance to see him play at Shea Field.

The well-mannered kid from Connecticut won’t ask for your attention, but his play demands it.