By RYAN ARENA
L’Observateur

LAPLACE—St. Charles Catholic baseball coach Wayne Stein put it succinctly.

“I really think Louisiana College is getting a steal,” Stein said.

That “steal” is Comets senior pitcher Mason Bordelon, who recently signed with Louisiana College to continue his education and playing career.

Bordelon broke out as a senior, stepping up as a frontline rotation starter. He went 7-4 with a 1.30 ERA and struck out 79 batters in 69 innings pitched, leading the Comets in innings, strikeout rate and ERA while tying for the team lead in wins.

“To go play at a new level and in a new atmosphere, it’s really exciting,” Bordelon said. “”(Louisiana College) is giving me that chance, so I’m ready to go.”

Stein said a big part of Bordelon’s success was his approach. Bordelon worked quickly and rarely fell behind batters in the count.

“Get that first pitch strike,” Bordelon said of his focus. “When you stay ahead in the count, it lifts a lot of pressure off you. It makes everything easier.”

Stein noted during the season that Bordelon’s record “could easily have been 9-1 or 10-0,” the pitcher suffering a few hard luck losses in late innings against strong clubs like John Curtis and Evangel. 

“We didn’t baby him,” Stein said. “We asked him to pitch against some of the very best. He’s a bulldog. I’ve been fortunate enough to be around Mason since he was 12-years-old, and he’s always had that mentality. 

“He’s got that love of the big game. He wants the ball, and you can’t teach that.”

Stein also said he believes Bordelon’s arc as a player still has significant upside to yield. 

“He got a lot stronger (as a senior),” Stein said. “He got his velocity up into the mid 80s, which in high school makes it really hard on a hitter. He kept getting better and better and I think that’ll continue at Louisiana College. He might not be ready (to pitch in) Division I yet, but I think he will be.”

Bordelon credited SCC assistant coach Alex Marse for helping him improve his strength in the weight room. 

He plans to major in business administration when he begins at the school, which he said appealed to him after visiting on the weekend of a home double-header. 

“I really liked how they played,” Bordelon said. “The atmosphere reminded me a lot of St. Charles Catholic.”