Bourque to pitch for LSU Eunice baseball team

Published 6:30 am Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Taegan Bourque started his high school athletic career thinking football would be his path to college.

By the time he was a junior, though, the New Iberia Senior High School multi-sport athlete came to realize that baseball would give him a better opportunity to continuing playing in college.

Bourque, whose class will celebrate graduation Thursday night after a delay because of the COVID-19 pandemic that halted spring sports in March, recently committed to play at NJCAA powerhouse LSU Eunice. All four of New Iberia’s senior baseball players are headed to college after Chipper Menard inked with UL Lafayette and Dustin Menard signed with Fort Hays State University in Kansas in November and Chad Boutte signed with Centenary in December.

“The beginning of high school as a freshman, it was football, but then I got to junior year I realized I’m a better baseball player,” he said. “It wasn’t until my junior year that I transitioned to focusing more on baseball.”

That realization came with the encouragement of his coaches, he said.

The 6-foot-3, 184-pound Bourque said he had been in contact with LSUE coaches but that his performance with his summer league team at a recent tournament at the school impressed coach Jeff Willis enough that he was asked to sign with the Bengals.

“I’m real excited,” Bourque said of the opportunity to keep playing.

Bourque, the son of Brittany Bourque and Jay Sigue, will be a pitcher for the Bengals. Coaches told him he needs to work on being more of a pitcher. They like his high velocity, but would like for him to work on his offspeed pitches learning to approach the game as a pitcher, not a thrower.

LSUE has won six NCJAA national championships since 2006.

“I know they’re one of the best programs in the country, so I know good things are going to come for me out of there,” Bourque said.

After that, he’d like to move on to the next level, whether that’s a four-year program or a professional level.

“Definitely,” he said. “Whatever one works out, I’m fine with.”

For now, he’s waiting to see what happens with the pandemic and when school can start up again.

“I’m just making sure I’m staying in shape and staying in the weight so whenever I can go I can show what I can do and not be behind on anything,” he said.