Apr 22, 2016 5 min read

It’s no secret why Louden Conte sounds more like a seasoned college baseball player than a high school second baseman trying to bring another WPIAL title to his hometown.

He can dissect his own swing with the same knowledge and verbiage of a head coach, and like any experienced player, Conte is never satisfied with good.

The California High School senior has seen what it takes to be great in the sport. His father, Mike, has been the head baseball coach at California University since 1997, winning two PSAC championships, including 2004 when Louden was the bat boy.

Watching the relentless approach college players had with their craft has made Conte, now a four-year starter for the Trojans, refuse complacency.

That’s what motivated him to gain almost 20 pounds of muscle since last season’s loss to Greensburg Central Catholic in the WPIAL Class A championship game.

“There have been times where I hit a ball pretty deep and it hasn’t gotten out,” Conte, now 6-1, 220 pounds, said. “Hopefully, this year, by working out and everything, those will be home runs, and singles will be doubles or triples with the lifting and speed work. I do whatever I can do be the best player I can be.”

He hasn’t been average since he joined California’s baseball team. He was the third baseman as a freshman, when the Trojans reached the WPIAL semifinals, and shifted to shortstop as a sophomore. This year, he’s the second baseman and one of Cal’s top starting pitchers.

Conte batted .507 with 26 RBI as a sophomore to help the Trojans win the WPIAL title. Last season, his averaged improved to .514 with an area-best 50 runs and 29 stolen bases.

He’s become one of the WPIAL’s top players in talent and baseball knowledge. Neither surprise California head coach Nick Damico, who attended Conte’s first birthday party and was a member of the 2004 Vulcans who won the PSAC title with the precocious bat boy.

“He grew up around us,” Damico said. “He’s been around me and baseball his whole life. He’s flourishing from it. I think he loves the game and that’s the main thing. You’ll keep getting better if you’re in love with the game.”

A love of the game is what fuels Conte to go to great lengths to improve. That’s why he lifted weights and focused on speed training every day during the summer. When a practice earlier this season was cancelled because of rain, Conte and his dad went to a batting cage nearby to fix a flaw in Louden’s swing – he was swinging his hips open too quickly, a fact he and Damico realized when his timing on breaking pitches was off.

Conte, who is homeschooled, has a set regimen for his day. Most is spent on school work, but his lunch break is set aside for lifting weights. If he wants to take practice swings before a big game, he’ll get his work done early.

It’s a work ethic and dedication that he learned throughout his childhood, including days watching Cal University games at Consol Energy Park.

“It’s helped me out so much and it’s allowed me to know the game, learn the game, the ins and outs of the game,” Conte said. “I’m very fortunate to have had that to be able to know the things I know. That helps in big situations like what to do when a ball is hit to you or how to pitch to a certain guy.”

Conte puts as much time into pitching – something he likely won’t do in college – as hitting and fielding. During preseason workouts, Conte made sure to plan long bullpen sessions to improve his techinique on the mound. Damico was going to ask him to throw more than 14 innings, so he wanted to be ready.

Those 14 innings last year caught everyone’s attention. Conte is ambidextrious – he can throw right- and left-handed. After he injured his right shoulder during the summer of 2011, Conte couldn’t sit around and wait for it to heal.

He started throwing a tennis ball with his left hand. Slowly, he discovered that a curveball and two-seam fastball looked just fine – making him a valuable weapon out of the Trojans’ bullpen.

“This is basically his first year as one of our two guys we use to start games,” Damico said. “He’s got baseball IQ and he can change speeds. He has like three or four pitches, and he can throw them all for strikes. He can throw inside, outside. He’s a pretty solid pitcher overall.”

With his hitting from the leadoff spot and progression on the mound – mostly throwing right-handed – Conte has California (4-1, 10-2) tied for first place in Section 1-A and among the favorites to claim another championship. The Trojans were to play Friday at Carmichaels but the game was rained out.

Conte is batting .490 with an on-base percentageof better than .600, but minutes after exiting the bus Friday afternoon, Conte quickly went home so he could throw a whiffle ball left-handed.

Anything to get better.

“I never want to be average,” Conte said. “I want to be the best”