Whether your long weekend was an end-of-summer blur, or a relaxing last hurrah at the cottage, the shortened work week means that another weekend is already upon us. This is a great chance to try something new, or spend the weekend outdoors patio sitting and taking in some fun local outdoor live events.

Labour Day is the last day of work for the Boys of Summer, as the Ottawa Champions wind down a roller coaster season this weekend at home. Consider this your last chance to catch the team before the long, cold offseason.

Third base and outfield coach Jared Lemieux is the team’s in-house hype man, always ready with a smile, a piece of bubblegum, a fist bump, and some dancing.

As the summer heats up (literally) the Champions hitters are following suit. The past few series have seen fewer runners left on base and more consistent production when they need it most. Halfway through the 2018 season, Ottawa is still sitting in last place, but in such a small league, anything can happen as summer gets hotter.

Up next in a series of interviews with Ottawa Champions players and staff is Ottawa’s own Sebastien Boucher.

Hal Lanier, the Ottawa Champions manager, lives and breathes baseball. He is a friendly encyclopedia of baseball minutiae and has probably already forgotten more about the game than any of us will ever even know.