Oklahoma star Deitan Lachance’s mother, Annie, shared that the opportunity to witness her son’s triumph transcended the physical victory on the field. She found it as an emotional recompense for half a year of separation.
The deeply personal milestone unfolded at the 2026 College World Series game between the Oklahoma Sooners and Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday. Oklahoma’s starting catcher Lechance suffered an ankle injury in the first inning, but hit a two-run homer and scored three runs. Oklahoma won the game 9-0.
“It was a really beautiful gift for me, because six months without seeing him, it’s so tough for me. So today – it’s the most beautiful gift,”Lachane’s mother said after the victory, as reported by Sooner Scoop’s George Stoia.
LaChance echoed his mother’s sentiment. He disclosed that he hadn’t seen his mom since Christmans, and as such, it was deeply meeningful to share the defining moment of his baseball career with his parent.
“I just said hi to my mom right there,” LaChance said. “I haven’t seen her since Christmas. She hasn’t seen me play for a while now. I mean, it’s special for them to be there.
“I really wanted them to be there since the regional,” he added. “Well, I’m glad that they’re here, the most important moment of my career right here, and I can live that with them. It’s awesome.”
Meanwhile, LaChance’s father, Alain, detailed journey of his son in baseball. The LaChance family live in the mountain area, which is a two-hour drive from Montreal. While hockey is the popular sport in the area, Alain played baseball, and even represented Canada internationally.
Alain isn’t surprisied by his son’s success in baseball. The Oklahoma catcher used to accompany his father to ballpark when he was just one year old. This early experience developed passion in LaChance, eventually helping him succeed in baseball.
Deitan LaChance’s Father Hails His Mentality
In the same article of Sooner Scoop’s George Stoia, Deitan LaChance’s father talked about the linguistic hurdle the Oklahoma catcher overcame. LaChance’s first language is French. Moroever, he didn’t learn English before joining community college in the US.
“When he got to McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas, he was barely speaking English,” said Alain.”If he wanted to play, he had to learn. So three years now, he’s bilingual, and sometimes even when he’s talking to us, he kind of starts in English instead of French.”
LaChance was born on April 18, 2005 in Sherbooke, located in the Estrie region of the Quebec province. He played high school baseball for École secondaire du Triolet in Sherbrooke.
LaChance also played two years in the Canadian Junior National Team. He even represented the nation at a Junior World Championship. Before transferring to the University of Oklahoma, he played two season for the McLennan Community College Highlanders.
Read More:
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in baseball, tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!