Guerilla Baseball Academy established in 2009 by Brent Pourciau and Chuck Hickman. Brent and Chuck were high school teammates who both had successful baseball careers. After retiring from the game they loved, they moved back to their home towns and started the Guerilla Baseball Academy to help educate the local baseball athletes on top level pitching, hitting, fielding, strength and conditioning, nutrition and much more.

We chose “Guerilla” vs “Gorilla” Baseball Academy because the name “Guerilla” as in “Guerilla Warfare” represents the purpose of this baseball academy and its work to overcome the conundrum of conventional wisdom that plagues American baseball. The definition of Guerilla Warfare is the unconventional warfare and combat with which a small group of combatants use mobile tactics to combat a larger and less mobile formal army. We believe baseball has not evolved with science and to excel in the game today you must learn to use the revolutions of digital science to become more mobile and dynamic as a baseball player.

“Gorilla” also represents our style of baseball which was first used to describe the LSU Tigers in the 90’s when they were known as the Biggest, Strongest and Fastest team in the NCAA. Our style of training baseball players is based on the Bigger, Stronger, Faster approach.

Read Brent and Chuck’s BIO to learn more.

Brent Pourciau

Professional Pitcher

Brent Pourciau was born in New Orleans, LA. He grew up in Covington, La. where he played football, basketball and baseball for St. Paul’s High School. When Brent reached high school he narrowed his organized athletics down to just football and baseball. Brent developed a very strong arm in High School becoming the Ace Pitcher as a sophomore. His senior year he helped his team to the Semi-Finals losing to the team, which had won the State Championship the past six years and was ranked 5th in the nation by USA TODAY, 2-1.

Brent was a late bloomer and was offered a full scholarship to Delgado Junior college to have a few more years developing in size and strength. He began the year pitching the opening game of the season. In the fourth inning Brent blew out his rotator cuff and immediately had rotator cuff surgery to repair the tear.

During the surgery the Doctor shaved the acromion back to open the shoulder joint, which gives the joint more room to rotate, to help prevent the injury from occurring again. The side affects were added pressure to the muscles that hold the arm in place. Because of this procedure the Doctor said Brent would not be able to throw as hard as he did before the injury. He was advised to try another sport.

This marked the beginning of Brent’s continuous devotion to the athletics of pitching. Brent read every book he could find that would maybe one day allow him to pitch again in college. It took two years until he could actually throw a ball off of the mound. He then soon discovered that his arm wasn’t going to get any stronger. He worked with two well known physical therapists and two well known doctors before they informed him that they could not do anything to help his condition. The last Doctor labeled his condition as chronic tendentious. Brent refused to accept this diagnosis and began to seek out the help of a personal trainer and a massage therapist. He was lucky enough to train under the supervision of the Olympic Lifting Coach Gayle Hatch’s protege Kurt Hester. The first year he spent training with the Olympic lifts his fastball increased six mph. What he learned was as he grew stronger, all around, he could throw harder. Brent spent countless hours in the weight room building the frame that eventually developed the power to throw a 94 mph fastball. This occured six years later during a Professional Minor League season.

Not only did Brent play college baseball again but he was the winning pitcher in the Conference Championship game. He moved on to have a Professional career playing in Europe and for an Independent Minor League Organization in San Diego, California.

Through hard work, both physically and mentally, Brent learned the secret to velocity and longevity. Not many athletes have the opportunity to start their careers again from the beginning and work their way to the top, with a total understanding of how they did it!

“You can learn so much more from adversity than from a gift!”

Resume:

3 year Ace Pitcher – Saint Paul’s High School 5A – 1993-1995
Semi-Finals in State

1 year Starting Pitching – Delgado Community College – 1996
Miss-Lou Conference Champions

* Rotator cuff surgery

Come back season
1 year Relief Pitcher – Centenary College D1 – 1998

3 year Starting Pitcher – Spring Hill College NAIA – 1999-2001
GCAC Champions/NAIA Regional Playoffs

1 year Ace Pitcher – Mortsel Stars Antwerp, Belgium – 2001
European Cup winners

1 year Starting Pitcher – San Diego, Surf Dawgs – 2006
1st round draft pick Golden Baseball League

Watch the video of Brent Pourciau vs Jose Canseco, both in their final professional season.

Chuck Hickman

Professional Middle Infielder

Chuck Hickman was born and raised as a native of Mandeville, Louisiana. Chuck Hickman started his career at St. Paul’s School in Covington as an eighth grader and quickly advanced to the varsity team. The height of his high school career was his senior year when he led St. Paul’s to its first 4-A State Championship while being named the Most Valuable Player in Louisiana and USA Today’s All-American Team. Chuck spent the majority of his playing time as a short stop and was a power hitter. Chuck set a St. Paul’s School record for the most homeruns in a single season, which he continues to hold.

He started his college career as a scholarship athlete at Pensacola Junior College in Pensacola, Florida. While in Pensacola, Chuck was named to the first team all conference team. After only one year at Pensacola Junior College, Chuck then chose to accept a full scholarship and moved on to the Division I Nicholls State University. During his college career he was named to first team all-conference for the Southland Conference for 3 consecutive years and continues to hold single season records at Nicholls State University for hits, assists, at bats, and total bases. While at Nicholls State University, Chuck also played summer baseball in the Clark Griffith League with the Arlington Senators clenching the National Championship Title of the All American Amateur Baseball Association in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

Chuck’s college career was culminated by the Major League Baseball 2003 Draft. Chuck then started his professional baseball career with the Chicago Cubs organization. The highlight of his professional career was having the opportunity to play with the Chicago Cubs Major League Club on two occasions during spring training of 2005. He continued playing for the Chicago Cubs organization until 2005 at which time he returned to Louisiana to pursue other professional goals.

Chuck now lives in Covington, Louisiana with his wife, Candice, and his two sons, Mason and Maddox. Chuck owns a delivery and moving company, Full House Delivery Service, LLC. Chuck has also spent time teaching hitting and fielding, which is a passion and way to keep his love for baseball alive.

Resume:

1997 – 1999 – St. Paul’s School – Starting Shortstop
4-A Most Value Player in Louisiana
4-A State Champion
USA Today All-American Team

1999-2000 – Pensacola Junior College – Starting Shortstop
1st Team All Conference

2000 – Arlington Senators – Clark Griffith League – Starting Shortstop
Clark Griffith League Champions
All American Amateur Baseball Association National Champion

2000 – 2003 – NCAA Division I Nicholls State University – Starting Shortstop
1st Team All Conference – Southland Conference – 3 years

2003 – Drafted 12th Round by the Chicago Cubs

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