Hahnville junior shortstop Waylon LeBlanc has set his sights on Nicholls State, where he plans to continue his playing career on the baseball diamond after committing to the Colonels program recently. The Tigers’ leadoff hitter batted .237 this season but was still a major asset to his lineup as he posted a .405 on-base percentage, third best among Hahnville regulars. It showed in the runs category, as he led Hahnville in that department with 27. He drove in 12 runs as well.
“I live 30 minutes away, and after I visited Nicholls I realized it was a natural fit,” LeBlanc said. “It’s like home to me. I saw their baseball field, their locker room … I want to be a part of it.”
His patience at the plate was perhaps his greatest asset. LeBlanc drew 26 walks and struck out just 13 times, a two-to-one walk to strikeout ratio that by far led the team.
He helped lead Hahnville to a 25-11 record and an opening round playoff victory.
In 2015, LeBlanc batted .308 and had a .411 on-base percentage. He scored a team-high 28 runs and drove in 10. He has been Hahnville’s primary leadoff hitter in each of the past two seasons.
“He’s a tremendous kid,” Hahnville head baseball coach David Baudry said. “He’s a tremendous fit for Coach (Seth) Thibodeaux and that team. He’s a kid who will really contribute.”
LeBlanc’s plate patience, he said, comes from his simplified approach.
“I just try to keep fighting off pitches,” LeBlanc said. “For me, it’s just a yes-no process (to swing), and it’s a yes unless the pitch is a ball.”
Baudry said LeBlanc likely projects to play second base at the next level but wouldn’t rule out shortstop.
“If he continues to develop, that can happen,” Baudry said. “He’s turned into a very good high school shortstop.”
LeBlanc has been a prototypical leadoff man in many ways for the Tigers, not just because of his batting eye and patience but also his speed.
“He finds a way to get on base and then does a good job in terms of his baserunning,” Baudry said. “He’s developed into a really good all-around player who can produce with the bat, on the bases and defensively. We’re very proud of him.”
LeBlanc said he began believing college baseball might be a realistic goal after receiving an offer after his freshman season.
“I realized then it was time to really start putting in the work,” he said.
LeBlanc said the Nicholls coaches indicated they liked his selflessness.
“They said I’m a dirt bag,” LeBlanc said. “They liked that I sacrifice myself when I’m up to bat, that if I make an error, I don’t show it or let it linger with my play.
“That’s something I make a point of. If I’m up, I want to move that runner, put my teammates in the best place to succeed.”
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