Bunda commits to Lambton Lions baseball program
Drew Bunda has officially announced his commitment to head coach Al Bezaire and the Lambton Men’s Baseball Program for the 2024 season, and beyond.
Bunda, a Grade 12 student at Wallaceburg District Secondary School, is the third member of the 2024 recruiting class for Bezaire and his coaching staff. He will join brothers Kale and Luke Murray as newcomers with the Lions when the 2024 season opens in early September.
“I’m excited to be joining the Men’s Baseball Program here at Lambton,” said Bunda, on a news release from Lambton College. “Ever since Lambton added a Men’s Baseball Program [in 2019], I’ve wanted to come to Lambton College so I’m excited to make that a reality.”
Bunda, who has been coached by Bezaire in minor baseball, was described by Coach Bezaire as a ‘super utility player’. The Wallaceburg native can play all nine positions on the field, giving the Lions a ton of versatility up and down their lineup.
On the diamond, Bunda joins the Lions from the Port Lambton Pirates baseball organization. Most recently, Bunda played for the Pirates U18 program while also spending time with their U22 and Senior Programs. He won the provincial championship with the Pirates in 2021 and has been part of three championship teams overall.
Bezaire coached the 2021 provincial championship team, and he has seen Bunda grow through the baseball ranks since Drew was 11 years old.
“I know first-hand what type of player he is, but more importantly, what type of person and teammate he is,” said Bezaire. “To say that I’m excited that he will be joining our program would be a complete understatement.”
“His quiet determination lets his play do the talking as he encapsulates everything we are looking for when we talk about our culture as we continue to focus on building a team and culture of ‘dirtbags’. Drew will provide excellent versatility and I would describe him as a ‘super utility’ player, as I know I can confidently plug and play him at all nine positions and he can contribute, which is a major asset for us.”
When he steps on the field come September, Bunda hopes to use his versatility to his advantage and contribute in any way possible to help the team win.
“I can play all nine positions on the field, and I can make consistent plays at every spot,” added Bunda. “Hopefully, I can be a good bat in the lineup while using my speed on the basepaths to my advantage.”
“I’m just excited to wear the Lambton jersey.”
Academically, Bunda will be enrolled in the Police Foundations Program at Lambton College.
The 17 year-old Bunda, has also played for the Provincial Junior Hockey League’s Walpole Wild for the past two seasons.
The Lions are coming off a 2023 season that saw the program continue to take positive strides forward. They finished with a record of 7-11, narrowly missing a spot in the post-season on the final weekend of the regular season.
Still, there are increased levels of excitement and optimism surrounding the program heading into the 2024 season, and the addition of Bunda to the mix only adds to the excitement.
“To have Drew join us along with the Murray brothers, who I believe to be all cut from the same cloth, I truly believe we are continuing to build this program with not only talent, but with players who have the intangible baseball ‘dirtbag’ mentality and who will help define our identity and ultimately, our success on the field,” added Bezaire.