Pitcher-of-the-Year Eric Lanoue Looks Forward to Life and Pre-Law at Lewis and Clark CC in Illinois

18U Titans Pitcher of the Year Eric Lanoue has committed to the Lewis and Clark Community College Trailblazers. Lanoue, who won the 2022 POY for being the “best pitcher on this year’s staff, putting forth impressive stats, and having the best presence on the mound,” will take his talents to the NJCAA Division 2 school in Godfrey, Illinois in September 2023. He will join Cameron Nemeth at Lewis and Clark CC as a Titans tandem. Lanoue’s 18U Head Coach Denis Bailey sees his hurler as a nice fit with the Trailblazers because “he’s a workhorse.  Eric’s ability is so evident and he will contribute from Day One of his college career.”  Bailey added that “Lanoue wants to be the guy and he’s a bulldog on the mound.  His confidence as our program’s best pitcher last year will be a factor that will help him at the next level.”

Lanoue, an exemplary student-athlete, took time from his off-season training to offer us insights into his choice to go to school and play baseball in Illinois:   “At Lewis and Clark CC, I saw myself fitting in well to both the school and the baseball team. The school size is what I was looking for:  small (1,400 students) and with a good student-to-professor ratio (13:1). In speaking with Coach Ferguson, I found that he had a solid vision of what he wanted to do with the baseball program and how I could be a contributing part of that vision.” 

The resident of Toronto described the many attractive features of his future academic and athletic home base:  “Godfrey, Illinois is about 30 minutes north of St Louis.  I'm looking forward to being able to focus on my academics and athletic pursuits on the beautiful campus of Lewis and Clark CC. The college has several water features and a nice mix of historic and new buildings. The campus is near many amenities that all students require: fast food and entertainment. The Trailblazers play on a beautiful artificial field about 10 minutes from the campus.”

Lanoue, who is an Honor Roll graduate of Father John Redmond Catholic High School in Toronto, outlined his academic goals at Lewis and Clark Community College and beyond:  “My major will be Political Science with a minor in History. Ultimately, I'm looking to get an associate arts degree so that I can transfer to a four year school to finish my B.A which will then allow me to get into Law School in Canada.  Academically, I want to push myself to become a well-rounded student with a strong foundation to pursue Law along with maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA and to make it onto the Dean's List.”

With his methodical three-part academic plan in place, Lanoue delineated his athletic goals with the Trailblazers:  “Athletically, I want to be a strong contributor to a baseball program that is driven to get better and more competitive, under the direction of Coach Ferguson. I also believe that Lewis and Clark will provide me the opportunity to contribute-- as a Freshman-- to the Trailblazers.” 

Lanoue expressed his gratitude to the the Titans Baseball Club for securing his scholarship at Lewis and Clark CC:  “The Titans asked what I wanted in a College and helped me search for the schools that would be the best fit for me as both a student and athlete. I found that the Titans listened well and assisted the best they could to check all the boxes that were important to me. The resources that the Titans are able to tap into are invaluable to student athletes looking to pursue a US experience. When things did not work out with Wells College, Coach Bailey helped find an excellent US alternative.”

When asked about his best memories as a Titan, Lanoue pointed to his recent organizational accolades:  “My back-to-back Pitcher of the Year Awards were very proud highlights for me as a Titan. They further encouraged me to continue to focus on my ultimate goal, getting an education while playing baseball.”  While in reflective mode, the 18U starter offered younger Titans some advice about achieving post-secondary goals:  

“Follow your dreams and never give up.  There will be difficult challenges that you need to face head on, but always believe in yourself.  All the hard work will pay off in the end when you have coaches looking for you to join their roster and make them better baseball clubs.  For pitchers, I would say, never let them know you are rattled, always keep your mound composure, believe in your ability, and take it one pitch at a time.”

Young Titans should heed these sagacious words from a pitcher who practices what he preaches.  The Titans Baseball Club extends its congratulations to Eric Lanoue in his dual commitment to pitch for the NJCAA D2 Trailblazers and earn a pre-Law academic degree in Political Science/History at Lewis and Clark Community College.  Your goals as a student-athlete are exemplary and sources of pride for the Titans. All the best in your final CPBL season as a significant starting pitcher for the 18U Titans and in your inaugural year in Illinois with the Trailblazers in Fall 2023.