Kyle DeBarge has always dreamt of reaching the big leagues.
His parents Ramona and Toby invested countless hours into his gift as the small kid from Kinder played on multiple travel ball teams where they played in cities ranging from Lake Charles to Houston.
“They sacrificed a lot of money and time,” DeBarge said. “They both worked so the weekends were their only off time.”
“There were lots of weekends that we drove to Houston, played ball all weekend, and drove back to Kinder that night,” Ramona DeBarge, Kyle’s mom said.
Eventually, that giving for their son took its toll. Toby works as a truck driver in Sulphur and needed to shorten his commute to work.
So, the DeBarge family said goodbye to Kinder and moved 30 miles away to Lake Charles.
“The stars really aligned for that to happen,” Kyle said.
Kyle joined the baseball team at Barbe High School. The powerhouse program had won nine state titles at the time.
It’d be challenging to crack the starting lineup, but Kyle wasn’t about to throw in the towel.
“He just exuded confidence and believed in himself,” Barbe head coach Glenn Cecchini said. “When he came here, he was 95 pounds but his heart was 295.”
Debarge started all four years with the Buccaneers, became a two-time state champion, and earned a scholarship to play for his dream school, Louisiana.
Once in Cajun Country, DeBarge became one of the program’s best with his junior campaign being his shining moment. He earned Sun Belt Player of the Year and set the new single-season home run record.
“He’s a legend here,” Cajuns head coach Matt Deggs said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that he’ll go down in the annals of time as one of the best to ever play it.”
The DeBarge family’s ride along the way will all be worth it as the moment that Kyle has aimed for will be right in front of him.
“It’s just a lot of time and effort put in,” Kyle said. “To see it all come true, it’s going to be emotional.”
“For Kyle to be able to see the fruits of his labor and his willingness to go the extra mile, I am going to cry,” Ramona said.
The MLB Draft begins Sunday, July 14 beginning at 6:00 p.m. and will air on ESPN. Coverage of day two (Rounds 3-10) and day three (Rounds 11-20) of the draft begins at 1:00 p.m. and will stream on MLB.com.
------------------------------------------------------------
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE .
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers
Follow us on Twitter
Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Instagram
Subscribe to our Youtube channel
Most Popular
Comments / 0