Sometimes it pays off to bet on yourself.
Just ask Cambridge left-handed pitcher Jackson Soucie.
After his Wabash Valley Warriors fell in the championship game of the National Junior College Athletic Association World Series last June, the plan was to head to the University of Oregon.
But after some thought and a bitter taste that wouldn't go away, he reconsidered and decided to run it back at Wabash Valley for one more kick at the national championship can.
The results are exactly what he had hoped for so far as he's posted an 8-2 record to go along with a 2.18 ERA and 98 strikeouts over 71.1 innings.
And this week he was rewarded for his strong season by being named the Great Rivers Athletic Conference and Region 24 Pitcher of the Year.
"I found out that I won both of these awards at a team meeting we had," Soucie said.
"Coach (Aaron) Biddle had everyone gathered and shared that I had won these awards, as well as a bunch of my other teammates who had great years as well. I was excited to have won and very honoured to say the least."
Soucie cites returning to the school as the best decision he could've made.
Not only are the Warriors in the midst of another postseason run, Soucie has been the ace of the staff along the way.
He went 2-0 with a 5.04 ERA, striking out 37 in 25 innings in 2023 while bouncing between the bullpen and starting rotation. This season, he's expanded his role and become a leader both on and off the field.
"It gave me a chance to be a leader to a team and have a second chance at winning the national championship which we can hopefully get done this year," he said.
"Being able to spend this second year with my teammates and coaches that I love has also been a major difference for me and has made every moment worth it."
Soucie's efforts caught the eye of the University of South Carolina and he committed to the school back in the fall. The Gamecocks play in the Southeastern Conference, regarded as the best in all of college baseball.
He credits his coaches at Wabash Valley, along with his brother Tyler who runs VeloBoys Baseball out of Kitchener, for helping him develop into the pitcher he's become.
"I know they trust me on the mound and that makes me extremely confident every time I toe the rubber," Soucie said.
"I feel like I can’t be beaten."