Double Duty Dahse

Leopards Senior Shining on the Golf Course and the Diamond For La Grange

La Grange senior Braxton Dahse is pulling double duty and starring for two La Grange athletic teams at the same time.

As a golfer he’s led the Leopard golf team to several tourney championships and runner-up titles as well as finishing as the first or second place individual golfer in all the tournaments this season.

Additionally, Dahse has emerged as a standout pitcher for the Leps and pitched a complete game victory over Cuero last week.

“He knows the game – golf and baseball,” said La Grange head baseball coach James Zaruba, who also coached Dahse in golf earlier in his high school career. “He pitched well against Cuero the other day. He knows what he wants to throw. He knows what he has to do on the mound. Same in golf. He knows what club to use. He knows his approach.”

We’re proud to honor Dahse as this week’s Fayette County Athlete of the Week.

We caught up with Dahse after Tuesday’s 12-2 victory by La Grange over the Austin Waves. Here’s our interview with him:

What sport is your favorite, baseball or golf?

“I can’t answer that. Baseball I’ve played my whole life. Golf I’ve been following my dad around the course my whole life. I love them both. Can’t pick.”

What’s the strength of your golf game.

“If my putter gets hot, I don’t miss. When I play well that’s the highlight for sure.”

If you were writing the scouting report on Braxton Dahse as a pitcher, how would you describe him?

“Be ready for the curveball – it’s coming. I know I have a great defense out there. They are going to back me up no matter what, so I pitch to contact and let them do what they do.”

How difficult is it juggling practices and tournaments for these two sports going on at the same time?

“It’s harder than you can imagine, honestly. Coach Zaruba is letting me not hit this year because trying to do a baseball swing and a golf swing at the same time can’t work. So I’m just pitching this year and then going out on the golf course and doing my thing.”

Which of your teams would struggle more if they had to play the other sport – the golfers trying to play baseball or the baseball players trying to play golf?

“Probably the golfers trying to play baseball, that would be rough.”

You’ve overcame some health issues when you were younger. Can you tell me about that?

“When I was about seven, I had heart issues. I ended up having to have a catheter procedure on my heart. For how bad it sounds it went really well and I feel better than ever.”

If you could have dinner with three famous athletes, who would you pick?

“Bryson DeChambeau, John Daly (both golfers) and Justin Verlander (former Astros pitcher).”

What is your favorite place to eat out in La Grange, and what is your go-to order there?

“I’m going to go Sea-Land, the pound of boiled shrimp. Can never go wrong with that one.”

What are your plans for after high school?

“I plan to go play golf at a junior college in Jacksonville, Texas.”