Joe Parfait covers the Daniel Latham Signing

COVINGON - Add another west St. Tammany player to the roster of the Tulane baseball team. Covington High School senior Daniel Latham on Wednesday signed a National Letter of Intent on the pitching mound of Jimmy "Doc" Davis Baseball Field to become a Green Wave. Latham joins three other baseball players from the area who have recently signed with Tulane. West St. Tammany Parish appears to be a pitcher's haven for Tulane, as Latham joins pitchers Keith Hennigan and Tyler Kimmons from Mandeville High and Ryan Martin of Jesuit High (a Mandeville resident) on the team's pitching staff.

"I think Daniel will have a great college career. For us, Daniel has been very successful the last two years and had great control. If we wanted a ball 2 inches outside, he'll throw it there. He has a nice breaking pitch, and his control is unbelievable," Covington baseball coach Johnny Dragg said of his ace.  Latham was 7-3 last season for the Lions while pitching 66 1/3 innings with an earned run average of 2.0. He struck out 76 batters while only walking eight. Overall, in two seasons he struck out 145 batters and has only walked 16 in 118 innings.

During the summer Latham played on the Bill Hood traveling baseball team and played with and against future and current college players. He was 4-2 with a 1.64 ERA and struck out 37 batters while walking nine.

Latham is 6-foot-3, weights 180 pounds and pitches from the right side.

"I try to pitch smart and be smart on the mound and maintain my composure and try to locate the ball," Latham said of his pitching. "I'm a competitor. I like to give everything I've got. I going to put it all on the line when I've out there." Being close to home and Tulane being one of the top baseball programs in the nation were reasons for Latham choosing Tulane. "It worked perfect for me. They have a great baseball tradition and they have great academics, and being so close to home it just offered a perfect opportunity for me. I felt like that's where I'll be most comfortable," said Latham.

Duke, the University of New Orleans and McNeese State, among other schools, offered him scholarships. Latham decided to sign in the early signing period because he did not want the pressure of recruiting during his senior year. He said he wants to enjoy his senior year, and the fact that he got what he wanted makes it perfect. Latham has 3.96 grade point average and belongs to National Honor Society, Heath Occupation Students of America club and is a Senior class officer. He is the anchorman for the C4 News, the 25-minute student-run closed circuit school news television station. He also films all Covington High football games and other school activities.  Away from school, Latham likes to listen to music. He said he doesn't have much time to do a lot of other things he likes, like fishing. 

"We're real excited just because we don't have to travel all across the country to see him play," said his mother, Susan. "It feels super. It's the accumulation of a lot of work. He's worked really hard to get to the point to make this step, and we're excited for him. We think Tulane will be the perfect fit for him," said his father, Ken Latham. The Lathams will have to make a change since their daughter, Emily, is a four-year Golden Girl at LSU and will graduate next month. Both of his parents attended also LSU. "I'm working on my new wardrobe. I have nothing but purple and gold right now. I will definitely support Tulane baseball all the way now. I will be cheering for Daniel and the team," said Susan Latham. She is an English teacher at Covington High and said the teasing about LSU and Tulane has already started by her students and friends.