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: St. Amant

Head Coach: Brandon Bravata

Classification: Class 5A (Non-Select D-I)

District: 5-5A

2023 Record: 27-12

2023 Playoff Finish: State Quarterfinalist

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 6

No. of Returning Pitchers: 4

Team Strengths: Front-Line Pitching & Overall Experience

Top Returning Players: 2024 INF Ryder Molea (Hinds CC commit), 2024 LHP/OF Layne Swanson (Baton Rouge Community College commit), 2024 LHP/OF Wyatt Ford (Nicholls State commit), 2024 UTIL/RHP Chase Kelley, 2024 RHP/INF Lawson Bourgeois (Nunez Community College commit), 2024 C Trent LaPorte (Baton Rouge Community College commit)

Top Newcomers: 2024 UTIL Madden Murray, 2025 UTIL Jace Moody, 2025 RHP Jayce Reddicks, 2025 UTIL/RHP Dakota Jarreau, 2025 OF Easton Humphrey, 2026 UTIL Landon Blanchard

 

Team Outlook

St. Amant had another successful season last year, as they finished with a 27-12 overall record.  The Gators made it all the way to the quarterfinal round of the playoffs, before their season was ended at the hands of West Monroe.  Head Coach Brandon Bravata is extremely excited about this year's group, as they return six position players and four pitchers, off of last year's 5-5A District Championship team.  Senior RHP Chase Kelley went 6-0 with a 1.17 ERA, as did senior RHP Lawson Bourgois, who is a Nunez Community College commit.  Coach Bravata believes that senior LHP Layne Swanson is primed for a big year, after going 4-3 with a 3.06 ERA a season ago.  Senior LHP Wyatt Ford, a Nicholls State recruit, went 2-3 last season with a 4.60 ERA and should have a jam-up senior campaign, as he's increased his velocity over the off-season.  Juniors Dakota Jarreau and Jayce Reddicks should also log meaningful innings on the mound.  Offensively, there's a lot of star-power back from this year's team as well.  Swanson hit at a .296 clip last year with a .455 OBP, while Ford hit .356 with 21 RBI, and Bourgeois hit .299.  Senior Ryder Molea is one of the more reliable defenders at shortstop and looks to improve on his .255 avg. from last spring.  Fellow senior Trent LaPorte is tough as nails behind the plate and is back again this year after hitting .250 with 20 RBI last season.  Coach Bravata told us that the team motto for this season is "Relentless", and believes that this team is going to be a hard-nosed, blue-collar group, just like many of the Gator teams before them.  This year's team returns a good portion of their lineup, as well as four front-line arms from last year's team.  St. Amant never has an easy schedule, so there will have to be some younger pitchers step, especially during the early part of the season.  We fully expect the Gators to be one of the top teams in Class 5A and to make a deep post-season run.  

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