Baseball: A chat with a former UL and Ole Miss baseball player

Megan Wyatt, The Advertiser, June 6, 2014

Charlie Babineaux, a New Iberia native, played baseball for both UL and Ole Miss under the current coaches. Submitted photos.

For one New Iberia native, the outcome of the NCAA Super Regional Tournament will be reason to celebrate, no matter which team wins.

Charlie Babineaux, 33, played baseball for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and for the University of Mississippi under the current coaches before being drafted to play for the San Francisco Giants.

The former left fielder is ready to follow either the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns or the Ole Miss Rebels to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

"I’ve never been to Omaha and always said that I would wait for a team that I follow to make it," Babineaux said. "With the match up this weekend, I am guaranteed that opportunity."

Babineaux attended UL and played Ragin’ Cajuns baseball from 2000 to 2001, then transferred to Blinn Junior College in 2002 and signed on with Ole Miss’ baseball program after the 2002 season.

He plans to sport his Ole Miss attire to all of the Super Regional games at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field this weekend.

"It will be a very good weekend for all baseball fans," Babineaux said. "Both teams are very talented. I do not think either team will run away with the series and that it will come down to who executes when the time is right."

The reason Babineaux plans to support Ole Miss this weekend is because it is the school he earned his insurance and risk management degree from, and he attributes the exposure of playing in the SEC while at Ole Miss to the reason he was drafted to play for the San Francisco Giants.

Babineaux calls both Cajuns and Rebels fans passionate and knowledgeable, saying that both teams’ fans create great environments for college baseball players.

"I have truly enjoyed watching what the Cajuns and Rebels have been able to accomplish," Babineaux said. "It’s tough competition, and the team that gets out of this Super Regional will make a good run at a championship."