Gavin Dugas, an LSU baseball alum and a member of the 2023 National Championship team, was named grand marshal of the Krewe of Hercules parade in Houma, Louisiana.
Dugas grew up in Houma and attended Houma Christian High School where his baseball success there earned him an offer to LSU. Dugas had childhood dreams of playing college baseball in the purple and gold.
His dream came true, but he battled a thumb injury throughout his time at LSU which limited playing time. When healthy, he had standout years in 2021 and 2023.
In 2021, he recorded 62 starts and led the SEC in RBI with 66. He finished the season ranked high in the SEC at the end of the season. He was third in home runs with 19, fifth in slugging percentage with .641 and eighth in total bases batted with 141. He was also voted NCAA Eugene Regional MVP, hitting .438 with one double, two triples, three home runs, six RBI and seven runs scored through the five games the Tigers played in the regional.
Before the 2022 season, he was given the highly coveted No. 8 jersey for the Tigers, a tradition carried down from Mikie Mahtook in 2009, which is given to a player who exemplifies the excellence of the program and live up to the legacies of those who wore the number before.
Going into the 2023 season, Dugas had eye surgery in the winter and his status was in question for the Tigers heading into the season. But he showed early on that he recovered by going 6-for-8 with two home runs during the Tigers’ three-game opening weekend sweep of Western Michigan.
Dugas finished the 2023 season as a national champion, first in the nation in hit-by-pitch with a school-record of 33. He hit .290 with 12 doubles, two triples, 17 homers, 46 RBI and 74 runs. He played in 68 games with 66 starts.
He was named to the 2023 College World Series All-Tournament Team and was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the sixth round of the 2023 MLB draft. He joined LSU teammate Dylan Crews in Washington’s draft class. He is currently still playing for the Nationals in their minor league system.
Dugas will return home for the Mardi Gras season before he goes back to the minor leagues this spring. Dugas and the Krewe of Hercules are set to roll through Houma on Friday, Feb. 21 starting at 6 p.m.
