By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – St. Charles’ Brady Hitt had a season for the ages on the baseball diamond as a senior, and it certainly did not go without notice.

Hitt set school records for home runs and RBIs in a single season and landed numerous postseason accolades. But Tuesday morning marked the culmination of it all, as Hitt officially signed a scholarship to continue his baseball career at Delgado.

“It really feels good,” said Hitt, who is currently playing for the New Orleans Spice this summer. “It takes the pressure off. I can just play the game without worrying about having to impress anyone.

“But it especially feels good just knowing that it isn’t the end. After the summer, I get to keep playing.”

Hitt smashed 14 home runs and drove in 56 RBIs while batting .530 and scoring 47 runs as St. Charles’ cleanup hitter. The lefthander also went 4-2 on the mound for the Comets.

“He deserves it,” said St. Charles baseball coach Paul Waguespack. “Brady Hitt is the consummate team player. He was always worried about helping us win. It was always about the team, not about Brady.

“Some guys in his spot can be selfish, worried about how they can help themselves. But that just isn’t him.”

He earned honors as District 9-2A MVP (shared with teammate Jared Keating) and L’Observateur’s St. John Parish MVP, while also being named to the LSWA and coaches’ respective All-State teams.

“He had a great, great year. He did what he set out to do,” Waguespack said.

Hitt said Delgado appealed to him for a number of reasons, among them its smaller size and proximity to home.

“It’s 25 minutes away, so I can come home when I want,” he said.

He also said that the chance to play early was a major attraction.

“I’ve got a better chance of playing from the start, which was a big deal to me. I want to be on the field,” he said.

Waguespack said he’s looking forward to seeing Hitt play at Delgado, a school that he said holds a special place in his heart, as his son Chris played there.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing him out there,” said Waguespack. “I can’t wait.”

As a part of the Comets’ baseball team, Hitt’s been part of two state runner-ups and three district champions.

But as much as the success on the field, he said he’d remember the times with his teammates off of it.

“I’ll remember all my teammates. We hung out outside of baseball and had a lot of good times,” he said. “I built a lot of friendships here.”