Iota baseball standout Tyler LeJeune signs with Arizona

Ever since Tyler LeJeune stepped foot on the field for the Iota Bulldogs, he has been a hot topic for college baseball coaches near and far.
As a freshman, LeJeune verbally committed to play for Tony Robichaux’s Ragin Cajuns.
LeJeune backed off of that offer in 2020, as a junior, and was considered a lock to sign with LSU.
Fast forward a year later and the power -hitting shortstop changed directions again, cementing his pledge by signing his National Letter of Intent with the Arizona Wildcats last week during a ceremony at Iota High School.
“I went to Arizona on my official visit and as soon as I got over there and saw the place and talked to the coaches, I knew I wanted to be there,” said LeJeune. “It was just way different than the first two times (UL and LSU), I don’t know how to explain it. It just seemed so perfect for me.”
Robichaux recruited LeJeune at an early age and the freshman, at the time, was dead set on playing for the legendary coach.
The untimely passing of Robichaux, however, made LeJeune rethink his options.
“The moment I started talking to coach Robichaux, I knew I wanted to play for him,” said LeJeune. “He’s a one-of-a-kind type of coach and after talking to him for a few hours, I was sold.
“I really wanted to play for him and after his passing, UL just didn’t seem to be the right fit for me.”
LSU came calling shortly after LeJeune’s decommitment and he jumped on board.
Unfortunately, after building a strong relationship with the Tigers’ coaching staff, LSU skipper Paul Mainieri announced his retirement after the 2021 season, forcing LeJeune to reevaluate his decision once again.
“I had a pretty tight relationship with those coaches at LSU and after they retired, it made me rethink my options,” said LeJeune. “They get a whole new coaching staff and, again, it was the same thing, it just didn’t feel right for me”
In stepped Arizona.
The Wildcats were also going through a coaching change last year with Jay Johnson resigning to take the head post at LSU.
Chip Hale, a former Arizona alumni who played and managed in the MLB, took over as the Wildcats skipper back in July of 2021.
Once again, that played a major role in LeJeune’s commitment.
“Once I met coach Hale, that kind of sold me on Arizona,” said LeJeune. “He’s a great coach and he has a background there. He played at Arizona and knows the culture and the tradition.
“Just with his knowledge, as well as the entire coaching staff, I feel that they can teach me and help me develop and I can’t wait to play for them.”
The Wildcats have been a power in the Pac 12 and have won four national championships, the last being in 2012.
Last season, under Johnson’s helm, Arizona went 45-18 and the Wildcats were the No. 5 national seed entering postseason play. They hosted and won their regional and then knocked off Ole Miss in the Super Regional series. The Wildcats, however, lost their first two games in the College World Series against Vanderbilt and Stanford.
LeJeune became the first athlete, male or female, from Iota to sign with a Power 5 conference in any sport.
“Our coaching staff, our team and our community are so excited for Tyler,” said IHS coach Leonard Cloud. “It’s exciting to see that his hard work and dedication is paying off with him getting this amazing opportunity.
“When we got him as a freshman, we knew he was going to be special. He had the “it” factor from his freshman year and watching him grow over the last three years with the work he puts in during the season and the off season, it’s a special time for him as well as us.”
As a junior, LeJeune was the Bulldogs’ leader in nearly every offensive statistical category.
He led the team in batting average (.448), on base percentage (.532) and slugging percentage (.776).
In addition, LeJeune led the Bulldogs in hits (52), doubles (19), triples (2) and RBI (44). He ranked second in home runs (5) and runs scored (50).
In 141 plate appearances, LeJeune struck out just 15 times and drew 18 walks.
On the defensive side, the shortstop was part of 13 double plays and had a fielding percentage of .835 with 13 errors in 79 chances.
With the recruiting process out of the way, LeJeune is looking forward to his senior year with the Bulldogs, one that hopefully includes a deep playoff run.
“Now that I’ve signed and I don’t have to worry about anything else, I’m just ready to lock in and start working towards winning a state championship for Iota this year,” said LeJeune.