Locals say area districts will be ‘wide open’ in 2017
August 9, 2017
Let him have the glasses, NCAA
August 9, 2017
It was the bottom of the final inning on a baseball diamond in Orlando, Florida last week.
The score was tied.
And a 13U National Championship was on the line.
In the field were the Louisiana Tigers – a feisty, talented bunch out of Baton Rouge.
At the plate were the Houma-based South Louisiana Select – a club made up of some of the best budding baseball players around the Houma-Thibodaux area.
The bases were loaded and there were no outs.
Tension was mounting for both sides.
Caleb Bergeron was at the plate.
A pitch was thrown. Contact was made. The ball flew past the defense and into the field of play.
As the ball dropped safely for a hit, Select standout Jean-Luc Lapeyre trekked from third base to home plate.
When Lapeyre’s cleat successfully touched the base, the tension and drama changed to jubilation.
The South Louisiana Select were officially the USSSA National Champions.
About a week has passed since the local club won the prestigious title, solidifying themselves as the top 13U USSSA travel club in the country.
With time to let it all sink in, coach Lanc Crochet said the only thing that keeps coming to mind is how proud he is of his boys – a group which exceled all summer, posting a 57-13 record over 70 games, including a 6-0-1 mark at the 25-team national tournament, which was held at the Wide World of Sports Complex just outside of Disney World.
As the victory was sealed, the team dogpiled between first and second base – a fitting end to a dominant season.
“It’s definitely gratifying to see all our hard work and dedication pay off on the biggest stage and throughout the season, as well. It’s almost a surreal feeling,” Crochet said. “You could really see how much it meant to everyone. We have a team of extremely tough players – both physically and mentally. To see some of them tearing up walking to the game because they were so happy and others after the game hugging other players, coaches and their parents with tears running down their faces – it speaks volumes about what winning the Elite World Series means to them.”
The championship game was an unbelievable contest between two highly talented clubs filled with players who have bright futures.
It was broadcast online, which allowed several in the community to keep tabs on how things were going.
The Tigers scored the first two runs of the game to hold an early lead, which lasted until the bottom of the fourth inning when South Louisiana Select tied it with two of their own.
The local boys led for the first time in the bottom of the fifth when they added a run to go up 3-2, but it was short-lived, because the Tigers tied the game at 3 in the top of the sixth inning, which set the stage for the thrilling finish in the bottom of the seventh.
Lapeyre led off the inning with a base hit, then advanced to third on a wild pitch, which came while he was stealing – a two-base gaffe for the Tigers.
To set up a force at every base, the Baton Rouge team intentionally walked the next two batters to load the bases, which set up Bergeron for his heroic moment.
Crochet said he is proud of his team for battling the pressure and pushing forward – even in a high-stakes, high-pressure game.
He said he didn’t ever feel like his team was spooked or rattled by the moment.
“The last few innings were what you’d hope for watching any championship game – and that’s a great game that’s going back and forth,” Crochet said. “For our team, you could feel how calm and confident we were. We never pressed or got away from who we are. … When the winning run scored, everyone was yelling and screaming, but as a coach, I feel like a player in those moments, honestly. Yes, I was in the dog pile – guaranteed. Everything went quiet for me as I sprinted across the field with our guys.”
Crochet said he and his coaching staff, which consisted of assistant coaches Cobie Savoie and Kevin LeCompte knew this group had a chance to be special early in the year, but the kids’ work ethic put them over the top.
The coach said the team practiced seriously and competitively all season, which helped spark South Louisiana Select’s growth and development.
“I have a group of guys that give their best effort to this team and each other – whether it’s at practice, games, pregame warmups, in the cage or wherever else,” Crochet said. “We practice a lot, but our players are obsessed with baseball and the team. … We’re in there working our tails off to get better, but it’s a relaxed atmosphere, too, if that makes sense.”
The title also serves as an indication for bright days ahead in local high school baseball.
Crochet said his players come from all across the area – guys who will continue to develop and will begin filtering into prep programs in the coming years.
The coach said he’s watched a lot of high school baseball and he believes several of his guys have an opportunity to make early impacts at that level.
The Houma-Thibodaux area has become one of the most fertile area in the state for Louisiana high school baseball.
In 2017, several programs made the state playoffs, including deep runs from Houma Christian and CCA.
“The majority of our guys will be ready to step on the high school field and start as freshmen,” Crochet said. “It will be really fun to watch them compete over the course of the next couple years in high school and, God willing, they’ll help their teams compete for a State Championship, while being leaders – on and off the field.”
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