Former St. Paul star Jake LeFrancois has been working on his mechanics and his mind as he has helped the Worcester Bravehearts put together a sensational season.
WORCESTER — Jake LeFrancois had a terrific experience playing for the Worcester Bravehearts last summer, the highlight undoubtedly being teammates with his brother, Max.
Max graduated from Assumption University in May and is now working as an audiologist ‒ or someone who diagnoses, manages and treats hearing, balance and ear problems ‒ at his mom’s business, Heidi’s Hearing, in North Grafton.
Meanwhile, Jake is back playing for the hometown Bravehearts. And he couldn’t be happier.
“There is nothing better than being home,” LeFrancois, 19, recently said at Fitton Field after catching up with some University of Massachusetts Lowell teammates who play for Westfield in the Futures League. “I mean, really, it doesn’t get better than this.”
As was the case last year, LeFrancois joined the Bravehearts with a baseball punch list.
The 6-foot, 195-pound right-hander checked off one box when he was selected to play in the Futures League All-Star Game on July 22 at Polar Park, which is a five-minute drive from his home.
“All my family could go, so it was great,” LeFrancois said. “Just a good experience. Obviously, being an all-star is cool and all, but really what it’s about is winning championship here.”
The Bravehearts entered the week with a 41-15 record and in first place in the six-team collegiate summer league.
They’ve clinched a playoff berth and with five games remaining are three wins away from tying Vermont (44, 2022) for the most regular-season wins in league history.
“So it’s really about having a good team and accomplishing goals like that,” LeFrancois said.
LeFrancois was a two-time T&G Super Team selection at St. Paul, where he didn’t become a fulltime pitcher until his junior year in 2023.
His freshman season at UMass Lowell was an expectedly transitional one considering his lack of pitching experience combined with the jump in competition. He made 15 appearances, all in relief, spanning 20⅓ innings and went 1-1 with a 9.74 earned run average.
So that punch list also included improving his intellectual approach when on the mound.
“Kind of just develop mentally,” LeFrancois said. “Physically I’ve always had some upside, but mentally the game hasn’t been there for me through high school and even last year.
“I feel like this summer, just developing a strong mental side to the game and becoming a true pitcher and not just throwing the ball (was important). I’m starting to get more experience, which is nice.”
In academic parlance, LeFrancois is acing this athletic course.
With a fastball that sits in the 90 to 92 mph range to go with a changeup, curveball and ever-improving slider, the Bravehearts’ staff anchor is 5-1 in seven starts with a 2.94 ERA.
“Frenchy is obviously having a great year,” manager Luke Beckstein said. “He’s an all-star and every time he’s on the mound he gives us a great chance to win.
“He brings a great mentality to the team and he gives the team a lot of confidence when he’s on the mound because he is putting us in a great position to win a ballgame.”
One statistic that really pops is LeFrancois’ strikeouts versus walks.
He recorded 22 Ks and issued 14 walks in 18⅔ innings last summer. Those numbers currently stand at 32 and 10 in 36⅔ innings.
“We’ve worked on some things with his pitch development stuff to help him get in the zone a little bit faster and all of that stuff,” pitching coach Greg Stagani said.
“I feel like being able to throw off-speed pitches for strikes and not just relying on the fastball is a huge factor,” LeFrancois said. “And walking guys, walks kill you.
“Once I step on the mound it’s just a race to two strikes. Like Stags says, ‘Get ahead. Get ahead.’ That’s really all that matters.”
LeFrancois, a business major with a 3.5 grade point average, plans to return to UML at the end of August.
And while he had so many memorable moments playing with Max last summer, this one has been momentous because of the sustained success the Bravehearts have experienced as a team with a singular focus.
“It’s good to win,” LeFrancois said. “I feel like everyone is more all in it to win and not just showing up, going through the motions and just being like, ‘Oh, it’s summer ball. It really doesn’t matter.’ I think we all want to win.”
—Contact Rich Garven at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @RichGarven.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Former St. Paul star Jake LeFrancois puts it all together with Bravehearts
Category: General Sports
