This past weekend, Duplantis secured a three-run homer (Lousiana vs. Arkansas) that gave the Tigers the lead, which helped them win the game.
At the same time, his younger brother, Mondo Duplantis, cleared six meters in the men’s pole vault, where he set a new collegiate record. “I am definitely proud of him,” he said, about Mondo’s athletic successes in track and field.
Duplantis is drawn to the sport of baseball since he enjoys “hitting,” and it is “just fun.” “I love everything about baseball. It is such a unique sport. It is so much different than any other sport,” he said.
Each day, he is motivated simply by his “passion” for baseball and his ambition to get better at it. “I want to see myself grow. That’s the most motivating factor for me,” he said.
For young and aspiring baseball players, Duplantis said, “Continue to have fun and work hard at it. Play other sports. I don’t anybody should focus on only one sport. Sports aren’t going to last forever. Have fun at competing.”
Antoine Duplantis is one to set lofty goals for himself. “Hopefully, after this year, I will get drafted and hopefully, I will play professional baseball and see how long that lasts,” he said.
He revealed that he just graduated from college last week with his Bachelor’s degree.
On the impact of technology in the sport of baseball, Duplantis said, “Technology has definitely changed the sport. They are able to get into spin rates on the fastballs and reaction time, as well as different planes that the pitchers throw from and how that affects the hitters. Also, exit velocities when you are hitting. It is good to know about this data as a hitter.”
Growing up, he shared that his parents, Greg and Helena Duplantis, were major influences on him. “My father didn’t get into baseball too much, but he taught me to be mentally strong to go out and compete every day,” he said. “My parents motivated me to keep going even when I faced adversity.”
For the people that have supported him on his journey, Duplantis said, “It has been great. It has definitely not been all ups. It is nice to know that there are people like my family and my friends, who have always been there for me. They always boost me with confidence and energy to keep going.”
Antoine Duplantis defined success as “ending your career with no regrets about what you did as an athlete.” “You can control how you act and how you handle failure and success,” he said.
To learn more about LSU baseball player Antoine Duplantis, follow him on Twitter.
