Former Fontainebleau High Bulldogs’ baseball player Chandler Laurent of Lacombe has signed with Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies, moving one step closer to fulfilling his boyhood dream of becoming a major leaguer.

Laurent (21), a red-shirt sophomore outfielder with Delgado Community College, was drafted in the 21st round by the Rockies with the 631st pick overall.

Laurent, the Dolphins lead off hitter, played in all 51 games this season as the starting right fielder, helping lead the club to a 35-16 record. Laurent topped Delgado in hitting with a .431average (81-188) with eight homers and 56 runs batted in. He tallied 59 runs, which was tops on the team. He belted 21 doubles along with three triples. He was also exceptional running the bases, swiping 23 bases in 25 attempts.

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“I wound up having a pretty good year. Thankfully, I had the year that I did and was drafted. Some pro scouts came to watch me play at a few places and I did some workouts for different major league teams. I was really excited when I got the call on draft day,” Laurent said.”

“When the Rockies selected me it was a dream come true. I was with my girlfriend (Savannah) and my mom (Madeleine) at my home in Lacombe while my dad (Jimmy) was outside when my name was called. When my name was called, we were jumping up and hollering. My heart was really pumping so fast. I ran outside to tell my dad. Later on, the phone started ringing and that went on for quite awhile,” Laurent added.

Laurent said everybody was really pumped up and there was a lot of hugging going on.

“I have worked hard my whole life to get where I am. I knew if I put my mind to it I was hopeful I would get a shot to play major league baseball. You really can’t describe how this feels until it happens. So many people want it. Every baseball players’ dream is to play in the major leagues. To get the opportunity is a really big honor,” the former Fontainebleau High player said.

Laurent is playing rookie ball in Casper, Wyoming for the Casper Ghosts. He said he is eager and anxious to show what he can do in rookie ball.

At press time, he was batting .333, going 3-9. He started his first game in right field on Tuesday. After falling behind 0-2 in his first official at bat, he ripped a triple. He went 1-2 in the game also reaching on a walk and scoring a run. He was the designated hitter in Wednesday’s game, getting g a hit in three appearances with two walks and scored a run. In Thursday’s game, he was back in right field and went 1-4 with a run scored. The Ghosts dropped a three-game set to Idaho Falls.

Laurent, who played second base in high school, described himself as a very aggressive hitter, who likes hitting fastballs. “I like to hit the first pitch and not fall behind in the count. I do my best to stay in a hitter’s count. Hitting is what gets you in the lineup. I’ll give it my best shot.”

Delgado Community College head coach Joe Scheuermann, who completed his 19th season as the Dolphins head coach, said his club had Laurent on their radar while he was playing for Fontainebleau High School.

“Chandler was a great player for us and he was kind of a three-way player. Not only was he a tremendous hitter, but he stole bases and had a number of assists from the outfield,” Scheuermann said.

“He hit for average along with power and he has an above average arm with good speed.”

Scheuermann described Laurent as a tremendous athlete.

“His athleticism speaks for itself. He is a great competitor. The bigger the game, the better he was. You can’t coach that intangible. He carried us in some key situations in big ballgames.”

Laurent’s long-time hitting instructor, Scott Lambert from Covington, shared his thoughts on his student being selected to play baseball in the major leagues.

“I am absolutely ecstatic for Chandler. He deserves this opportunity through his hard work and determination,” Lambert said.

Lambert, who has worked with Laurent since he was 11, talked about him as a hitter.

“Chandler is very aggressive at the plate and is a tenacious hitter. He never gets cheated on any of his at bats. He does whatever he can, when he can, regardless of the time of day, to better himself as a ballplayer,” Lambert added.

Laurent recently received Honorable Mention status for his performance for the Dolphins during the 2009 baseball season. The prestigious NJCAA All-American honors are voted on at the conclusion of each season by the National Junior College Athletic Association coaches. He was one of only 126 players chosen for the honors out of the 10,305 student-athletes who competed for 398 teams in NJCAA Baseball during this season. He is also one of only two All-Americans named from the Region 23 Conference.

After graduating from FHS, Laurent attended Southeastern Louisiana University for a little over a year before transferring to Northeast Texas Community College before making his way to Delgado.

“I made the decision to attend Delgado. I enjoyed my time at Delgado. It was closer for the family to watch me play. Good things happened to me and I’m glad I got noticed,” Laurent added.

Chandler is the son of Jimmy and Madeleine Laurent of Lacombe.