When he arrived in Lawrence as a preschooler, Aidan Jodoin brought two memories with him from Canada that would stick: the thrill of going down the water slide at the West Edmonton Mall, and the responsibility of being an Edmonton Oilers fan.
“I love the Oilers, that’s still my hometown team,” Jodoin said. “They love hockey up there.”
Jodoin has maintained that love in New Jersey and declares he dominates in his street hockey league. Jason Zegarski, his manager on the Lawrence Post 414 baseball team, confirms that claim.
But it’s Jodoin’s ability to play baseball that makes Zegarski smile, as the recent Lawrence High graduate was stellar throughout the high school and legion season. This summer Jodoin batted .290 with a .408 on-base percentage and 21 runs scored. He led the Mercer County American Legion League with 17 stolen bases in 19 attempts.
In the spring, Jodoin hit over .350 for Lawrence High, where Zegarski serves as an assistant coach.
Numbers aside, Jodoin’s ability to adapt is what makes him such a valuable commodity.
“He has been Mr. Everything for us,” Zegarski said. “He never really played first base, we kind of got him playing a little first base last year. This year he’s playing some first base whenever (Ryan) Sullivan pitches. When he’s not there he’s usually at one of the corner outfield spots. He’s just been doing everything you could ask for.”
When Jodoin began baseball, first in T-ball and then with the Lawrence Little League, he was a less-than-average infielder.
“Around 10 or 11 they realized outfield was what was best for me,” Jodoin said. “I’ve grown to love it even though I wasn’t too thrilled to play the outfield. There was no action. But now, no matter what, that’s always my home out there. I’ve been in center since 10 or 11. And I’ve grown to know the outfielders I’ve played with since I was 12 so it’s really cool.”
He remained in the outfield through Babe Ruth and travel ball, playing with the Hamilton A’s and a Lawrence travel team. For the Cardinals, Jodoin played center field but in legion he deferred to Jake Kmiec and played right or left.
Last year, however, while chasing a ball in the left-centerfield gap he collided with Kmiec, emerging with a fractured tibia and patellar damage in his knee.
“I didn’t have surgery but I couldn’t play for the rest of the season,” Jodoin said. “It stunk. I would go to work, show up when I could at games, support all the guys as much as I could.”
Which impressed Zegarski.
“He always contributes,” the manager said. “He’s a great team guy, he gets the guys going on the bench. Whatever the situation, he’s helping out.”
‘This spring we threw him in the fire, he proved himself and continued it on to the legion season.’
Jodoin showed what kind of team guy he was with both his glove and bat. After years of growing comfortable in the outfield, he was asked to play first base in high school and again in legion.
“We kind of got him a little time last year, not a whole lot,” Zegarski said. “This spring we threw him in the fire, he proved himself and continued it on to the legion season. He was our defensive player of the year for the high school team. I don’t know if he had an error all year and in legion he may have had one error on a foul ball that he went to track down. I couldn’t be happier with him at first base. The kid works his butt off.”
Jodoin admitted to some trepidation when he first put on the lobster claw mitt.
“It was an adjustment, it was hard,” he said. “But they asked me to do it; I figured why not, it’s worth a try. It’s completely different compared to the outfield, being in so close, but I got used to it. I worked pretty hard at it, and Ryan Sullivan has been a good supporter. The pop ups were all second nature, and picking the ball and coming off the bag are just basic things you get used to.”
Jodoin also had to adjust to where he was hitting in the lineup. During high school he was a three-four batter trying to hit for power and drive in runs. In legion, he was moved to the second slot. And while the new Major League trend is to put your best hitter there, Zegarski still wants his second-hole man to give himself up at times.
“I like to think of myself as a fairly old school guy,” he said. “My two hitter is going to be able to get a bunt down and be able to make contact and get the runner over whenever we need him too. He did everything we asked, whether it was getting the bunt down, getting a hit and run on the ground, getting a hit and run to the right side. Whatever we ask, he did the job.”
Much like moving to first base, it took some getting used to.
“It’s a little bit of an adjustment,” Jodoin said. “But my main goal is to get on base every time I go up to hit. But if we need a sacrifice fly or a bunt, whatever I have to get done I’ll get it done.”
Jodoin and Lawrence’s season ended in the NJ American Legion District 4 Tournament, when Post 414 lost a one-run heart-breaker to state power Brooklawn and an 8-6 decision to Bordentown. Lawrence finished 13-11 overall.
Next up is The College of New Jersey for Jodoin, who will play club baseball and start following the Edmonton Oilers more earnestly since “they’re starting to get good again.” He has no interest in the NBA, calling it “too boring”, and roots for the Pittsburgh Pirates, of all teams.
“When I got here, there were no teams in Jersey so I kind of looked around at all the different cities,” Jodoin said. “I was a big Andrew McCutchen fan. I loved him, so I picked the Pirates.”
Like the rest of the township, Jodoin was also a huge fan of the Lawrence Little League this summer, and took great pride in the 12-year-olds’ District 12 championship.
“That was great, after 42 years (of last winning a title),” he said. “I coached a couple of those kids in little league last year (TJ Niemann and Ben Pawlak), so to see them win and see how happy they were, they really deserved it. I’m really proud of them. They put so much work in to get to that point.”
The same type of praise was given to Jodoin.
“Wherever you put him in the lineup, wherever you put him in the field, he’s going to get the job done,” Zegarski said. “He’s pretty much a jack of all trades. I had all the confidence in the world in him.”
Lawrence baseball player Aidan Jodoin led the Mercer County American Legion League in stolen bases this summer. (Photo by Rich Fisher.),
