HAMMOND, La. – When it came time to choose a senior speaker for the Southeastern Louisiana baseball team's annual First Pitch Banquet in February, head coach Matt Riser didn't have to think very long.
 
He ultimately decided on Webb Bobo, a lanky yet physical outfielder from Prattville, Alabama, whose tireless work ethic, commitment to academics, and team-first attitude made him a perfect fit at Southeastern.
 
At the banquet, Bobo expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to play Division I baseball while recognizing the equally prevalent benefits and challenges facing athletes in the sport, especially focusing on how to muster strength every day.
 
"I think the motivation for me to play well and work hard is to keep coming out and keep building relationships with the guys [on the team]," said Bobo.
 
Bobo entered his senior season as a member of the preseason All-Southland Conference second team, and he was expected to replace former roommate Jameson Fisher at first base as well as seeing time in the designated hitter role.
 
Things didn't exactly go as planned, however, since Bobo went 3-for-27 in the first ten games of the season.
 
Considering the promise that Bobo displayed in the fall, his lack of production came as a shock, to say the least.
 
"Sometimes you get in a slump [in] your senior year and you start pressing, but it's hard to get out of it," Riser explained before praising Bobo's resiliency. "I'm just proud of him for what he's done to continue to work. He hasn't given in to it, he hadn't been defeated by it. He's starting to be the Webb that can make this offense dynamic and powerful."
 
The turnaround began April 13 with a 1-for-3 performance against Northwestern State and has turned him into the Lions' hottest hitter since then. Over the last month, Bobo is hitting .425 (17-40).
 
He capped the rebound during the final weekend of conference play. In a three-game sweep of Central Arkansas, he batted for an average of .625 with two home runs and four RBIs, and he was named the Louisiana Co-Hitter of the Week alongside UL Lafayette's Steven Sensley.
 
This was the type of offense Riser spoke about, echoing the numbers that Bobo generated in his junior season, after which he earned All-Southland Conference, All-Tournament, and All-Academic recognition. That year, he started 40 games in which he hit .283 with five doubles, two triples, and seven home runs.
 
Bobo has always believed that his academic pursuits matter more than anything he does on the baseball diamond, as well, and it derives from years of honing time management.
 
"Baseball is awesome, but I've always been preached to that you've got to have a Plan B if baseball doesn't work out. So I'd say I'm just a smart baseball player," Bobo said.
 
For Bobo, Plan B comes in the form of attending physical therapy school in Mobile, Alabama. He graduated this spring with a degree in kinesiology, and he plans to get married in September.
 
His strict concentration on academics may have been significant enough to garner an athletic recruitment from Columbia University, but other circumstances caused it to fall through.
 
"I did go visit Columbia but I realized that we weren't going to be able to do that, because they don't really give out scholarships. I wasn't rich enough and I wasn't poor enough, so that didn't work out," Bobo said.
 
Though, as Bobo jokingly conceits, he understands why the Ivy League wanted him in the first place.
 
"Probably my bat," he said. "My brain would have been okay, but they're pretty smart up there."
 
Riser will forever be thankful that Bobo chose to attend Southeastern, because his value system has positively impacted the entire team throughout his four-year career with the Lions.
 
"He's a mature young man that embodies everything we want in our student-athletes," said Riser. "If I had a daughter, I'd let him marry her. He's a grinder on the field [and] he's ethical in his decision-making. He's never thought about himself, he's always out to help others."
 
Bobo's teammates certainly appreciate his selfless disposition, too, since he makes their jobs a little easier.
 
"He treats others better than he's treated, and I feel like that's his best quality. He's always looking out for the good of the team. He puts the team first, and he'll get the job done," said sophomore pitcher Payton Robinson. "If he needs a walk, he'll get a walk. If he needs to drive someone in, he'll drive someone in. He always thinks of what's going to make us better."