Already dominant, Landon Victorian continues to add to the repertoire as he starts senior season
NOTE: THE 2024 LSU BASEBALL RECRUITING CLASS IS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE MOST HIGHLY RANKED CLASSES IN THE HISTORY OF THE SPORT. CULTURE MEDIA STAFF WRITER DAVID FOLSE II SITS DOWN WITH BARBE STANDOUT PITCHER LANDON VICTORIAN
The expectations for Landon Victorian were sky high even before he stepped onto the Barbe High baseball field for the first time three years ago.
He has not only met, but surpassed them.
Now, set to wrap up his brilliant career at the Lake Charles national powerhouse, the 6-3, 170-pound right-hander, Victorian said he can’t wait for his final season for the Bucs.
“When you realize it’s your last first day (of high school) it starts to hit you how fast time flies,” Victorian joked. “It has all been a blur; it seems just like yesterday I was walking into school for the first football practice as a freshman. I’m just trying to enjoy every moment of it.
“It’s been fun to grow up (these last three years). I’ve made a lot of friends and gotten to interact with so many different people from different cultures. It makes you a better overall person. I always try to have the mindset that you are never good enough and can always get better.”
On the mound, Victorian is coming off of a phenomenal junior campaign, helping Barbe to a 39-1 record and its 12th state championship. For his part, Victorian went 8-0 with a 0.97 ERA , striking out 80 in 50.1 innings of work with only four walks.
“The culture at Barbe is just different and it makes you a better not just baseball player, but man,” he said. “(Barbe head coach Glenn Cecchini) has taught me so much. I’ve gotten better with everything, from my fastball to my off-speed pitches. I’ve learned to take care of my body as well.
“When I came in my freshman year I was just used to dominating kids with a fastball. Just throwing it by people with an okay slider to go along with it. When I arrived that first year I had to start to learn to be a real pitcher because I was getting hit around, especially early. I learned about spotting the ball better and throwing better off speed pitches. My slider has gotten so much better now, I can land it for a strike. My big focus as of late has been to learn a change-up and it continues to improve. Mix that with better command of the fastball and I feel like I have improved tremendously on the mound. I go right at people now, much more improvement. You can always get better at something, you are never good enough.”
The 2024 baseball season will have to wait though for Victorian, who said he will continue his prep football career for Barbe.
“Football has always been a part of my life,” he said. “It has helped me in everything, even made me a better baseball player too. Bringing a football mentality to baseball also helps too.
“Sometimes you also need a baseball break. You can get burnt out from baseball. Football provides that for me. Rests the arm.”
When it comes to his future school, Victorian said watching former teammate Gavin Guidry secure the last out to clinch the National Championship for LSU this past summer was a surreal thing to watch.
“It was awesome,” he said. “To be able to know you are going to be part of the powerhouse that they are building (in Baton Rouge) soon enough is so exciting. It’s why I want to be part of it.
“I remember watching Gavin at Barbe my freshman season and just seeing his mentality and what he does. He’s the ultimate competitor. So happy for him.”
Speaking of his future school, Victorian talked about how there will be a new pitching coach at LSU once he arrives on campus and the relationship he is starting to develop with Tigers coach Nate Yeskie.
“We are on the same page,” he said. “We are excited to continue to develop my arm and I’m excited to work with him.”
While Victorian and Yeskie are on the same page, another group that continues to be on the same page is the entire 2024 LSU recruiting class, which has already started to develop relationships with each other despite being spread across the country.
“Cade Arrambide and David Hogg and I play on the same travel ball team,” he said. “At events around the country I have gotten to know Kale Fountain and others. There is of course the group Snapchat too so we keep up with each other. The chemistry is there already.”