The 2024 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, excitement abounds throughout the state.  Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across Louisiana.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Sulphur, LA, home of the LHSAA State Championships, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality.  We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams across the state as we preview individual teams across Louisiana.  We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews, followed by our Power 25 Rankings release, and our popular Game of the Week segment. 

Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the bayou state.  Each week, we will be releasing our players of the week, updating our Power 25 Rankings, and many more pieces of content.  

*Please note that all information is based on team preview questionnaires that were sent out and returned by the participating high school coaches.

 

High School Name: Riverside Academy

Head Coach: Marty Luquet

Classification: Class 1A (Select D-IV)

District: 10-1A

2023 Record: 20-9-1

2023 Playoff Finish: State Quarterfinalist

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 7

No. of Returning Pitchers: 3

Team Strengths: Experience & Strength of Schedule

Top Returning Players: 2025 OF Ryan Poche, 2026 MIF Brock Bourgeois, 2026 INF Jayce Ruiz, 2026 1B Ayden Bullock, 2027 MIF Cameron Matt, 2027 RHP Cruz Cambre, 2027 RHP Brody Vicknair

Top Newcomers: 2026 OF Kaden Brumfield, 2027 RHP Colten Diamond, 2027 INF Gage Thompson

 

Team Outlook

Riverside finished the 2023 season with a 20-9-1 overall record and opened up as the #11 seed in the LHSAA Select D-IV playoffs.  The Rebels had a first round bye, before upsetting #6 seed Sacred Heart in the second round, which allowed them to advance to the quarterfinals against #3 seed Glenbrook.  The Apaches proved to be too much for Riverside, as Glenbrook ended Riverside's season by a score of 5-0.  Head Coach Marty Luquet told us that this year's team is prepared and ready to make a deep run in the playoffs, thanks to a slew of underclassmen who are all returning this season.  On the mound, the Rebels return sophomore RHP Jayce Ruiz who went 2-0 with a 1.40 ERA and sophomore LHP Ayden Bullock who went 4-3 with a 3.59 ERA.  Both Ruiz and Bullock will also be key pieces of the offense, as Ruiz hit .270 last spring, while Bullock hit at a .265 clip.  Freshman RHP Cruz Cambre looks to take another step forward this year, after going 1-2 with a 3.71 ERA last year, as does freshman RHP Brody Vicknair who was 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA.  Vicknair also hit at a .304 clip last year as an eighth-grader.  Another name to keep an eye on for this year's pitching staff is freshman RHP Colten Diamond.  Junior OF Ryan Poche is one of the few upperclassmen back this season.  Poche hit at a .328 clip last spring.  Sophomore Brock Bourgeois projects to be the team's shortstop this season, after hitting .282 last year.  Rounding out the offense will be freshman 2B Cameron Matt, who finished last season with an impressive .364 avg.  This year's Riverside team is very young, but also very experienced and successful, as the team was able to win 21 game last year.  Coach Luquet told us that he's loaded up their schedule for this spring, as the Rebels are slated to play eleven Class 5A schools, who all made the playoffs a year ago.  Riverside will without a doubt be battle tested heading into district and then the playoffs, which we believe will pay off, as they look to make the LHSAA state tournament. 

 

 

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