The exemplary journey of the Rouen native propels him across the Atlantic with a professional contract. A product of the Huskies club, he progressed through the hope pole and baseball academy in Rouen, then the France Pole in Toulouse, before moving on to NJCAA Division 1 in the USA at Western Nebraska College. Thibault Mercadier has just signed with the Capitales de Québec.
BTVF: Can you introduce yourself to the BTVF community?
I’m Thibault Mercadier, a pitcher for the Rouen Huskies (now the Québec Capitales) and the French national team, and I’m 21 years old.
BTVF: You chose to be a pitcher, can you explain why?
To be honest, I didn’t choose to be a pitcher! At first, I wanted to be a catcher! It was during an indoor tournament in the 15U category, where we needed pitchers, that my coaches Leo Cespedes and Owen Ozanich had me pitch. I threw a no-hitter in that indoor game and I’ve never looked back since!
BTVF: How did you prepare for the tryout in Rouen?
For the tryouts, I prepared both physically and mentally. I worked hard to gain velocity on the mound and consistency. Mentally, I put myself in my own bubble for a while, with the tryout as my sole focus—I really wanted my shot!
BTVF: How did the camp in Québec go? What was the competition like?
The camp in Québec went very well! We started with fairly standard training sessions—batting practice, bullpen sessions, PFP, defense, etc. Then, we moved on to intersquad games, and I performed very well! After that, we had exhibition games against other Frontier League teams. I pitched against the Trois-Rivières Aigles and performed well again! The competition here is at a very high level! The right-handed pitchers on my team are all above 90 mph. Our two closers even hit 99 mph last season. I’m the one who throws the least hard, even though I’m currently topping out at 89 mph.
BTVF: Proud to have signed a pro contract, how do you see the upcoming challenges? What’s expected of you?
I’m very proud to have finally signed professionally at the end of camp. I know the hardest part is yet to come, but I’m confident and eager to play! I need to seize the opportunity when I get the ball in the season to keep proving I belong here. Patrick Scalabrini told me he expects me to approach the season the same way I approached camp—to keep my spot, it’s simple: I need to perform.
BTVF: What can we wish for you?
Good health and longevity!
