WEST MONROE, WEST OUACHITA PLAYERS COMMIT TO LSU BASEBALL TEAM

The LSU Tigers baseball team scored big on two visits from local 2019 prospects last weekend. West Ouachita junior pitcher Thomas Wilhite gave a solid verbal to the Tigers Saturday before West Monroe junior pitcher and utility player Tom Biggs gave his own Sunday. Biggs is being recruited as an infielder, outfielder and pitcher. “He beat me by one day, but that’s because I had a lot of schools to talk to about my decision,” Biggs said. Their journeys in their recruitment couldn’t be more contrasting. Wilhite became a hot prospect overnight. It wasn’t until this summer that schools like Mississippi State, Houston, Louisiana Tech, Southern Cal and LSU ramped up its pursuit. Wilhite, who had limited innings with the Chiefs last season because he was still working on his command, made a splash in the summer with the Chiefs and summer league team Louisiana Knights. “It was something I had to go out and prove this summer, and I remember we went to Mississippi and I threw five innings, which was more than I threw in any game. I then threw a complete game against Sterlington and limited them to just two hits,” Wilhite said. “I then started playing for the Louisiana Knights, and they called Coach (Nolan) Cain with LSU and told him to come watch me pitch. He did and I struck out the side in the first two innings. Coach Cain jumped on then.” After Cain, LSU’s recruiting coordinator, pursued Wilhite, other schools followed. Meanwhile, Biggs was dealing with his decommitment from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Biggs committed to the Ragin Cajuns last February but decommitted in June. “I decided I was going to be a physical therapist, and they ended up not having my degree,” Biggs said. “I loved the program, but I have to prepare for life after baseball. It was a hard decision, but I prayed and talked to my family about it a lot.” After Biggs decommitted, LSU began talking to him. It wasn’t until he made an official visit last weekend that he knew full heartedly that’s where he wanted to play college ball. Both with strong arms, Wilhite and Biggs have touched 92 on the radar over the summer. Biggs had a walkoff home run against Ruston during West Monroe’s 28-game win streak last year. He was also inches away from giving the Rebels a walkoff victory in the LHSAA 5A State Championship Game against Central. Unfortunately for West Monroe, the wind was blowing in that night. “I got up there with the mentality that I was going to hit a walkoff,” Biggs said. “I saw a fastball spin and I turned on it. I thought it had a chance to go out until I saw the right fielder slow down.” Biggs and Wilhite are the two latest players from West Monroe and West Ouachita, respectively, who have committed to play at the next level. Biggs joined utility player Carson Jones, who committed to ULL, and Chase DeJean, who committed to Louisiana Tech. DeJean and Biggs will be a one-two punch on the mound for the Rebels this season. Meanwhile, West Ouachita will have its own one-two punch with Wilhite and Louisiana Tech commit Luke Honeycutt. Wilhite and Biggs will look to follow in the footsteps of former West Ouachita star Zach Watson, who became a starter for LSU as a true freshman last season. "Seeing that, it was definitely something like, 'Maybe I could do something like this and become a hometown hero like him,'" Wilhite said.

WEST MONROE, WEST OUACHITA PLAYERS COMMIT TO LSU BASEBALL TEAM

Photo Credit: Jake Martin

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