Being a college freshman can be a daunting task for an athlete.
In many cases, it’s your first time trying to balance school, sports and life while living on your own cooking meals and balancing bank accounts.
Colby Linzmayer is discovering this new reality as he settles into his new home away from home in Edmonton.
With the goal of one day becoming a police officer, the Regina native has entered his first year of Police and Investigation Studies at MacEwan University.
To help handle some of the financial hurdles of being a student-athlete, the catcher has been named the 12th recipient of the Brennan Luffman Memorial Scholarship, which goes to a Saskatchewan baseball player who exemplifies several positive leadership characteristics on and off the field.
“It means a lot to receive something like this – it’s the meaning behind it that makes it even more special,” Linzmayer told Saskatchewan Dugout Stories. “I can’t thank the Luffman family enough for this scholarship.”
He will also keep his baseball dreams alive as he hopes to crack the opening day lineup for the Edmonton Collegiate Hawks of the Canadian College Baseball Conference heading into next spring.
QUEEN CITY DREAMS
Like many athletes, Linzmayer credits his athletic endeavours for shaping him into the human being he is today.
He says he learned so much about teamwork, leadership and resilience, especially as he got older and started playing with the Regina Wolfpack in 15U baseball.
Linzmayer recalls being a member of what he called an “underdog squad” at the Evan Thomas Tournament in Saskatoon as a second year player.
“Our team really clicked, we experienced success, and found ourselves winning games we didn’t think we would,” he said. “Unfortunately, we came up short in the final, but that group we had was pretty special and I’m still friends with all those guys.”
Making the move to the 18U Regina Athletics provided even more memories and experiences for Linzmayer, who says he had outstanding coaches who taught him about being a good leader and creating a good team culture.
“I took a lot of pride in my leadership role in my second and third year,” he continued. “We did everything as a team in this last year with the A’s and we made sure everyone was welcome to all players-only events.”
Among his favourites was “Swirl World Tuesdays,” where they would partake in a frozen treat and bond as a team at the frozen yogurt and sorbet shop.
FLYING WITH THE HAWKS
It’s that family-like atmosphere that has Linzmayer already liking what he’s seeing with the Hawks in Edmonton.
He says the veterans have welcomed the newcomers with open arms and he already looks up to them like big brothers.
“I was super-nervous the first day but, all of a sudden, I met so many amazing guys that have the same goals I do,” said the 5-foot-10, 185-pound backstop. “Work hard, play hard, and have some fun.”
Linzmayer is also not the only Saskatchewan player on the team, as he joins fellow Martin Academy products Lucas Geisler, Colby Tessier, Keaton Hannant, Cooper Jones and Wes Willman.
Off the field, he says he was inspired by coaches like Rob Muntain, Graham Borne, Trevor Weir, Kelly Newman and Curtis Warnar to follow his dreams.
“I love helping people and it’s important to me to be a positive impact on the community around me,” Linzmayer said. “I’m grateful for the people around me who have done such a great job raising me.”
He says they taught him the value of the saying “you get out what you put in,” adding they also showed him the importance of trying new things and making the people around you proud, which has been amplified further by receiving the scholarship.
HONOURING HER SON
The characteristics exemplified by Linzmayer are the ones that Charlene Luffman has looked for each year when determining the recipient of the scholarship bearing her son’s name.
Brennan and another young Weyburn man, Shaun Seghers, passed away in a car crash along Highway 13 in December 2012.
The Brennan Luffman Memorial Scholarship was first awarded in 2014 to pay tribute to the young man who was a popular teammate everywhere he played, including with the Western Major Baseball League’s (now Western Canadian Baseball League) Weyburn Beavers and Moose Jaw Miller Express.
“I raised my children to value sport and community as I did,” Charlene said.
“To be honest, it’s not so much about the sport itself, although I love all sports. It’s about all the learning that comes from playing sports like teamwork, losing gracefully, leadership, hard work, discipline, respect, balance, and responsibility – which all lead to being a good human.”
Over the years, she has received cards, texts, emails and phone calls from each of the young men as well as their parents and family members, which she says “fills my heart.”
She’s met many of them at the ball field, even watched some of them play, while others have connected years later just to tell her they have graduated and moved into their professional careers.
If the scholarship can help ease a small portion of the financial burden, she’s happy to help.
“Brennan was very much a team player and community was of the utmost importance to him,” Charlene said. “He would be very proud of all these young men, just as I am, and is cheering them on from the ‘outfield.’ Somehow, it makes my loss of him a little easier.”
LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY
The Brennan Luffman Memorial Scholarship is awarded each year to a player who possesses the following qualities:
- A leader in their school, community and baseball team
- Shows examples of volunteerism in school and community
- Exhibits great skill, determination, dedication and spirit within the team atmosphere
- Demonstrates a willingness to enhance their baseball opportunity by attending a college baseball program or academy program
- Demonstrates a positive attitude in athletics and in school environment
- Must be a registered baseball player in Saskatchewan who is in their 12th grade year and attending a Saskatchewan high school moving onto university or college
The nominations are then collected by Baseball Sask and passed along to the Luffman family for final review. Previous winners of the scholarship include:
2014/2015 – Carver Krafchuk (Weyburn)
2015/2016 – Brandon Hutt (Weyburn)
2016/2017 – Logan Hofmann (Muenster)
2017/2018 – Devon Farrell (Saskatoon)
2018/2019 – Adlei Muench (Martensville)
2019/2020 – Kyle Froehlich (Nipawin)
2020/2021 – Zander Oudie-Senger (Regina)
2021/2022 – Nate Varjassy (Moose Jaw)
2022/2023 – Jonah Kuntz (Regina)
2023/2024 – Keaton Husband (Weyburn)
2024/2025 – Merek Yeager (Muenster) and Nathan Pisio (Moose Jaw)
2025/2026 – Colby Linzmayer (Regina)
Tales of Baseball 