CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Jonathan Arsenault wears a lot of hats for the Kevin Quinn Re/Max Ravens.
He proved himself to be one of the team’s top pitchers, infielders and batters during the club’s first three years, culminating with a sixth-place finish at the Canada Games last summer in Winnipeg.
When the team came back together this spring, the Ravens needed a centre-fielder.
Enter Mr. Versatility.
“It was easier (for me) to make the transition to centre,” Arsenault said, noting the team’s depth of middle infielders. “We have (Logan Gallant) and Grant Grady joined the team, which is a huge addition. Making the shift to centre was no problem. I was willing to do it, if it helped the team.”
A selfless move and one he has made seamlessly.
“He can play any position,” said head coach Mike Bishop. “He’s very coachable, he’s very level-headed and he’s all about the team.”
Arsenault is the team’s ace.
He’s not overpowering, but throws in the low 60s mph. What makes the workhorse tough to hit is his ability to locate his pitches. It is what allowed him to throw 39 innings in a week at the Canada Games.
He was first introduced to pitching by Queen Charlotte Intermediate School gym teach Stephen White. His first pitch went over the backstop, he recalled.
“I came a long way from there.”
By Grade 9, he was comfortable and has continued to improve working with Bishop and Mark Quinn with the Canada Games team.
The team is getting ready for the Canadian under-23 fast pitch championship in St-Leonard-d'Aston, Que., from July 31 to Aug. 5.
When Arsenault is not in the pitcher’s circle, he will likely be patrolling centre-field, giving the Ravens strength up the middle with Gallant and Grady in the infield and Parker Ronahan behind the plate. Arsenault hits second in the team’s lineup because he’s fundamentally sound, smart and selfless.
“He always puts the ball in play,” Bishop said. “If I ask him to bunt, he does it . . . to advance the runner.”
And as good of a ballplayer Arsenault is, his contributions go deeper than hits, strikeouts and putouts.
His demeanour has a calming influence on a squad.
“Jonny leads by example,” Bishop said. “He wants to win, but he kind of has that care-free attitude.”
You won’t see Arsenault kicking dirt, talking to himself on the field or hanging his head. If he, or a teammate, makes a mistake, he moves on. It is something he has developed over years of playing sports and working with good coaches.
“There’s no reason to get worked up about everything,” Arsenault said. “(If) you’re pitching, they’re going to hit you. You just have to get the next guy. The quicker you can move on, the better the results are going to (be).”
Jonathan Arsenault
Who – A pitcher/centre-fielder with the Kevin Quinn Re/Max Ravens softball team.
Hometown – Charlottetown.
Age – 21.
In the family – Arsenault’s older brother Chris is also a softball player and has attended nationals. Jonathan said it helped him pick up the game quicker. “I would be down watching him play and we’d have a catch in the backyard, so you learn some things,” he said.
Ravens are legit – Arsenault remembers the Ravens first tournament in Saint John, N.B., in their first year. They started the tournament 0-3 and then went on to win the championship. “I think that’s where it kind of set off.”
Diamond dreams – Arsenault is on the field five days a week. He also plays baseball with the P.E.I. Junior Islanders and the Alley Stratford Athletics of the Kings County Baseball League.
