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July 18, 2017
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July 18, 2017
South Lafourche centerfielder Austin Cantrelle has one year of eligibility left at the prep level.
He’s not intending to take it for granted.
Cantrelle has worked tirelessly on his game during the summer, playing travel baseball for a select team in Baton Rouge – a squad coached by former No. 1 MLB Draft pick and LSU legend Ben McDonald.
The standout slugger said he’s gathering the lessons he learned this summer and plans to take them to the Tarpons’ clubhouse next season – a year Cantrelle said he hopes is filled with prosperity in the standings.
“My goals for next year are to be a huge leader on this team and to try and help us go as far as we can,” Cantrelle said. “We experienced some success last year, but we want more. I want our guys to leave everything on the field in every, single game that we play.”
Cantrelle is a relentless player – one of the top prospects in the Houma-Thibodaux area for the Class of 2018.
Last season with the Tarpons, Cantrelle batted near the top of the Tarpons’ order and was a force, recording 37 hits in 96 at-bats (.385 average), while driving in a team-high 24 runs.
Cantrelle drove in runs because of his consistent ability to get clutch hits, but he wasn’t a traditional power hitter, recording just six extra base hits all season.
In district play, Cantrelle was a terror, winning the league batting title with a .442 average and a .586 on-base percentage, thanks to eight walks, which complimented just two strike-outs.
The Tarpons’ slugger also stole 12 bases.
“He’s come through for us so many times,” said Jacob Midyett during the season, the former South Lafourche baseball coach, who left the team to return home to Arkansas this spring. “Every time he’s been in a big spot, you feel good about it, because you know that he’s going to have a good at-bat – even if he doesn’t get a hit.”
But Cantrelle isn’t a one-dimensional player – not in the least.
The Tarpons had several injuries to their pitching staff in 2017. At one point, the team was without both of its ace starting pitchers. To help out, Cantrelle pitched as a reliver for South Lafourche, recording 3.2 innings in district play, while posting a serviceable 3.82 ERA.
When not on the mound, Cantrelle is where he performs best, out in centerfield.
Using elite awareness and high-end speed, Cantrelle saved countless runs for the Tarpons in 2017, plucking balls out of the air that lesser players would not be able to come close to fielding.
“He helps our pitching staff more than anything else on the field,” Midyett said. “He gets us outs that would maybe be hits – extra base hits. He covers so much ground out there and I think that really lets our pitchers relax. They know they can throw strikes and even if contact is made, the defense behind them is there to make the play and pick them up.”
Cantrelle said fielding is something he works on a lot and takes pride in.
He said the key to being good at it is attention to detail.
Cantrelle said he adjusts his positioning on every, single batter based on the scouting report so that he can be in the best position to make a play.
“I just try to get the best reads that I can off the bat to help my team win,” Cantrelle said. “I make adjustments on every batter. If we’re pitching them outside, I will take a couple steps to the opposite side of the field. If we’re pitching them in, I’ll cheat over to the pull side. The little things matter out in the field.”
The little things matter in the offseason, too, which is why Cantrelle is still working hard – even after an elite junior season.
He plays for the select team out of Baton Rouge headed by McDonald – one of the greatest LSU pitchers of all-time.
Cantrelle said he’s working hard every day to better his craft and he’s been seeing some big-time results.
Last week at a tournament in Georgia, Cantrelle leaned into a 90 mph fastball and crushed it over the fence for a home run – while slugging with a wooden bat.
He said he’s also had several other quality at-bats, which have allowed him to help contribute to his club.
“This summer is going really great,” Cantrelle said. “I’m playing the game I love. Our team has kids from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. It’s a great experience.”
Cantrelle said he’s learning from both McDonald and his teammates, which is making him a better ballplayer.
When not on the field, Cantrelle said he puts in work during his own time, too, to perfect his craft.
“The main thing I’m trying to improve on is to get bigger and stronger,” Cantrelle said. “And also to be the leader of this team in my senior season. That’s my goal.”
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