Play as a team, win as a team is Daigle’s motto

 

    Tim Daigle is an outsider by anybody’s definition.

   The new head baseball coach for Marksville High School comes to Avoyelles from the distant land of Morgan City. He has no family connections here. 

   He just loves coaching baseball and MHS gave him the opportunity to be the head coach in the sport he loves.

   Daigle may not have family connections, but if he wins -- and, more importantly, if he teaches his young charges the game well -- then there will be no doubt that he will be a “friend” to Tiger fans.

   “I have not met the team as a team yet,” Daigle said. “It’s been busy with the start of school, and we’re starting football.”

Daigle will also be an assistant football coach. He does not plan to branch out to any of the other sports -- “unless they ask me to,” he said.

   He played high school baseball for Central Catholic of Morgan City before going to ULL to play shortstop and finishing his college ball at Nicholls State.

    He returned to Central Catholic as an assistant coach and then moved to Morgan City High.

   “I wanted to pursue a coaching career and it worked out that this spot was open and I was selected for the position,” Daigle said.

   Daigle replaces Josh Harper, who resigned to become head football coach at Sacred Heart High School in Ville Platte.

   “I want to teach the team members to compete, no matter the adversity,” he said. “Good things happen if you stay positive.”

    Daigle said the one thing he stresses in his coaching is the concept of “team.”

   “You have to play as a team,” he said. “You can’t be nine individuals out there. If you are, you will get beat. You have to play as a team to win as a team.”

   While physical talent is certainly to be desired in a player, it isn’t the most important part of what a player brings to the game.

   “I focus on the mental aspect of the game,” he said. “Pay attention to the little things. If you take care of all of those little things, the big things will take care of themselves.”

   What makes a group of young men a team rather than a gang is that long word “discipline.” Daigle said the Tigers will have to have it or “it will come back to haunt us all season.

   “It doesn’t matter how talented you are,” he continued, “if you don’t have discipline, you can’t win.”

   What can fans expect to see at an MHS baseball game.

  Well, Daigle hopes they see more Tigers cross home plate than they do those in the opposing jersey. Everyone loves the big play -- the home run, the long ball. Daigle said his style is more “hit and run,” try to score one or two bases at a time rather than go for the whole thing at once.

   “I also like the batters to work the pitcher, wear out the defense,” he said.

   Daigle is 32, unmarried, and is in the process of moving to Marksville.

   He is looking forward, first, to a successful season for the football team and then to his first high school team as a head coach.

   He does bring some head coaching experience, running a “swampball” team in the Morgan City area earlier this summer. 

   “There are 12 schools whose students play baseball during the summer,” he said. His team posted a 17-6 record.