Shushkewich: Leroux's clutch homer helps Owls stay alive in AAC Championships tourney
Toronto Mets alum Brando Leroux (Mississauga, Ont.) was the hero for Florida Atlantic University on Wednesday when he belted a clutch two-run home run in the eighth inning to propel his team to an 8-6 victory over the Rice Owls in an elimination game at the American Athletic Conference Championships. Photo: FAU Athletics/Facebook
May 22, 2025
By Tyson Shushkewich
Canadian Baseball Network
The American Athletic Conference Championships are underway, and the Florida Atlantic Owls (FAU) have entered the tournament looking to win their first title since 2013, when they were still part of the Sun Belt Conference.
After dropping their opening game to Tulane on Tuesday, the Owls were hoping to keep their tournament dreams alive against Rice, also named the Owls, on Wednesday in a ‘loser goes home’ elimination game.
With the game tied in the bottom of the eighth inning, shortstop Brando Leroux (Markham, Ont.) stepped up to the plate for FAU with a runner on first and looking to play hero. And he delivered, sending a shot over the left-centre wall that exited at 100.1 MPH, giving the Owls an 8-6 lead over the Rice Owls, which eventually became the difference maker.
“I was just trying to help the team and get on base any way possible,” said Leroux about his game-winning home run. “I went hitless this past weekend, and helping my team win it late here was the motivation and energy I needed, especially since my main goal was to move that runner over because it was a tight game. I knew the opposing pitcher had some ride on his fastball, and I was able to hit it hard and just barrel it up.”
When asked if he knew it was a home run right away, Leroux knew he had made hard contact but he had to take a second to make sure it was gone.
“I hit the ball more on a line versus a towering fly ball that you normally see with home runs. I knew it left the bat at a good angle because of the contact I made, and as I rounded first, it was there that I knew 100% that the ball had left the yard,” said Leroux. “There was a lot of excitement going on as I was on the basepaths. I looked at our bullpen, and they were just leaning on the railing, all excited. It was such a great feeling to come through for my team.”
Leroux is no stranger to high-pressure situations on the baseball diamond. He grew up playing in the Toronto Mets program and also donned the Maple Leaf with the Junior National Team before taking his talents down south to Chipola College for the 2022 season. The infielder was caught up during the COVID-19 pandemic, so his time with the Junior National Team was limited due to the closed borders and cancelled trips.
“It was amazing to wear that jersey and represent Canada, even if it was brief,” said Leroux. “Before everything shut down, I was having a good weekend against tough competition down there during the extended spring training camp. It was also in the works that I was slated to be going on the next trip before COVID shut things down completely. I was pretty bummed that those opportunities didn’t come through because I just wanted to keep playing against tough competition and continue getting better in front of as many eyes as I could while representing Canada. However, with those shutdowns, I believe things still turned out for the best and helped me land where I am today.”
He spent one season down at Chipola College, which is Jose Bautista and Montreal native Russell Martin’s old stomping grounds, before transferring to another JUCO program in Bossier Parish Community College, where he amassed a 1.045 OPS with 10 homers in 204 at-bats. His play with the Cavaliers gained the attention of college coaches and recruiters, and he ended up taking his talents to Florida Atlantic for the 2024 calendar year.
“When I was at Bossier, I had a few different offers come through across different levels in the NCAA,” said Leroux. “I was in my room after practice, and I got a text from one of the coaches here at FAU (Michael Cleary), and they basically said that they wanted to connect and talk about my future college plans. After our exchange, I did some research on their program and its history, and I really liked the location and what the coaching staff had to offer for my development. I had another offer on the table from a program in Texas, and after I talked with my family about my future, I decided that joining this program was where I wanted to continue playing.
As a junior, Leroux appeared in all 57 games for the Owls and authored a .245/.364/.342 slash line with three home runs and 29 RBIs while walking 23 times. He also recorded 13 multi-hit games, including three contests where he recorded three hits, and finished the year with 10 doubles and 40 runs.
“With Florida Atlantic, things are more structured compared to my JUCO days,” explained Leroux. “Here, they have more organized lift times, detailed schedules and plans for practice on both sides of the field, and just more structure across the board. I think that really benefited me in terms of my development and growth as a player. I got stronger with all the lifts, and the strength and conditioning staff helped me be quicker on the field, which really helps with my fielding and positioning. It was just a solid outcome from all the work that got put in.”
And things have turned out well for Leroux during his senior campaign, as the Communications major has seen an uptick across the board with his stats. The right-handed batter owns a .317/.393/.456 slash line with 10 doubles, five homers, and 32 RBIs while adding nine more hits this season compared to last (57 vs. 48) while having 16 fewer at-bats. He produced 14 multi-hit games, including three games where he accumulated four hits apiece.
The infielder finished the 2025 season with All-ACC second-team honours and was on the midseason watch list for the Brooks Wallace Award (top D1 shortstop). Leroux also earned Player of the Week honours in early April when they swept East Carolina, with the shortstop going 8-for-15 with a double, a home run, and three RBIs.
With his college playing days drawing to an end, he now finds his team in the ACC tournament and still in ‘do or die mode’ given their earlier loss to Tulane. That hasn’t impacted Leroux and his teammates, as they continue to stick to their game plan with tensions at an all-time high.
“You just have to stay positive and go out there and analyze everything pitch by pitch,” said Leroux. “I am not thinking about it being my senior year or what the future holds this summer; I am thinking about what I can do today and how I can help this team win with every play on the field. The next goal is to win this Friday and keep the train moving forward.”
The Owls await to see who loses between Tulane and UTSA on Thursday, for who will become their Friday opponent. They need to continue winning if they want to play on Sunday in the championship series, and Leroux should see plenty of playing time to round out the tournament.