Prep Baseball Report

State Championships: Saturday Recap



Trey Sofio
Louisiana Scouting Director

Saturday saw the conclusion of the 2017 high school spring season, and Prep Baseball Report Louisiana was on-hand for the entirety of the weekend, as 12 teams were crowned state champions.

Our scouting staff saw a lot of baseball this past weekend, bouncing from field to field, attempting to see as many players as possible. Let’s dive into some quick hits from things are scouting staff took in on Saturday.

+ Louisiana-Lafayette recruit, 2017 SS/RHP Hayden Cantrelle (Teurlings Catholic) was extremely impressive in Saturday’s state championship game. Cantrelle didn’t have his best offensive game in the semi-finals on Thursday, but he responded in a big way in his high school finale. He finished Saturday 3-for-4 with a towering, no-doubter type home run to right field, as well as triple that he laced off the center field wall, giving a 4.08 home to 1st time on the turn. Normally a shortstop, Cantrelle got the start on the mound for the Rebels, tossing a complete game, and showed off impressive arm strength, as he sat 88-90 with his fastball.

+ It certainly has been said before, but Louisiana State recruit, 2017 OF Nick Webre (Teurlings Catholic) can really hit, and this weekend certainly would not prove otherwise. The physical left-handed hitter finished 4-for-8 in the final games of illustrious career with Rebels. In addition, Webre continues to show quality athleticism, as he gave consistent 4.2 to 4.3 home to 1st times all weekend, and racked up another three stolen bases, adding to his already lofty total on the year.

+ John Curtis collected their second state championship in three years on Saturday, as they took home the division-I crown. The Patriots established themselves as one of the premier offenses in the entire state over the course of the year, and they certainly were impressive scoring 12 runs in two games; but the Patriots got two dominant starting pitching performances, which produced back-to-back shutouts on their way to a state championship. 2019 LHP Dax Ford (John Curtis) tossed a complete game in the semi-finals on Thursday, striking out 13, and 2018 RHP Ian Landreneau (John Curtis) followed that up with a no-hitter in the state championship game, striking out two, while walking only one on 96 pitches. Landreneau was dominant in his outing, pitching at 84-86 mph with his fastball, and a sharp breaking ball with 11/5 shape, tight spin, and depth that he consistently manipulated throughout the start. Tulane recruit, 2018 1B Cade Beloso (John Curtis) was once again the driving force in the explosive Patriot lineup, hammering a hanging breaking ball over the field wall for a 2-out, 3-run homer in the 3rd inning.

+ 2019 RHP Seth Traweek (Ouachita Christian) got the start in the state championship game for the Eagles, pitching six innings, allowing one earned run on four hits, but came up short as Riverside topped OCS 2-0. An athletic 6-foot-4 frame, Traweek sat 83-86 mph with his fastball showing a loose, live arm and advanced athleticism on the mound. Still in the process of filling out physically, Traweek flashes promise of being a legitimate front-end of a college rotation type pitching prospect.

+ The class 5A state championship on Saturday night, as West Monroe took on Central(BR), will be remembered by many for a long time. The Rebels of West Monroe were the one of the most dominant teams in the state all year, but a talented Central(BR) caught fire down the stretch and took home a 4-2 win in the state championship. 2018 SS Hunter Hebert (Central(BR)) continued to impress atop the Wildcat lineup, going 2-for-4 in Saturday’s contest. In addition, Hebert showed athletic actions at shortstop, with feel for infield play, and fluid footwork. Louisiana Lafayette recruit, 2017 C Brady Jones (Central(BR)) who suffered an injury earlier this year, but made it back in time, making an immediate impact in the Wildcat lineup. Jones showed off his premium arm strength from behind the plate all weekend, and finished Saturday’s contest 1-for-1 with an RBI.

+ Louisiana-Lafayette recruit, 2019 RHP/3B Tom Biggs (West Monroe) showed impressive two-way ability all weekend, as the left-handed hitter consistently put the barrel on the baseball in the heart of the Rebel lineup, and struck out five in 3 2/3 innings of relief work on Saturday.

Prep Baseball Report Louisiana will host its first underclass event of the summer Saturday May 20th at St. Thomas Aquinas high school in Hammond, LA. In its brief history, the annual event has seen high-level talent explode on to the recruiting scene, eventually turning into highly ranked national prospects. Over 800 college coaches and professional scouts already subscribe to the Prep Baseball Report service, register for the Underclass Trials today and #BeSeen.

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