Prep Baseball Report

Class 5A, 3A, 2A, And 1A State Championship Preview




Trey Sofio
Louisiana Scouting Director

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Today and tomorrow mark the beginning of the event every high school baseball team in the state of Louisiana has been striving for starting in January. Twenty-eight teams from seven different classifications will converge on McMurray Park in Sulphur, LA to battle for their respective state championships.

Yesterday we previewed the state championships for classes 4A, B, and C. Today we will look ahead to tomorrow’s semifinal matchups in 5A, 3A, 2A, and 1A.

Class 1A action kicks off tomorrow at 2:00 PM, as No. 6 Vermillion Catholic takes on No. 7 Oak Grove. Oak Grove made it all the way to the state championship game last season in class 2A, losing 11 to 3 in the final game to Kinder. Now in class 1A, Oak Grove finished the season with a 14 and 7 record, and finds themselves in a position once again to win a state title. Vermillion Catholic looks to continue an outstanding season after finishing 18 and 10 and an impressive 13 and 3 against class 1A foes.

The second game of the class 1A semi-finals will take place at 5:00 PM on Friday, as No. 1 Central Catholic takes on No. 5 Hanson. Central Catholic finished an outstanding season at 23 and 4, outscoring their opponents at a staggering 234 to 81 margin. Hanson finished their regular season with a 19 and 8 record, which included going 6 and 1 against 4A and 5A opponents.

Class 2A action kicks off at noon on Friday with No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas, who also finds themselves No. 3 in the PBR Power 25, and No. 5 Opelousas Catholic. Opelousas Catholic finished their outstanding season at 23 and 7, which included a 7 and 2 record against 4A and 5A competition. St. Thomas Aquinas has had arguably one of the best seasons in school history, finishing the regular season with a 25 and 2 record, only allowing a staggering 47 runs all year.

The other matchup in 2A kicks off at 1:00 PM and features a pair of district foes. No. 2 St. Charles Catholic and No. 6 Riverside are certainly no strangers to each other, and regular season matchups usually have a lot riding on them. Needless to say, with a state championship berth on the line, excitement will not be in short supply. St. Charles Catholic has had an outstanding season, finishing the regular season 23 and 7, which included outscoring their opponents 190 to 71. Riverside has been on an absolute tear late in the season, winning 7 straight to conclude the regular season and 4 straight in the postseason, which included a clean sweep of powerhouse Ouachita Christian on the road.

Class 3A action kicks off at 3:00 PM on Friday, as No. 1 Brusly faces off with No. 4 South Beauregard. Brusly has had an outstanding season going an impressive 30 and 4. With numerous college players sprinkled throughout their roster like Southeastern Louisiana recruit, Connor Manola and Northwestern State recruit, Evan Daigle, just to name a few, Brusly will be an extremely tough out in the final two games. It won’t be easy for them though, as South Beauregard finished the year at 21 and 6, and will send Louisiana-Lafayette recruit, Logan Savoy to the hill. Savoy is one of the top 2017 left-handed pitchers the state has to offer, running his fastball up to 89 mph with an advanced feel to pitch.

In the 6:00 PM, 3A semi-final, No. 2 ED White will face off against No. 6 West Feliciana. ED White, coached by Shane Trosclair, has proven to be a consistently competitive program through the years, posting an eye-opening 26 and 4 record this year. West Feliciana, led by Southeastern Louisiana recruit, Trey Morgan, posted a 22 and 6 record and outscored their opponents 217 to 97.

Class 5A action kicks off at 4:00 PM on Friday with two “underdog” teams, at least in terms of seeding. No. 11 Byrd will face off against No. 15 Acadiana with a berth in the state championship game on the line. Byrd finished the season 19 and 10, which included a defeat of district rival Airline in the quarterfinals. Playing in perhaps the deepest and most talented league in the state, Acadiana finished the season 16 and 14, upsetting district rival and No. 2 seed Lafayette in round 2.

The nightcap features two very familiar teams. No. 1 Barbe will face off against No. 4 Catholic(BR) at 7:00 PM on Friday night. The last four, and five of six, 5A state championships have been won by either Barbe or Catholic(BR), with Barbe winning three of the last four. Catholic(BR) shortstop and Louisiana State recruit, Josh Smith, looks to finish his career like he started it, with a state championship. As a freshmen, Smith helped lead the Bears to a championship entering the playoffs as a 21 seed, playing shortstop and leading off. Barbe’s junior left-hander, Adam Goree, only knows winning state championships, as he played major roles in the last two Barbe state championships his first two years in high school baseball. Both programs are extremely talented and deep with college prospects throughout. Barbe finished the season 28 and 6, while Catholic(BR) finished 24 and 5.

On a side note, Barbe looks to complete the quest of a 3-peat, which the program has yet to accomplish, with a lineup of underclassmen. The Bucs will not lose a single everyday player to graduation, and only have two seniors on the roster, which includes Southeastern Louisiana recruit, LHP Tyler Booth.

Class 1A Semi-Finals

No. 1 Central Catholic
No. 5 Hanson
5:00 PM/Field 37

No. 6 Vermillion Catholic
No. 7 Oak Grove
2:00 PM/ Field 37

Class 2A Semi-Finals

No. 1 St. Thomas Aquinas
No. 5 Opelousas Catholic
12:00 PM/ Field 40

No. 2 St. Charles Catholic
No. 6 Riverside
1:00 PM/ Field 41

Class 3A Semi-Finals

No. 1 Brusly
No. 4 South Beauregard
3:00 PM/ Field 40

No. 2 ED White
No. 6 West Feliciana
6:00 PM/ Field 40

Class 5A Semi-Finals

No. 1 Barbe
No. 4 Catholic(BR)
7:00 PM/ Field 41

No. 11 Byrd
No. 15 Acadiana
4:00 PM/ Field 41

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