Terrebonne’s Justin Williams commits to LSU

Terrebonne High School student Justin Williams sat in shock last month at LSU baseball headquarters.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 208-pound junior prospect was in baseball coach Paul Mainieri’s office and was visiting the school’s campus with his parents.

Then, out of nowhere, it happened.

“Coach said to me, ‘We’d love to have you come and play baseball here at LSU,'” Williams recalls. “And he offered me a pretty good scholarship. My parents and I sat there and told them we’d have to sit on it and think about it and let them know back.

“As for me, I wasn’t thinking anything at the time. I was shocked. I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know what to say. When he was asking me questions, I was just in shock.”

With the shock out of his mind, it didn’t take Williams long to make up his mind. He’s going to LSU.

Just more than a month after receiving his offer, Williams gave a verbal pledge to Mainieri and the Tigers this week. He did so while spending the week at a baseball camp in Atlanta, where he met up with the Tigers’ recruiting coach Javi Sanchez.

“I just sat down with my parents and they asked me if I was sure that this is where I wanted to go,” Williams said. “And I decided that it was, so I gave them a call back to let them know that I was verbally committing to their school. … I’ve always been an LSU fan. And they actually always were my No. 1 school for baseball.”

Williams landed on the radar of the Tigers after what has been a dominant start to his young prep career.

As a freshman and sophomore at Terrebonne, Williams established himself as one of the elite players in Louisiana as an infielder for the Tigers.

Last season, Williams stroked for a .464 batting average with 10 home runs and 29 RBI as a sophomore.

Those numbers were good enough to earn him First-Team All-District honors and also the attention of Mainieri who quickly took note of the prospect’s good play.

“He just told me that he thought I was doing the right things and was making the most of my time at the high school level,” Williams said. “Coach Mainieri definitely told me that he liked the way that I played, which was an honor.”

With two seasons to go at Terrebonne, Williams said he is focusing the remainder of his high school career on progression.

The prospect said he would spend the rest of the summer trying to refine his approach at the plate and also taking ground balls in the infield.

“I’m trying to make less errors in the field than I did last year,” Williams said. “And I’m trying to produce more at the plate so I can help out my team a little bit more. … I’m going to go to the field with my dad and my brother and take as many groundballs as I can and take as much BP as I can to just try and get better in any way that I can.”

But the infield may not necessarily be Williams’ home in Baton Rouge.

The Terrebonne star said Mainieri told him that the LSU coaches may suggest he move to the outfield once he gets to Baton Rouge.

He said it’s a move he’s willing to make if it means he can fill a need for the Tigers.

Williams added he will begin working on that craft, as well, and will attempt to play outfield in spots the next two seasons at Terrebonne.

It should come naturally to the prospect, who is already one of the elite wide receivers in the Tri-parish area in football.

“(Terrebonne) Coach (Gus) Brown has been telling me that with my height and how tall I am, my feet are not going to be quick enough in the infield when I get older because I’m going to keep gaining weight and adding mass, so it’ll get harder and harder for me there,” Williams said. “So I’ve been knowing that I might have to move to the outfield. I’ll do it if I have to, but for now, I’ll still be working the most in the infield.”

Williams’ pursuit of collegiate athletics shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone familiar with Tri-parish athletics.

Justin’s father, Mike Williams Sr., was also a collegiate athlete. His older brother Mike, graduated from Terrebonne in May and is committed to Meridian Community College to play baseball.

If Mike excels there, it leaves the door open for a partnership for the brothers at LSU when Justin arrives in 2013, but no matter how it plays out, the younger Williams is thankful for his lucky stars as his collegiate dream has come true.

“I feel great,” Williams said. “I wish this were my senior year now so I could graduate and go. I know I have to wait, but I’m definitely very excited. … It’s like a dream come true.”

Terrebonne High School standout baseball player Justin Williams prepares to take a swing during a game last season. Williams committed to continue his career at LSU this week, a scholarship offer he earned after hitting for a .464 average as a sophomore. CASEY GISCLAIR