Erath High 's Belanger signs baseball scholarship with Louisiana College

ERATH - Sometimes things work out better than expected.
Erik Belanger first heard of Louisiana College when he and teammate Luke Young attended a football camp at the college this past summer. They were sent there by EHS football coach David Comeaux in hopes of catching the eye of the Louisiana College football coaches.
While there, they walked over to the baseball facility where they met the baseball coaches.
The same summer, Belanger attended a UL Baseball Showcase where high school athletes displayed their talents in front of college coaches.
Belanger, an outfielder and pitcher for Erath, spent a couple of days there and caught the attention of the Louisiana College baseball coaches.
He made an official visit to the small private Baptist campus in September and fell in love with the campus. On his visit, they offered him a baseball scholarship. He accepted without hesitation. He is expected to play outfield for LC.
Belanger picked the school not because they send many players to the Major Leagues, but because 86 percent of the Louisiana College pre-med graduates who apply to medical school get accepted.
Once he graduates Louisiana College, he will apply to med school at Tulane and LSU. He wants to be an orthopedic surgeon.
Getting the baseball scholarship is a great way to start his dream of becoming a surgeon.
“Getting a scholarship in baseball has been one of my dreams since I was little, since I picked up a baseball,” said Belanger.
Belanger, who is 6-2, 170-pounds, has not made a B in 12 years of school. He scored a 32 on his ACT. A 36 is a perfect score.
Erath head baseball coach Jeremy Picard said Belanger approaches baseball like he approaches his education.
“Erik is a great kid with tremendous work ethic,” said Picard. “He is usually one of the first kids there and the last to leave. His baseball IQ is very high and he processes the game very well.”
Picard said he is happy that Belanger is able to play baseball at the next level.
“It is well deserved,” Picard said.