Blake Trahan (2023) - Louisiana Athletics Hall of Fame

Blake Trahan

Induction:
2023
Class:
2022

Three-year starter at shortstop and named to All-America teams three straight years for UL, including named as first-team shortstop on the American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings All-America team as a sophomore in 2014 … Also A-A second team by both Baseball America and Perfect Game in 2014 and third-team A-A by ABCA/Rawlings and Louisville Slugger in junior year in 2015 … On Louisville Slugger and Perfect Game’s Freshman A-A team in 2013 … First-team ABCA All-South Central Region in both 2014 and 2015 … First-team All-Sun Belt Conference shortstop in 2014 and 2015 after second-team selection as a freshman in 2013 when he was the league’s Freshman of the Year, and named Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2015 … Three-time All-Louisiana pick, once first-team and twice second-team (a guy named Alex Bregman won All-Louisiana those two years) … Upon completion of his career ranked in top five in UL history in games played (194, third), runs (155, fifth), hits (239, third), walks (112, third) and sacrifice hits (23, fifth) … His 23-game hitting streak in 2015 (Feb. 28-April 11) is still tied for the best in UL history … Part of likely the best offensive team in UL history in 2014 as a sophomore when team claimed the only No. 1 national poll ranking in school history in the last third of the season … That team finished 58-10 and never lost two straight games prior to two losses in the NCAA Super Regional against Ole Miss, one win away from College World Series … Hit .355 and OPS .920 that year with 91 hits, 12 doubles, 49 RBI and 15 stolen bases while only committing 10 errors at shortstop … Hit .315 with 80 hits, 15 doubles and more walks (38) than strikeouts (32) along with 17 stolen bases as junior in 2015 … Team went 43-20, 58-10 and 42-23 his three years, won one Sun Belt regular-season title and two tournament titles while playing in NCAA Regionals all three years … Considered a potential first round draft pick prior to the 2015 MLB Draft, the Cincinnati Reds selected Trahan in the third round, with the 84th overall selection … Signed with the Reds ($708,900 bonus) and began his professional career with the Billings Mustangs of the rookie Pioneer League where he hit .312 with an .803 OPS before being promoted to the High-A Daytona Tortugas of the Florida State League at the end of that year … Returned to Daytona in 2016 and hit .263 with four homers, 47 RBI and 25 stolen bases … Moved up to Class AA and played for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos of the Class AA Southern League in 2017 where he batted .222 with two home runs and 27 RBIs in 136 games …Played for the Louisville Bats of the Class AAA International League in 2018 before the Reds promoted him to the major leagues on September 1, and he played in 11 games for the Reds … Won the Minor League Baseball Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2018… Played in 2019 with Louisville and participated in 2020 spring training with the Reds before that was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic … Upon the resumption of the MLB season in July, Trahan was invited to return to the team on June 28, but opted to retire from baseball.