By Francesco Cautillo

As the air cools and leaves fall, the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold men’s baseball and women’s softball seasons have slipped away along with the last hints of summer.

But this year seemed to bring about more sentimentality, as many look back on the season that sparked a number of new Toronto baseball fans, who saw a historic Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series Cinderella run bring a city together.

Despite the Toronto Blue Jays falling short in the finals, the season kindled a connection between Toronto and its fondness for baseball.

For first-year infielder Ethan Vadivale, he first recalls becoming interested in the sport in October 2015, when he witnessed Blue Jays greats like third baseman Josh Donaldson and outfielder José Bautista show inklings of the same passion and excellence produced by last year’s roster.

“It was just something else compared to anything I’ve witnessed,” said Vadivale.
Autumn often conjures memories of the MLB playoffs, and for players at all levels, it brings back recollections of their own postseason calendar.

“You have all the best teams going out in the fall. That’s when post-season baseball is at its best,” said Vadivale.

For other players like Ava Marmorato, a second-year pitcher and outfielder for the Bold women’s softball team, weathering the harsher aspects of ‘fall ball’ made it harder to enjoy as a child.

“When I was younger, we would always complain that we never wanted to play in the fall,” said Marmorato. “We were busy with school starting and didn’t want to play in the cold.”

Both Marmorato and Vadivale alluded to the extra effort needed to adapt to the crisp weather, with Marmorato describing being “bundled up in sweatshirts and blankets” in order to continue playing.

Despite October’s blustery conditions, both TMU players mentioned how the change of season helps build the teams’ character and shared sense of community.

As she’s grown older and has now returned for her second year of school, Marmorato has begun to cherish the friendships she’s found and the memories she’s made at TMU softball.

“I would even say now that I actually prefer that fall baseball setting because at TMU, our season is the fall,” said Marmorato, describing that the shorter season “makes it more sentimental in a way.”

Vadivale also spoke of these bonding moments with his team, reflecting that he’s “fortunate enough to be with a good group of guys,” especially as he navigates the student-athlete challenges in his first year of university.

As the seasons change, so do the two TMU squads. Despite both teams missing out on championship glory, Vadivale and Marmorato have set sights on the off-season and continuing the effort towards their aspirations.

“Playoffs are always our goal,” said an optimistic Vadivale, recalling throughout the season when the team “showed a lot of grit.”

Even with a large graduating class and balancing the growing pains of a rebuilding year, Marmorato is confident that the “great bond” formed on the team will continue into the 2027 season and translate into success for the squad.