PITCHING TO THE PROS

The adrenaline was pumping through former Nicholls State University pitcher Grant Borne’s body on June 23 as he made the slow walk from the bullpen to the mound for his pro debut.

“They called my name, and then it was all a bit of a blur,” Borne said. “It was a feeling of energy that is hard to describe.”

Borne finished his warmup tosses and it was time for business. He put his foot on the rubber, stared into his catcher’s glove and got himself ready for that first pitch – the one he’s been waiting for his whole life.

Borne felt the ball with his anxious palms, then maneuvered it into his fastball grip as he stared into the catcher’s glove and collected his sign.

He started his windup. He fired. He delivered the baseball to the plate.

All that Borne said he heard next was a pop of the ball landing in the catcher’s glove, then a sound that he calls one of the most pleasant in the world.

“STEEEE-RIKEEEEE!” the umpire screeched, as the ball nipped the plate.

It was a perfectly-placed pitch on the inside corner.

As soon as the umpire’s declaration was over, Borne exhaled, enjoyed a short grin and sort-of soaked it all in.

For this former Colonel, that pitch meant his lifelong dream had just come true. He was officially a professional baseball player.

Borne was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 7th Round of the 2015 Draft – the highest of three Colonels picked in the three-day draft.

After a physical and brief negotiation, Borne signed with Washington and started his career just a few days later as a member of the Auburn Doubledays – a Class A affiliate of Washington that plays a 70-game short season each summer.

In Borne’s pro debut, he pitched the eighth and ninth innings, allowing three hits, one run, while striking out two. He earned the save – the first of his career. It was the icing on the cake for what’s been a short turnaround, but a dream-like ride for the lefty pitcher who said he will forever be a Colonel.

“It’s been pretty special,” Borne said. “I’m very excited to be here,

and I’m just going to go out there and take the ball and do the best that I can every time that my name is called. It’s a blessing to be here, and it’s something that I’m definitely enjoying.”

For Borne, the past half-decade has been filled with triumph.

An unwanted commodity in 2012 out of Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, Borne enrolled with Nicholls as a walk-on – a soft-tossing lefty who at the very least could give the Colonels depth.

He did much more than that. Borne was a three-year contributing pitcher for Nicholls, starting 36 games in his career, while accumulating 17 wins.

In Borne’s final season, he was one of the best in the country, posting a 6-5 record with a glistening 1.48 ERA. Opposing batters hit just .199 against Borne, who developed an enhanced velocity in Thibodaux, greatly increasing the speed of his pitches.

“He came such a long way during his time with us,” Nicholls coach Seth Thibodeaux said after Borne was drafted. “He was a guy who came to work every day. He made amazing progress, and he was one of the leaders of our pitching staff.”

Because of all of those things, Borne knew before the MLB Draft that he’d be picked – it was just a matter of when and by which team.

The Nationals were that squad, scooping up Borne in the second day of the draft.

Because the lefty pitcher was a junior, he had the option to return to Thibodaux for his senior season.

But he said the Nationals gave him a fair offer, which he quickly accepted after meeting with team officials in Florida.

That day was one Borne will never forget – one filled with happiness for so many.

“Everyone was giddy,” he said. “Me and all of the other signees were just having a great time, and there were so many people smiling.”

But it was also the day that it all started to come full-circle for Borne, who said a few minutes after signing his contract, he realized that baseball was now his full-time job and business.

He said that during his time in the pros so far, the biggest lesson that he’s learned is that it’s important to give a Grade-A effort every, single day or risk having the game that you love taken from you by the organization.

“It’s different,” Borne said. “It’s not about playing for a school that you love anymore. It’s about playing for an organization – playing for a business. The first time someone gets cut, it reminds you that at this level, you’d better perform. It’s do or die. That is a bit of a transformation for me. That’s something that I wasn’t necessarily used to when I got here, because things are competitive at the college level, but it’s not quite to that same level.”

But through one outing, Borne has shown that he can play with the big boys.

Now, he said, his challenge is to repeat that strong showing and replicate it over and over again so that he can earn the trust of the Nationals and begin to grow through their farm system.

His role isn’t quite yet determined for the future, and the Nationals have him pitching out of the bullpen for the first time in many seasons.

“It’s different, but they just want to protect my arm, because I’ve thrown so many innings in college,” Borne said. “Whether it’s as a starter or as a reliever, I’ll be ready when my name is called. I’m here, and I love my surroundings. I’m ready to get the job done.”

WILLIAMS ENJOYS PRO SUCCESS

While a Nicholls product looks to make his name at the professional level, a Terrebonne High School graduate is busy chasing continued success.

Justin Williams is now deep into his third season as a professional, a member of the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization.

The Rays acquired Williams in a trade this past season, making him one of the organization’s top prospects.

The local slugger is currently playing Class A ball for the Bowling Green Hot Rods. Williams is a huge part of the team’s offense, hitting .262 at press-time with six home runs and 26 RBI in 62 games.

For his minor league career, Williams is hitting .322.

“It’s going pretty good for me, man,” Williams said. “I can’t complain. Our team started out really hot and were in first place for about a month. But most recently, we’ve been on an eight-game losing streak, so that’s got me a little bit bummed. But the second half of the season is around the corner, so we’re looking to shake that off and get back playing good baseball before the year ends.”

For Williams, the 2015 season has been one of change.

The shift from the Diamondbacks organization to the Rays hasn’t been much different for Williams, who said the most noticeable shift between the two organizations is that Tampa requires players to have cleanly shaven faces at all times during the season.

“That’s been a little bit of an adjustment,” Williams said. “But outside of that, it’s really pretty much a lot of similarities between the two.”

On the field, Williams has had a transition, as well. In the offseason, the Houma native said he set the goal to be more aggressive at the plate to hit for more power. That has paid off. In his 237 at-bats of 2015, Williams’ six home runs is more than the five he hit in 2013 and 2014 combined.

“I just wanted to be better hitting the fastball – especially early in the count,” Williams said. “If I can put the barrel on the ball early, it won’t let them be able to get comfortable and throw their offspeed secondary pitches to me. Hitting for power is something I have to keep working on, but it’s going well so far.”

Going forward, Williams said he wants to continue his forward ascent – hopefully all the way to the MLB.

Still just 19, Williams has gathered a lot of accolades so far in his career.

“I just want to keep getting better in all areas,” Williams said. “I want to show up to work every day, hit the ball as hard as I can, then also catch and throw the ball when it comes to me in the field. I just want to do my job and do it well so that I can reach my ultimate goal of making the Big Leagues.

‘I’m very excited to be here, and I’m just going to go out there and take the ball and do the best that I can every time that my name is called.’

Grant Borne

Former Colonel, current pro pitcher

Grant Borne fires a left-handed pitch during a game this past season. The dominant left-handed pitcher was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the Seventh Round of the 2015 MLB Draft – the highest Colonel picked in the draft. After a brief negotiation, Borne signed with Washington and started his professional career. In his debut with the Auburn Doubledays, Borne pitched two innings and recorded a save – the first of his professional career.

COURTESY

Terrebonne High School graduate and Houma native Justin Williams rounds the bases after getting a double during a game this season. Now a member of the Tampa Bay Rays’ organization, Williams is one of the organization’s top prospects. He’s batting .262 with six home runs and 26 RBI through 62 games in the young season.

COURTESY