From TMU’s Early Learning Centre to the World Series
MLB player Liam Hicks' first word was "ball." Now he’s headed to the World Series with the Tampa Bay Rays.
His mother is Jennifer Hicks, director of alumni and stakeholder programs at TMU. Jennifer has worked at the university for 34 years. She remembers dropping Liam and his siblings off at the university's Early Learning Centre when they were young.
Jennifer says Liam had quiet confidence and thought baseball could take him places, but he never imagined it would lead to the World Series.
Liam Hicks’ baseball journey brings him to the World Series, where he is the only Canadian player.
"It’s like a dream come true. But he never thought it was possible. There are a whole lot of the best players in baseball history who did not make it to the World Series, so it's so exciting and kind of overwhelming,” says Jennifer.
Supporting his dream
Liam has played baseball since he was around seven, and Jennifer has watched countless games and tournaments over the years. She says watching him play in the World Series is emotional but not much different.
Bill Hicks and Jennifer Hicks in Milwaukee at the World Series 2026.
“As a parent, your heart is kind of in your throat the whole time that they're playing, and you feel every emotion that they are feeling,” she says. “I think I have the same happiness seeing him play and the excitement and nerves that I had when he was playing house league.”
Liam was drafted in 2021 and made his debut in 2025 with the Miami Marlins. He is now a catcher for the Tampa Bay Rays.
Growing up, Liam Hicks loved sports. He played everything from hockey and football to soccer, eventually sticking with baseball.
The family behind the journey
Baseball became real for Liam in high school. Meanwhile, Jennifer was working full-time at TMU while raising three children who all played competitive sports. For years, she drove them to practices and tournaments across Canada and the U.S.
“When I look back at pictures or even at our calendar, I don't know how we did it, except that we really did have a very great support system,” she says. “We couldn’t be in three different places at once. Mine and my husband’s family lived nearby. We also relied on the community of parents for carpooling and getting to different tournaments.”
The family made sacrifices along the way, including adjusting summer vacations and cottage time around sports schedules. Jennifer says her community's support made it possible.
A TMU community cheering him on
Liam celebrating his fourth birthday in 2003 at the then Ryerson Early Learning Centre. The centre staff made him a ball-shaped cake to celebrate.
Jennifer and her colleagues pose with TMU alumnus and Canadian sports commentator Jamie Campbell, at a Blue Jays game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Jennifer started working at TMU as a summer job between her third and fourth year of university before joining TMU full-time in 1992.
Over the years, she says her colleagues have shared the excitement during Liam’s baseball journey.
“I love the support of all of my colleagues here in University Advancement and their excitement about what's going on with Liam,” she says. “My boss, Rivi Frankle is a huge baseball fan, so she's been a great source of support.”
Jennifer describes her team as a family and appreciates being able to share her son’s accomplishments with people who are just as excited about his journey as she is.