Brooks Vial has always been a big game pitcher. And while the level of competition changes, that fact seems to remain a constant.
The former Hahnville High School ace recently captured MVP honors as he helped lead the New Orleans Boosters to the championship of the 71st All American Amateur Baseball Association national tournament in Johnstown, Penn.
Vial, who will soon enter his first season at Virginia Commonwealth after two seasons at Delgado, was part of a team comprised of much of the best talent to hail from the New Orleans area, including a number of Division I signees.
He went 2-0 with 14 strikeouts and a 0.55 ERA at the tourney, nailing down wins in the team’s opening and semifinal games.
He wasn’t the lone representative from the area to taste championship glory with the Boosters this season: longtime Destrehan baseball coach Marty Luquet was also on board, serving as an assistant on Joe Teuton’s staff.
It was Vial’s third trip with the Boosters to Johnstown, and he said the victory was made sweeter by the bond he formed with his fellow players on the team.
“We felt really confident in ourselves,” Vial said. “We’d lost in the quarterfinals or semifinals before. We felt like we were the best team there this year (because) we had a lot of experience, guys who had been deep into the tournament before. And we all got along really well. There was no animosity whatsoever. Everyone pulled for each other and was completely about putting the team first.”
He said he was surprised when he was announced as the MVP.
“It was really kind of shocking for me because you usually don’t see pitcher’s receive the award,” Vial said. “It meant a lot. To work hard all summer and be recognized like that, it was really humbling and exciting.”
Luquet, meanwhile, had been to the tournament once before — in 1988, under coach Louis “Rags” Schuermann. The team won the national tourney title that season, as well, making Luquet two-for-two.
This time, he coached on a staff with two of his former players, Teuton and fellow assistant Chris Westcott.
“To have a chance to work alongside them was really rewarding,” Luquet said. “The first time I went, I was just a young guy. This was from a different perspective. It’s been such a cool experience and it’s a wonderful tournament. Six days of baseball, with games between such extremely talented teams.”
Luquet retired from Destrehan and the baseball diamond after the 2013 season, Vial’s senior year at Hahnville. The veteran coach said he enjoyed having Vial on his side this time around.
“He was the best (at the tournament),” Luquet said. “Just outstanding. He has such command of his pitches on both sides of the plate. He’s able to make adjustments to what he sees, and he can change it up on you. He makes that fastball look like its 95 coming at you. Anyone who watched him pitch at Delgado all year couldn’t have been surprised.”
While Vial was virtually untouchable at the tourney, the pitcher was quick to note he was part of a special pitching staff, pointing out that of the seven games the team played (New Orleans went 6-1 overall), only one starting pitcher did not go seven innings or more, and that pitcher was lifted early only because the Boosters had built a sizeable lead in the game.
He also credited his defense for making some major plays, particularly in the semifinal victory.
“There were guys on first and second, and one of their batters hit one down the left field line. Troy Lewis threw an absolute laser to the plate and got him out,” Vial said. “It killed their rally. It was the play of the tournament for us.”
As for his own performance, he said he’s comfortable in high-leverage situations, something that comes from already having years of experience in them.
“I’ve always kind of been in those bigger situations,” Vial said. “I’m used to the pressure, for lack of a better term. I’m used to being in situations where something’s riding on the game. At the end of the day, I just remind myself that you’ve still got three strikes, the mound is still 60 feet away and it’s just a baseball game. And you’ve got to attack the moment. Go after it.”
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