LAKE CHARLES – It has been said “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”
Billy Sommers has sacrificed on the baseball field for McNeese State over the last three seasons and helped build the program back to one of high regards in the baseball community. He will now have the opportunity to serve his country as he has decided to forgo his final year of eligibility to train and serve in the United States Secret Service.
The decision was not one of ease for Sommers, a native of Moss Bluff, who was a week out from beginning organized team activities. Due to the timing of the required training sessions, he decided to gather his teammates together on Friday to announce that he would be leaving for the training academy.
“We knew this was something that could happen when Billy decided to return for his senior year, but it was a risk worth taking,” said McNeese head coach Justin Hill. “Billy has been an integral part of our program, and we will miss him tremendously.”
However, there were no signs of sadness but an outpour of support and encouragement that came from within the Cowboys’ locker room after the announcement. Sommers was congratulated on the once in a lifetime opportunity by his teammates and coaches.
“While we will certainly miss him, his teammates, coaches, and I are extremely supportive of him chasing his dream,” said Hill. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and we couldn’t be any more proud of Billy and his family for this incredible honor.”
Sommers was quick to praise both his team and the community for the opportunities provided over the last several years.
“McNeese has been a blessing,” said Sommers. Playing in a tough conference here in my own backyard in front of a hometown that is better than I ever could have asked for. Good or bad, I know that we will always have some of the best fans in the conference. The opportunity is just another blessing and something that I have dreamed of. While the timing isn’t the best, I know the leadership on this team will take them far. I love every single one of my 33 brothers on the team and every single fan in Cowboy Nation.
During the Fall, Sommers was selected out of 75,000 initial applicants to begin the vetting process and passed all subsequent tests and interviews. He will begin 13 weeks of training in Georgia beginning in March followed by 17 weeks of training in Maryland at the United States Secret Service Academy.
Sommers, a three year letterman, finishes his collegiate career with a .287 batting average in 88 games. He accounted for 71 hits, 11 doubles, three triples and four home runs. He drove in 36 runs during his time with McNeese.
Serving in the designated hitter spot, Sommers was honored on the 2014 All-SLC second team and was selected to the Southland Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll for this work in the classroom.
