By Matt Betts
Don’t bother trying to remind University of Portland Pilots right-hander William Labonté that he’s a freshman, because he doesn’t care.
And it shows.
The former Okotoks Dawgs Academy pitcher has looked more like a seasoned senior than someone in their first go-around in college baseball.
Labonté (Montreal, Que.) owns a team best 1.98 ERA to go along with a 2-0 record in seven appearances, six of which have been starts.
In his most recent start, he allowed one run on seven hits over six innings in 6-1 victory over Saint Mary’s to help his team win the three-game series. For his effort, he was named the West Coast Conference Co-Freshman of the Week.
Days later, he was named a Midseason Freshman All-American by Perfect Game.
It all followed a National Pitcher of the Year Watchlist nod from the College Baseball Foundation he received back on March 11.
So, how has he done it?
“I think what’s been the key to my success is the mental side of the game,” Labonté said.
“Obviously there’s a physical aspect, but I think the real key is in between the ears.”
He’s also focused on a pitch-by-pitch approach, forgetting whatever just happened whether it was good, bad or ugly.
Oh, and that whole freshman, sophomore, junior, senior stuff? He doesn’t worry about it.
“I think the other piece is to not worry about age or experience,” Labonté said.
“Everybody is competitive at this level, and we’re all here because we’re good. It doesn’t matter how old you are, and if it’s your first or 150th game. I think that mentality helps me being fearless on the mound.”
With a four-pitch mix that includes a 90-92 mile per hour fastball, cutter, slider and changeup, and the ability to throw any pitch in any count, it all comes down to execution. His focus going forward is making better pitches later in counts to avoid giving up hits in pitcher’s counts.
Just because he doesn’t think about age or class doesn’t mean there hasn’t been adjustments from high school to college. Time management being the biggest.
Fortunately, discipline was a main takeaway from his time in the Dawgs organization. That, and the importance of being a good teammate.
“It’s the key to having a good work ethic, and what allows me to stack good days,” Labonté said of his discipline.
“They also provided me with a bunch of brothers that I’m still very close with, which I’m extremely grateful for.”
With the pressure building as the season goes along and more eyes on his performances, don’t expect him to back down.
“When it comes to expectations, I’m really hard on myself,” Labonté said of his mindset upon arriving on campus.
“I wanted to excel in every facet of the game, as well as the classroom.”
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