Meet the Jackfish: Brandon Hupe
Brandon Hupe’s hard work and dedication has made him a natural.
The 24-year-old outfielder for the Welland Jackfish does everything well on the diamond, so much so he makes it look effortless.
But Hupe said nothing could be further from the truth.
“I’ve been naturally good at picking things up and being pretty athletic but with baseball I definitely put in a lot of time in to make it look easier than it is,” the Vancouver native said. “I was usually pretty good at most of the sports I played. I played soccer, baseball and then in high school basketball and volleyball and baseball too.”
While Hupe is an outstanding outfielder and base runner, it’s his bat that stands out the most.
Hupe joins the Jackfish following four years at the University of British Columbia. Last season Hupe hit .315 with nine home runs and 12 doubles. He also suited up for Nanaimo of the West Coast League where he recorded nine triples and 25 runs batted it.
“Hitting has been a hard work thing for me,” he said. “In college I put on some weight and starting growing into my power a little bit but it took me a lot of swings and a lot of reps to figure out my swing. I learned how to hit.
“What you see today is because of all the work I put in.”
Jackfish manager Brian Essery loves Hupe’s skill set.
“He’s a really good athlete. He runs really well, plays good defence, has a good arm, tracks balls in the outfield well and we know he can hit,” Essery said. “Losing a guy like Hogan Brown from last year, he’s a perfect replacement. We know how good Hogan was for us, and we’re expecting Hupe to fill that void and so far he has.”
Hupe, who has been hitting at the top of the lineup so far this season, is currently playing centre field with Gio Morello down with an injury. Hupe can also play the corner outfield spots.
“We look for athletes who can play multiple positions,” Essery said. “It’s so good (to be versatile) and that’s what we look for.”
Hupe, who graduated with a degree is psychology, is enjoying his time with the Jackfish — on and off the field.
“I knew it was a good program and a good place to play,” he said. “I heard if you play in the IBL, this is the best spot to come so it wasn’t really a very hard decision. I wanted to play some good baseball.
“I love the guys on the team. It’s a great atmosphere here from the front office to the coaching staff and all my teammates are great. I like the city, it’s been very welcoming.”
Hupe has already made a visit to Niagara Falls and also plans to check out the Blue Jays in Toronto.
“I’m trying to take advantage of being in a nice area and seeing the country,” he said.
As far as the future goes, Hupe has no concrete plans.
“I’m still figuring it out. I think right now I want to see how far I can go with baseball and I have a nice degree to fall back on. I’ll figure it out as I go. I don’t have a grandiose plan.”
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