SUDBURY, Ontario — It will be a busy year for Sudbury Voyageurs shortstop Gavin Roy after making a big announcement in December regarding his playing future.

Roy has an exciting road ahead after committing to play baseball at Cloud County Community College in Concordia, Kansas. Before he goes, there is work to be done with the 18U Voyageurs in his final season.

“I got off to a slow start offensively last year,” Roy said. “I really want to pick up my offense right from the get-go. For the season with the Voyageurs, I want to have a .400 batting average, that’s one of my goals. I want to be consistent with my training and make sure that I’m following all of the training programs.”

Those goals seem within reach for a player who is as committed to the game as Roy.

Voyageurs head coach Jean-Gilles Larocque raves about his work ethic.

“It sounds so cliche but (he is) the first in and last out,” Larocque said. “Everything that needs to get done is going to get done the right way. You know you’re getting a blue-collar type of kid and worker, that’s what you’re going to get from him. It’s just consistency every single day.”

That kind of attitude and action has a way of rubbing off on other players on the Voyageurs. Roy’s leadership will be counted on with Sudbury but is a role that can be eased into when he arrives in Kansas to play for the Thunderbirds.

“I think he takes a lot of pride in being a leader, not that he’s a rah-rah guy, just for the simple fact he leads by example,” Larocque said. “He’ll surround himself with a lot more of those players with the Thunderbirds then he’ll be able to take a deep breath a little bit and just play his role and do what he can.”

The 18-year-old is confident that he will be one of the veteran leaders in Sudbury this season.

“I’m an on-the-field leader, I like to lead by example,” Roy said. “I’m also pretty vocal as a shortstop. I’m the type of teammate that’ll do anything for my teammates and run through a wall for my guys.”

The Val Caron, Ontario, native is known for his defensive prowess. Larocque believes it is more than making the dazzling plays; it is the consistency that comes from hard work and preparation.

“The first part, defensively, I think that was his knack,” Larocque said. “That’s where I think he’s going to excel at the post-secondary level. It’s not just making those exciting plays, and those web gems, but it’s making the routine plays look routine.”

It is a big move from Sudbury to Concordia, but one that Roy is excited about. Cloud County feels familiar and gives the infielder a chance to further his playing career.

“From what I see, it is a great community,” Roy said. “It is a small town, which I like, and I think I’ll fit right in. The coaches were awesome throughout the whole process. I’ve seen that they have recruited a lot of Canadians in the past, and they do a good job of sending them off to NCAA schools, which is my goal.”

The Thunderbirds appear to be a great fit from a baseball perspective. Roy is also looking forward to the college atmosphere and what living in a new place might be like.

“I think it will be a great overall experience, moving to a different country and seeing what it’s like,” Roy said. “I’m super excited for the baseball side of things, too. It’ll be great baseball, and I kind of just want to see how far it takes me.”

With a strong work ethic and an opportunity at the next level, Roy’s baseball journey will be fascinating to follow in Kansas and beyond.

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