Levesque a career EL great, but does anyone know it?
East Lyme — Trystan Levesque is an old-school kid, somehow resisting the temptation to which his peers often succumb: detailing one's life on social media, regardless of whether anyone else is actually interested.
But then maybe there's something about self-promotion being a wee bit underrated, particularly in the case of Levesque, who will leave East Lyme High School as a pitcher who belongs in Viking lore and legend.
But does anybody really know it? It is a baseball program with estimable history, back to the days of the great Jim Littlefield, where surnames of Long, Blais and Walker, among others, began the school's list of pitching royalty. Levesque, ever understated, has an invite to the party as well.
"I've been here since 1997-98," his coach, Jack Biggs, was saying Wednesday while at the field hitting fungos to his children. "There's been nobody better than Trystan. Nobody. He's an incredibly dedicated worker.
And the way he carries himself is second to none."
Levesque, headed to Rhode Island next year to pitch, chuckled at his stardom, or lack thereof. He is a lefthander who has hit as high as 88 on the gun and pitched to an earned run average under one last season.
"I try to be humble," Levesque said. "I don't post things about myself over social media. That's how everybody goes about things these days. But it's not for me."
Levesque sustains an old quote about the Lincoln/Douglas debates from history: "Douglas's oratory was designed for the galleries, Lincoln's for his peers."
Levesque's peers — and coaches — know plenty about him.
"Most of the time nowadays, you have to text kids to get hold of them,"
“I've been here since 1997-98. There's been nobody better than Trystan. Nobody. He's an incredibly dedicated worker. And the way he carries himself is second to none.” EAST LYME BASEBALL COACH JACK BIGGS, ON TRYSTAN LEVESQUE
Biggs said. "I have to call Trystan. It's kind of a great thing. He is very humble. Always has been."
Levesque's brother, Corey, played on the 2016 team that came within in out of a state championship. Trystan would hang out with the varsity team even as a middle schooler.
"You could tell even back then," Biggs said, "there was something about him."
Might have been special season
Levesque is part of a tight, talented senior class that just might have helped Biggs grab the elusive state championship ring this spring. Levesque and Dan Allard at the top of the rotation would have made East Lyme a state contender, not to mention a worthy opponent to blood rival Waterford and its three Division I starters.
And yet the high school sports season went viral in the worst of ways.
"It's just really hard," Biggs said. "It's a great senior class."
Levesque, meanwhile, continues to work out and prepare for his days at Rhode Island, following former
East Lyme great Chase Livingston there. A lefty who is a good listener, not afraid to throw inside and aware of what he doesn't yet know.
"Dennis Long (who has mentored Levesque) is always talking to me about getting better," Levesque said. "He's gotten me to understand that even though I'm in high school, I have to start thinking about being a college pitcher. Focus on thinking ahead. I know there are seniors who will be staying at URI. I know I have to be better than them if I want to start my freshman year." m.dimauro@theday.com