Robichaux set to begin professional career

CROWLEY –  Austin Robichaux woke up Tuesday morning with a big decision to make.
Just hours after his Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajun baseball team fell to Ole Miss and lost its opportunity to advance to the College World Series for only the second time in school history, Robichaux had to decide whether to return to ULL for his senior year or accept an offer from the Los Angeles Angels, who had drafted him in the 18th round of the recent Major League draft.
Terms of the deal were not released, but Robichaux left Thursday for Utah, where he will join the Orem Owlz, an Advanced Rookie affiliate of the Angels, for his first assignment.
“Ever since I was little I wanted to play for my dad,” Robichaux, whose father, Tony, has been head coach of the Ragin’ Cajuns for the past 20 years. “Growing up around this place (ULL) and having the fan base that we do, going out every night in front of 3,000 to 4,000 people, it’s just a feeling that you just can’t really explain to people.
“It was an amazing three years that I am grateful for, but this (playing professionally) is something that I’ve always wanted to do.”
As difficult as it is to see him leave, the elder Robichaux said he understands and supports his son’s decision. He’s just glad that he was able to coach Austin for his three-year college stint. He also coached his oldest son, Justin, for four years.
“I’ve been so blessed because I’ve had seven years doing this (four with Justin and three with Austin),” said Tony. “The good Lord has really blessed me and given me a lot of time back that I missed.”
That time missed was mostly when his sons were in high school, a time when both Austin and Justin played for their uncle, Tim Robichaux, at Notre Dame of Acadia Parish.
“A lot of that time, I was helping other people’s kids get better,” said Tony. “I just want to give Timmy a lot of credit because he spent a lot of time with my two sons and he taught them a lot of things through those years at Notre Dame because I couldn’t be with them as much.
“That’s the one thing that I will always be appreciative of is the work and the time that Timmy put in with them….and also the good Lord blessing me and giving me the opportunity to spend seven years with them.”
Signing a professional contract is the latest of a number of goals reached by Austin.
“He has developed now and he has reached a lot of his goals,” said Tony. “One of his goals was to get drafted out of high school. He did.
“He wanted to come here and get developed and grow. He did. And he wanted to get drafted again. He did.
“Now he’s ready to go on out and try to start his professional career.”
Beginning that professional career now as opposed to when he was taken in the 50th round by the Cincinnati Reds straight out of high school has paid big dividends for the 6-foot-6 Austin.
That was aided by learning from one of the best pitching coaches in the nation, his father.
“Looking back, I am glad that I made the decision that I did because I would have gotten eaten alive out of high school,” said Austin.
“I didn’t know half of the stuff back then that I know now. The pitcher I am today is 100 times better than the pitcher I was in high school.
“Being under my dad’s wing for three years helped me learn so much more than I knew back then.”
The journey began Thursday and the young Robichaux said he can’t wait to toe the rubber for his first professional game.
“The closest thing to it (minor leagues) is college summer ball and I never really got to experience that,” said Austin. “I’m just ready to experience it. My brother played independent ball, which is pretty much the same thing, and he said to just make the best of it. At some point it’s going to be a grind, but it’s something I wanted to do my whole life.
“It’s a fast turnaround to leave just three or four days after you just lost your final game, but I’m ready to get back on the field.”
Austin will play roughly 70 games with the Owlz, return home for a week and then go back to instructional league, most likely in Arizona, for three weeks. He will then get a break for the rest of the fall until spring training.
Although Austin is moving on, the memories he and his Ragin’ Cajun teammates have made will not soon be forgotten.
Austin struggled a little as a freshman where he went 2-4 with a 2.91 ERA. He then posted a 9-2 record with 88 strikeouts in 109 1/3 innings as a sophomore before closing out his career this year with an 8-3 record and a 3.11 ERA.
“As a freshman, I started a little rough, but I developed my sophomore year and we got to a regional,” said Austin. “And this year, I had a good year and pitching in a Super Regional, I mean not many people get to do that. And to do it in front of some of the best fans in the nation, ones who have been there since day one, even when we were losing was something.
“My career here (ULL) is something that I will never forget.”
And for his father, Tony, just seeing Austin develop and mature into the person he is today is more than gratifying, even more than the draft.
“At the end of the day, I’m proud that he’s been drafted, but what I’m more proud of is the fact that those two (Austin and Justin) never gave us an ounce of trouble while they were here,” said Tony, who was aided in their upbringing by his wife, Colleen, who also filled in for Tony at youth and high school games when the coach was not able to be there.
“I’m more proud of who they are. You can read the bible cover to cover and nowhere in there does it say that you have to be a baseball player. But it’s surely clear on what kind of a man you need to become.
“So I’m just as proud of them for the men that they’ve become and who they are….and not just as baseball players.
“You know, my bus goes to church every Sunday when I’m on the road so for 20 years, my bus goes to church on Sundays. And the one thing I’m the proudest of is that those two never missed our church bus.
“Those things are more important to me than the draft. I’m glad that he’s getting an opportunity to move on and attempt to further his professional career, but, you know, God cares about whom we are, not what we do.
“That (playing) is just what he’s doing right now, but that’s not who he is.”