By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

Riverside Academy senior Henri Faucheux will be a Ragin Cajun this fall after officially signing to play baseball on scholarship with Louisiana-Lafayette.

Faucheux, a lefthanded pitcher, was recruited by several schools before deciding on ULL, a decision he said came after visiting the campus and meeting with the coaching staff.

“I liked it up there, liked all the coaches, and I felt like it was a good opportunity for me,” said Faucheux. “I liked the campus … it’s compact, not too big or too small. It feels like a fit.”

At 6-foot and 180 pounds, Faucheux was one of the top 55 prospects at the National Underclassman Showcase at Fort Myers, Florida in 2009. He received a rating of nine out of 10 and put him on the map as a Division I prospect.

Faucheux transferred to Riverside after his junior year at St. Charles, where he had a tremendous season that landed him on L’Observateur’s All-St. John Parish team. That year, Faucheux went 5-0 with a 1.55 ERA, three saves and 52 strikeouts to help lift the Comets to the top seed in Class 2A and the District 9-2A title. As a sophomore, he was 3-3 with a 2.60 ERA in 42 innings.

In the summer and fall of 2010, Faucheux played for Marucci Elite 17U, a select travel team based in Baton Rouge that ranked fifth in the country. He plans to play with the team again this summer.

Faucheux was selected as a 2010 Preseason High School Underclassman All American by Perfect Game USA and a 2011 Under Armour Preseason All-American. He also was selected to the New York Mets Scout Team in 2010 after working out for the team.

“It’s been a really cool experience,” said Faucheux.

“They bring you in and find out about you personally, just try and get a feel for who you are.”

Faucheux said that he feels that his biggest improvement from his freshman season to now has been improving his knowledge of the game.

“It’s learning how to pitch as opposed to just pitching,” said Faucheux. “Pitching a smarter game.”

After transferring from St. Charles to Riverside, Faucheux was ineligible to pitch as a senior with the Rebels. He said the thing he looks forward to the most after signing is he getting back on the field.

“It’s just about playing,” he said. “I lost my senior year, so I’m really ready to get after to again.”