Westgate High School baseball player Daylin LeBlanc, seated at center, signed a national letter of intent with Garden City (Kansas) Community College on Friday. Seated with LeBlanc are his parents, Jamie Buteau and Clint Clements. Standing from left are WHS principal Neely Moore, baseball coach Jerome Jacob and athletic director Ryan Antoine. 

As a southpaw pitcher, recent Westgate graduate Daylin LeBlanc was definitely in demand when it came to colleges wanting his services starting in the fall.

“I had about nine or 10 offers,” LeBlanc said. “A couple of JUCO’s (junior colleges) a couple of D3’s (NCAA Division 3 schools) and a couple of NAIA’s (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) but in the end Garden City Community College was the one that most appealed to me.”

LeBlanc signed with Garden City Friday to continue his baseball career with the school located in Garden City, Kansas, about 13 hours from New Iberia.

“Every school I went to, every offer I reviewed were all similar,” LeBlanc said. “When I went to Kansas the facilities, the coaching staff, it was what I was looking for. The other places I went to were nice, but it wasn’t what I was looking for.”

LeBlanc, who plans to study accounting, said that the past season playing for Westgate wasn’t what he wanted but he did have a surprisingly good season hitting the ball even though he’s headed to college as a pitcher.

“They haven’t told me specifically if what I’m going to be on the pitching staff there but in a general sense, I know that I’m going to be a starter or a middle reliever,” LeBlanc said.

LeBlanc’s signing makes the second player from WHS coach Jerome Jacob’s team to sign this year. He joins Devyn Zenon, who signed with Nunez Community College three weeks ago.

“I was very grateful to have these two fine young men as part of my team this year,” Jacob said. “Daylin pitched, played first base and outfield for us/ He did everything that I asked him to do.

“It’s hard to find a good lefty and Garden City is getting a good one. I think that he’ll do well there.”