FRANKLIN – Last summer in Lafayette, Hanson Memorial’s Ethan Judice dazzled onlookers with his all-around skills at the Prep Baseball Report Louisiana Showcase.

One of the observers, Louisiana Tech coach Cooper Fouts, began recruiting Judice and later extended a scholarship offer.

On Jan. 4, Judice verbally committed to the Bulldogs as a two-way player:  pitcher and shortstop.

“I had good cuts during batting practice, I fielded well, and I did good pitching that day,” Judice said.  “I caught (Fouts’) eye.  He called a few days later and has stayed in contact ever since.”

Fouts is entering his second year as the recruiting coordinator and pitching/catching coordinator for the Bulldogs, who have enjoyed seven consecutive winning seasons.

Louisiana Tech, which went 43-21 in 2022, won the Sun Belt Conference title and received a bid to the NCAA Tournament where the Bulldogs competed in the Austin Regional at the University of Texas.

Fouts’ pitching staff recorded a school-record 606 strikeouts last season, as well finishing ninth in the nation in walks-per-nine innings (3.06) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (3.12).

“Coach Fouts is one of the best guys I’ve ever met,” Judice said.  “He matches my mentality perfectly.”

On the mound, Judice’s fastball tops out at 93-94 mph. 

In the summer after his eighth-grade season, he was clocked at 85 mph.  He throws a sweeping “12 to 6” curveball and a change-up, and his best pitch is his slider.

“My slider has an insane spin rate,” said Judice, who struck out 76 hitters in 38 innings as a sophomore.

Judice, who is ranked as the No. 11 junior prospect in the state by Prep Baseball Report, plans to continue playing shortstop in college when he’s not pitching.

“In the last couple of years, I’ve gained a lot of power,” he said.  “I hit a lot of balls into the gap.  In the field, I take a lot of pride in having good footwork and really fast hands.  At shortstop, I feel like I can throw pretty strong from any angle.”

Judice said Louisiana Tech was on his radar even before he impressed Fouts last summer.  

“I had already played on their campus in travel ball,” he said.  “I had done my research.  I love the atmosphere in Ruston.  Some people aren’t interested because it’s not a big college town, but I love it.  It’s beautiful.”

As the starting quarterback, Judice guided Hanson to a 9-3 record and a second-round playoff berth last season, the program’s finest showing in many years. 

In the Tigers’ 45-21 Week 2 win at Delcambre, Judice rushed for 207 yards and four TDs and passed for 130 yards and two TDs. .  

“He’s a freak athlete,” Hanson baseball coach Kason Knight said.  “I got hired here in July.  Ethan pitched against us twice last year when I was at Lafayette Christian.  He was the topic of conversation among our coaching staff. 

“He’s an all-around baseball guy with a lot of speed on the basepaths.  In addition to God giving him all that talent, he works really hard in his craft – taking extra cuts and extra ground balls – and he comes from a great family.”