*This article was originally published on Saskatchewan Dugout Stories on November 14, 2024. You can read it here.

November 16, 2024

By Joe McFarland

Saskatchewan Dugout Stories

When Aidan Marien isn’t collecting hits on the diamond, he is delivering them on the gridiron.

During the summer months, the Saskatoon product has been found in a variety of ballparks plying his trade as a catcher and pitcher.

Once the fall arrives, he’s on the football field as an outside linebacker for the St. Joseph High School Guardians.

Marien is coming off a banner year in both sports, representing his province at the Baseball Canada Cup and heading to Toronto for the Canadian Futures Showcase before helping the Guardians claim the 6A provincial football championship.

When talking about his approach to sports, the 17-year-old refers to another sport he likes to play during his limited off-time: golf.

“There’s an old saying that, ‘You take care of the course, the course takes care of you,’” Marien told Saskatchewan Dugout Stories. “I truly think that’s applicable for every sport. As much as you put in is what you’re going to get out of it.”

He says it’s heart that has driven him to where he is today, allowing him to commit to Hutchinson Community College to continue chasing his athletic dreams.

GOING WELL

Growing up playing every sport he could get into, Marien wanted to take baseball more seriously when he entered Going Yard Academy in 2018.

He kept working away, starring for teams like the Saskatoon 15U AAA Expos of the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League, hoping for a chance to wear the green, yellow and white of his home province at some point down the road.

Marien got that opportunity for the first time in 2022 at the Baseball Canada Ray Carter Cup in his hometown, helping Team Saskatchewan capture the bronze medal.

“Representing home is something you don’t get to do often, but it’s something you’re always grateful for,” said the 5-foot-10, 185-pound utilityman. “At nationals, you’re playing for the guy beside you because you made it there together and you want to win for not only your teammates, but the province.”

While Marien didn’t play for the province’s team at a national tournament in 2023, he was still able to wear the colours at a spring tournament in Florida, doing it again this past April.

BERRY EXCELLENT

Determined to make a name for himself in 2024, Marien had a standout start to the summer with the SPBL’s Saskatoon Diamondbacks.

He was named to the league’s inaugural All-Star Game, where he was named a co-MVP.

That, along with some solid performances at other tournaments and showcases, allowed Marien to crack the roster for Team Sask at the Baseball Canada Cup in Fort McMurray.

A member of the new Saskatoon Berries Academy, he hit .313 with a home run, five runs batted in and two stolen bases in six games as Saskatchewan finished in fourth place.

Marien’s performance caught the eye of a few scouts, landing him a spot at the Canadian Futures Showcase in Toronto.

Suiting up for Team New Blue, he picked up a hit, a run and a walk in two games.

It was a learning experience for the young backstop, who says his hard work and dedication to his craft showed he can play with some of the big-name talent from across Canada.

“I was very grateful for the opportunity as there were only four players from Saskatchewan,” Marien said.

“So it’s not like I was going there to represent my team or the city, but the whole province … and being able to do it with my buddies was pretty sweet, too.”

TAMING THE DRAGONS

It’s fitting that one of those buddies will also be joining Marien when he heads to Hutchinson after his high school graduation.

Long-time batterymate and Muenster, Sask., product Merek Yeager announced just a few days before Marien that he, too, was heading to the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference school.

The two have played together on a few occasions, including at the Baseball Canada Cup this past summer.

“My whole life, Merek has been one of the best players and I’ve caught him lots,” Marien said. “Not only going there and hopefully living with him is going to be exciting, but being able to share the field and continue the battery is very special.”

From a personal standpoint, Marien says he’s looking forward to the opportunity to play on a new turf field and to learn under head coach Brock Nehls, who guided the Blue Dragons to a 51-13 record last season, losing in the district championship to Johnson County.

He’s also very excited about having access to a 24-hour facility to hone his skills.

“There’s always going to be someone better than you, taller than you, or stronger than you,” he said. “It’s the guy who is willing to go that extra step that is going to win the fight. Whoever cares more or wants it more is almost always going to come out on top.”

While it seems like becoming the next Bo Jackson or Deion Sanders isn’t in the cards, Marien is content on forging his own path with heart and hard work.