Chad Gough-Fortenberry says his father, who died in 2005, was always pacing the sidelines, watching his every move on the field. (Ray Tyler/NYT Institute)

Chad Gough-Fortenberry is a champion. And on the baseball field it’s as if all eyes are on him: those of his fans, his opponents, and even Major League scouts.

Fortenberry is an athlete who is used to lots of accolades and attention. But there is one person who he feels watches over him in a very different way: his deceased father.

Randy Fortenberry Sr. died at the age of 47 of kidney cancer the summer before Fortenberry entered Northshore High School, in 2005.
From the Northshore Panthers baseball field, on a grassy stretch of the infield, Fortenberry recalled that his father was a mainstay for many events in his life.

His father was always pacing the sidelines, never sitting down, watching his son’s every move.

In his first game after his father’s death, during his freshman season on varsity, Fortenberry said he could feel his absence.

“When I looked over there and he wasn’t there I knew he was looking down upon me. And that made me play even harder,” said Fortenberry, 19, who recently graduated from Northshore High in Slidell.

Chad Gough-Fortenberry and his mother, Susan Gough, with a family portrait taken several years before his father, Randy Fortenberry Sr., died in July 2005 from kidney cancer at the age of 47. (Ray Tyler/NYT Institute)

Fortenberry’s mother, Susan Gough, described the elder Fortenberry as a strict but loving father.  He placed a bat and ball in his son’s hands when the boy was 2- years -old, and was his first coach. He continued in that role throughout Fortenberry’s youth.  They spent countless hours together playing baseball and working on Fortenberry’s skills as a catcher and hitter.

Those hours with his father have benefited him tremendously.

Fortenberry is the undisputed leader of the 5A Louisiana state champion Northshore Panther baseball team, which went 34-2 this season.  They were ranked nationally in the ESPN RISE FAB poll and the Baseball America poll. They were also No. 8 in the USA Today Baseball Super 25 poll.

The Panthers defeated the No. 2  Dutchtown Griffins 7-2 in the championship game on May 17.  It was Northshore’s first state title.

Fortenberry is proud of his accomplishments but said it would be better if his father were still here to see him shine.

“It was tough.  I didn’t want him to go because I knew it would be good,” Fortenberry said, referring to the team’s state championship.  “I knew we had a good chance this year.  The last thing I told him was that I love him and watch over me.”

Fortenberry, the team’s starting catcher, performed exceptionally in the championship game and in the entire championship tournament, with seven hits, eight RBIs, two doubles and three home runs, giving him a .538 batting average in the postseason.

His championship effort and big bat in the postseason earned him the State 5A Tournament MVP trophy.

After losing someone so close to him who had such an influence on his life and died at such a critical point, the temptation to quit would be strong for some.  Even with the weight of his grief, Fortenberry said he didn’t want to disappoint his late father.

“I knew my dad didn’t want me quit. I know he would be looking down on me and say, ‘Why did you quit?’” Fortenberry said. “I stuck with what he wanted me to do and what I felt was right.  I love the game of baseball so I didn’t want to give up.”

Fortenberry’s commitment to baseball was tested after a scouting report from the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008.  They told him he was too heavy at 240 pounds and wouldn’t be a good prospect.  Immediately after the visit Chad changed his unhealthy eating habits, with his mother’s help.

“It’s turkey, chicken or fish. Everything is grilled and broiled. He’s determined to become great. He wants to be great.  He wants to play ball and that’s what he is living for,” Susan Gough said.

As a result of his new lifestyle and increased hours in the batting cage, Fortenberry has become the five-tool player, able to hit, run, throw, field and catch.  His statistics speak for themselves.  He led the Panthers in hits and doubles the past two seasons.  This year his .564 batting average was second in the state.  Fortenberry posted an incredible 1.140 slugging percentage, and a team-leading 16 home runs in 36 games.

On the field, the word often used to describe Fortenberry is tenacious.

“He has a presence that just intimidates people,” said head coach Rick Mauldin.  “His mild-mannered ways off the field are not like on the field.”

Coaches and teammates recalled one particular game in the playoffs in which Fortenberry picked off a runner trying to steal second base, taking away a big part of the opposing team’s strategy. The team didn’t try to steal another base for the rest of the game.

Baseball has matured Fortenberry, his mother said.  He sees himself as the man of the house and helps her get through the struggle of his father’s death.  There are times, however, when even his coach can tell that Fortenberry still yearns for his father’s presence.

“It’s been tough for him during those hard times where he looks into the stands and his father isn’t there or in big games like the championship game,” Maudlin said. “After the game he just gave me a hug.”

The relationship Fortenberry had with his father, and their mutual passion for baseball has manifested itself in Fortenberry’s leadership skills.

Fortenberry’s teammate, pitcher Ryan Eades, who lost his father while he was in seventh grade, agrees.

“He is hard working, he leads by example, and everyone looks up to him,” Eades said.

The team has served as a support system and propped up Fortenberry and his family. Players are  always around each other. Parents of close friends and teammates have stepped in to act as role models for Fortenberry, and the care has produced one of Louisiana’s best catchers.  Fortenberry has been selected to play in the LHSSA Baseball All-Star game on May 29, and he has committed to play baseball at Southeastern Louisiana University.

To pay homage to his father before games and after hitting a home run, Fortenberry draws a cross on his chest, kisses his hand and points to the air.

After the championship game, he was even more grateful for everything his father did for him.

“In that last out, I pointed to the sky and said, ‘Thank you for all you have done,’” Fortenberry said. “When we dog-piled on the field, that’s all I was thinking about.  We’re No. 1 and thank you Dad.”