聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 The 16-year-old grandson of a Cote First Nation couple is making a name for himself this summer as a fastball pitcher.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Darian Bellegarde-Cote of Balcarres, a member of the Little Black Bear First Nation, is a grandson of Ron and Doreen Cote of Cote First Nation, and son of Royce Cote and Nicole Bellegarde-Cote of Belcarres.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 A member of four fastball teams this summer, Bellegarde-Cote won a gold medal as a member of Team Saskatchewan鈥檚 under 16 squad at the North American Indigenous Games, which were played in Toronto in July.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 During the summer he also suited up for the Prince Albert Bantam Astros fastball team that won the provincials, the Rambler Park鈥檚 Little Black Bear men鈥檚 team and the Tri-Highway Fastball League鈥檚 senior Balcarres Bronx team, his mother said last week.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 At the Indigenous Games, Team Saskatchewan was dominant with Darian providing strong pitching for the team that won six straight games to earn the gold in a convincing fashion, she said. In the six games they played they scored 56 runs and the opposition was able to score only two runs. Darian played in four games during the competition.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bellegarde-Cote鈥檚 best game came against Ontario, she said. 鈥淗e pitched really well against Ontario. He had an easy time. He had 19 strike outs in that game in seven innings.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Last week, Bellegarde-Cote was playing with the Prince Albert Astros in the Canadian championships in Cobourg, Ont., which were held August 9 to 13.
Six members of the Astros team were members of Team Saskatchewan which played in the Indigenous Games, she said.
鈥淕reg Geisler, coach of the Balcarres Bronx, has high praise for this young windmiller,鈥� she said.
He has improved into one of the top throwers for his age in the province,鈥� Geisler said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 worked hard ever since he was the team鈥檚 bat boy and now he is on the cusp of becoming a truly special fastball talent.
鈥淭he sky鈥檚 the limit for the big guy.鈥�
It is expected scouts will be watching Bellegarde-Cote at the Cobourg competition.
Ron Cote, Darian鈥檚 grandfather, was eager to include mention of Darian鈥檚 siblings: his brother, Shane Brass, and three sisters, Sarah, Kathleen and Jasmine. 聽
