Bryce Fontenot has bounced around in a handful of positions since becoming a Sulphur Tor. But he found his home in 2022 and helped fuel the Tors’ run to the Class 5A baseball semifinals in May with a breakout sophomore season.

He started the season playing left field or third base before taking over the starting role at second base, earning District 3-5A first-team all-district honors and all-state honorable mention while showing his versatility.

“He came to us as a catcher,” Sulphur head coach Sam Moore said. “We quickly moved him out of that role and into an infielder. That is where we needed some help.

“It just happened we needed him in the lineup batting. I think he first started out in left field when he got into the lineup. He is just a versatile player. You need some of those guys on your team that can play everywhere. He fits that role pretty good. He can actually play shortstop as well.”

Fontenot batted .349 with 29 RBIs, four doubles, three triples, four home runs and 32 runs scored.

“I knew that I would have a really good chance at starting, but I knew I wasn’t guaranteed a starting spot,” Fontenot said. “It was really good, and I just hope to keep it going.

“I like second (base) more. I feel more into the game for some reason and get more action at second. I can bring energy, and I am a good teammate. I can bring people’s spirits up. I can make them feel better about themselves.”

Moore said he has a lot of confidence in Fontenot, who belted three home runs and drove in five runs in the first game of a best-of-three series against Zachary in the Class 5A quarterfinals.

“He doesn’t play like a sophomore, that was the main thing,” Moore said. “He has great athleticism and a great presence about himself.

“We were putting a player in that position, not a sophomore. He plays the game the right way. Towards the end, he started hitting in our three-hole. We just have a lot of confidence in him. He is only going to get better with this work ethic. He wants to get better as a player even though he had a great sophomore year. He is going to put up some big numbers this coming up year as well.”

Colleges are starting to take notice of Fontenot.

“He is definitely a college projection,” Moore said. “He projects well at the next level. I have already got a few calls on him. He will be a next-level college baseball player, 100 percent. He will be a second baseman, shortstop or third baseman at the next level.”

Fontenot is putting in the work to make his dream of playing at the college level happen.

Traveling the country this summer with Team Louisiana-Picard 2024, Fontenot is batting .367 with 16 runs scored, 13 RBIs, eight stolen bases and nine extra-base hits.

In four games this week at the Future Stars Series Class of 2024 National Championship tournament, Fontenot is hitting .571 with four runs scored. The tournament is being played at multiple fields throughout Southwest Louisiana.

“I am really working on my fielding and working the counts better whenever I am hitting,” Fontenot said. “I have been swinging at too many first-pitch balls.

“I just try to work the count more now. I am getting to see some of the best competition in the country. It is preparing me for the high school season. I hope to get a college scholarship. I just love the game. It is one of the few games I really love.”

Fontenot has high expectations for the Tors in 2023.

“Hopefully (we) win a state title next year,” Fontenot said. “We didn’t really lose anybody, we only had four seniors. I think we will have a really good shot.”