LOREAUVILLE — After leading the Loreauville High baseball team to the 2A semifinals as a sophomore, Riley Marcotte has continued to thrive this summer against some of the top competition in the nation.

The left-hander threw approximately 50 innings this summer for a United Baseball Organization squad that includes star players from across the state.

“There are a lot of guys from Barbe and Sam Houston,” Marcotte said, “as well as players from New Orleans from schools like St. Paul’s and John Curtis. Last year, we had a player from Haughton. It’s guys from powerhouse schools.”

In Atlanta, Marcotte was named to the Perfect Game All-Tournament team after he recorded 12 strikeouts with a 0.00 ERA.

“I was just talking with (LHS coach Rob) Segura about the summer,” Marcotte said. “At a 2A high school, we don’t necessarily see a lot of great, great talent so this summer ball helps a lot.

“It’s an intense atmosphere where you have to play your best and bring your A-game. Having faced that competition this summer, I don’t think I’ll be intimidated or get shaken as easily next high school season.”

Marcotte pitched approximately 80 innings this spring for LHS with 100 strikeouts. He had a sparkling 1.80 ERA until a rough outing in the semifinals loss to Doyle. His Achilles’ heel, however, is his control.

“I had way too many walks this year,” he said. “I allowed 30 hits, but I walked 40-something hitters.”

Marcotte and Segura have devised a mental exercise for the southpaw when he gets frustrated on the mound.

“If I fall behind 2-0 in the count, we call it a ‘red light,’” he explained. “I’ll take a step back and focus on the foul pole until I regain my composure. When I’m struggling with my control, it gets really frustrating, especially when we’re playing a team I really want to beat and they’re chattering the whole game.

“Sometimes, I get really mad, but it’s all mental. If you go into it believing you’re the best one out there, great things will happen. If something goes bad, I can’t panic. I just need to proceed one pitch at a time. And when I lose, I’m trying to look at it as a learning experience.”

Marcotte doesn’t lose often. He no-hit Port Barre in a second-round playoff game and tossed a one-hitter versus a powerful Ascension Episcopal team.

“I went into the Ascension game thinking about how they had beat us earlier 12-2 at their place,” he said. “I told myself that I wasn’t going to let that happen again, that they were coming into our stadium. I was going to do my best to avoid another loss, especially in our house.”

This summer, Marcotte hit a personal best 90-mph on the radar gun.

“I threw 87 as a freshman, but then I hit a plateau because I got complacent,” he said. “Now, I know I have to keep working. My go-to pitch is my fastball. I’m able to throw it past a lot of hitters by running it on both sides with movement. If they swing and miss, I might throw it again. If they foul it off, I might come back with my slider or change-up.”

The University of New Orleans has offered a scholarship to Marcotte, who is also hearing from UL and Southern Mississippi, among other programs.