Canadian Coyote trades hockey stick for record-breaking bat

Robin Villeneuve didn't take long to show the world what he can do with a baseball. 

"I started playing baseball at 10 years old because of my grandpa and the first at-bat of my life I hit a home run," the Weatherford College sophomore first baseman/left-handed pitcher recalled. 

"I remember like it was yesterday, the feeling of hitting a home run is the best feeling ever. And when I hit my first one, I knew I would love this sport. 

"My grandpa is always going be a big part of my baseball career. He knows a lot and always gives me some tips when I struggle." 

His grandfather is no doubt proud of what Villeneuve is accomplishing with the Coyotes. He is a key component in WC's first-ever run to the NJCAA Division I World Series, beginning Saturday in Grand Junction, Colorado. He has broken two school records this season so far: home runs (24, fifth in the nation) and RBI (96, second nationally).     

"In the offseason I worked hard at the gym to increase my power, and I changed my swing a little bit. I feel more confident with this swing," he said. 

He's also been a major reason the Coyotes are enjoying the best season in their history, 50-9 overall, conference champions and Region V champions. 

And Villeneuve and his teammates gave Coyotes coach Jeff Lightfoot his 800th career victory this season. 

Ironically, Villeneuve did not play high school baseball because his school in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada did not have a team. Instead, he played hockey, which he said helped him become a better baseball player. 

"Hockey helped with my conditioning and athletic side," he said. "My hometown has always been a hockey town because we were very good most of the years. When I played, we were always ranked in the top three teams in the province and a couple of my ex-teammates and good friends got drafted in the NHL." 

So how did a high school hockey player make his way to Weatherford College? Well, while his high school did not have a team, Villeneuve played baseball with a traveling team that just happened to be coached by former Coyote standout Yannick Bergeron. 

"Yannick told me some really good things about Weatherford and said that if I want go to a junior college, Weatherford is the best place to go," Villeneuve said. 

Bergeron also told him about, perhaps, the most popular food among Weatherford College students. It certainly has become Villeneuve's favorite. 

"The best food has to be Whataburger," he said with a chuckle. 

In fact, his favorite part of being in Texas, he said, is the food. He can order to his heart's content now that he has mastered the English language, which he said was his biggest challenge upon arrival - his first time to set foot in the Lone Star State. 

"My biggest adjustment was definitely speaking English. Last year I had to learn English," he said. 

Villeneuve, the first member of his family to play a sport in college, is a business major. 

"I want to have my own business when I'm going to be old," he said, smiling.