centreville — Centreville senior Hunter Devall started dreaming about playing baseball for LSU when he was in tee ball, but growing up he always figured that dream to be somewhat unattainable, he said.

But Wednesday morning Devall took the final step in pledging his alliegance to the Bayou Bengal baseball team when he signed his letter of intent to be a pitcher for LSU in front of family, friends, coaches and the Centreville student body.

Devall said the opportunity is unbelievable and when LSU offered him to play it did not take him long to commit.

“It’s LSU,” he said. “There wasn’t really much deciding. I grew up always talking about playing for LSU since I was (waist) tall.”

The idea that he was going to attend LSU did not set in as reality until his letter of intent came Monday, he said.

“It didn’t hit me until I got my papers in Monday,” Devall said. “I’m just ecstatic.”

Devall committed to the Tigers in Nov. 2010, after a visit to Baton Rouge for the LSU-Ole Miss football game, he said.

He said his parents, Dennis and Jana Devall, were just as shocked as he was when he received the offer.

“They were ecstatic,” he said. “They couldn’t believe it. When they made the offer I saw it on their faces.”

Devall received interest from several schools across the Southeast, including Alabama, Arkansas, Southern Miss, Tennessee and Ole Miss. He said none of those schools compared to what LSU offered.

“I took a visit to Alabama the week before LSU, and honestly there was no comparison,” Devall said.

LSU is also close to home for Devall, and he said that played a huge factor as well.

“That’s the biggest thing,” he said. “It’s only an hour away, and I can come home when I need to, and my family can come give me a lot of support.”

Devall said LSU will provide him a good education, and that was another important aspect that drew him to Baton Rouge.

Centreville coach Jason Horne said Devall’s determination sets him apart.

“He’s a real bulldog on the mound,” Horne said. “There is no quit in him. He could be down 3-0 (in the count), with runners on first and second and find a way to get out.”

Devall still has one more season to go at Centreville, and he and his teammates look to defend last year’s state title, but he said he is excited about seeing his dream come true in the future.

“I can’t wait to get on the field and play ball,” he said.

Devall had company in long-time friend Hunter Travis Wednesday morning that made his signing even more special, he said.

Travis signed his letter of intent to play middle infield at Louisiana Tech, and Devall said signing along side his friend was icing on the cake.

“It’s unbelievable,” Devall said. “We grew up playing with each other and against each other since tee ball. We always wanted to sign to play Division-1 together.”

Travis said signing with the Bulldogs was the fulfillment of many years of hard work.

“It doesn’t seem real right now,” he said. “I’ve worked at this all my life.”

Travis said the coaching staff at Louisiana Tech set it apart from the other schools that were recruiting him.

“They are straight forward, and tell you what they think,” he said.

Travis said Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana-Lafayette and Central Florida all showed interest in obtaining his services.

Travis’ parents Jeff and Dana have been huge in his success, he said.

“They have always supported me in everything I’ve done,” Travis said.

Travis said his defensive ability is what has brought him this far in his career, and he plans to work on getting bigger and stronger to improve his offense in his senior season.

Horne said Travis’ athletic ability is what makes him a good infielder.

“Hunter’s footwork and hand-eye are incredible,” Horne said.

Even though he took a huge step toward his future Wednesday morning, he said right now his senior season at Centreville is on his mind.

“This year we want to go out there, work hard and get another state championship,” he said.

Horne said to have two players sign to play Division-1 baseball in one day is special to him as a coach.

“It’s an amazing accomplishment,” he said. “Only a handful of kids get this opportunity and maybe the chance to do something further in the future.”

Horne added his emphasis on Centreville’s next season, as well.

“We are not finished here yet,” he said. “We still have work to do. We want back-to-back.”