Week 5 of the 2024 high school baseball season has come and gone, as teams across the state are in the thick of district play.  Last week, our Game of the Week featured two Lafayette area district-rivals in Teurlings Catholic and St. Thomas More.  The Cougars came out on top of the Rebels, by a score of 2-0, in what turned out to be a pitcher's duel with 2024 RHP Wilton Taylor (St. Thomas More HS) coming out on top, after throwing 6 shutout innings with 5 K's.  After reviewing this week's schedules of teams from across the state, we've decided on our Week 6 Game of the Week, which will feature Sterlington vs. St. Frederick, on Wednesday March 27, 2024.  The Panthers started off the season 5-0, but have lost four of their last six games, to see their season record dip to 9-6.  The Warriors had won eight straight games heading into last Saturday, before they dropped a doubleheader to Tioga and now own a 12-5 overall record.  We're excited to head up to North Louisiana, as both of these teams have plenty of prospects that we're excited to see play.  Be sure to follow us, across all of our social media platforms, for our Week 6 Game of the Week between the Sterlington Panthers and the St. Frederick Warriors!

 

Sterlington HS vs. St. Frederick HS

 

-Date: Wednesday March 27, 2024

-Time: 4:30 PM

-Location: St. Frederick

-Sterlington HS (2024 Record): 9-6

-Head Coach: Mark Sims

-St. Frederick HS (2024 Record): 12-5

-Head Coach: Jim Rushworth

 

-Key Players (Sterlington): 2024 INF/RHP Sterling Sims (Southeast Arkansas College commit), 2024 UTIL Easton Bruscato, 2024 1B Jackson King, 2025 C Brody Belanger, 2025 INF Travis Adams, 2025 OF Peyton Robinson, 2025 RHP/OF Dylan Downs, 2026 INF/RHP Miller Sheets, 2026 C Conner Justice, 2026 RHP Jack Henry Goode, 2026 OF/RHP Corbin Peacock, 2026 C Dalton Hernandez, 2027 RHP/INF Devyn Downs (LSU commit)

-Key Players (St. Frederick): 2024 RHP/MIF Garrett Taylor, 2025 OF William Patrick (LSU commit), 2025 MIF/C Kaden Miller, 2025 RHP Aiden Melna, 2025 LHP Anthony Jackson, 2025 INF Eli Carr, 2026 OF/C Owen O'Neil, 2026 INF Clayton Turpin

GAME PREVIEW

Sterlington and St. Frederick will meet up for our Week 6 Game of the Week, on Wednesday March 27, 2024, at St. Frederick High School.  Although these teams are from different classifications, they are both from the Monroe, LA, and each team is very familiar with one another, so their games have a rivalry feel to them.  The two teams were originally supposed to play a three-game series, earlier in the season, but one of the games was cancelled due to rain, hence why they are now playing this week.  St. Frederick dominated the first matchup back on February 29th, winning by a score of 23-9, but the Panthers got revenge on Saturday March 2nd with a 14-1 win over the Warriors.  This now leaves us with a deciding game three of the series to see who has bragging rights for the rest of the season.  Sterlington got off to a hot 5-0 start, but have stumbled as of late, losing four of their last six games.  The Panthers have a one-two punch on the mound in senior RHP Sterling Sims and junior RHP Dylan Downs.  Sims is a Southeast Arkansas College recruit, who went 9-1 last season with a 1.64 ERA, on route to earning All-State honors for back to back years.  Downs posted a 6-4 record and 2.02 season a year ago, and in his most recent start last Tuesday against Beekman, he threw a complete-game shutout, while giving up 5 H with 1 BB and 9 K's.  Sophomore Jack Henry Goode is another talented arm for the Panthers and in his last start against Lafayette Christian Academy, he turned in a quality outing, albeit in a losing effort, after tossing 5 innings and giving up 3 ER on 5 H with 2 BB and 3 K's.  Fellow sophomore Miller Sheets and freshman Devyn Downs could also factor into the mix on the mound on Wednesday.  Offensively, Sterlington is looking to get back to their early season form, as they've only scored a combined 14 runs in their last five games.  Sims is a veteran returner at shortstop and hits at the top of the order.  Junior Travis Adams has been one of the team's better hitters this season and usually sets the table as the Panthers leadoff hitter.  Sheets and Downs are both underclassmen who are being relied upon to drive in runs in the middle of the Sterlington lineup.  Dating back to March 7th, St. Frederick had won eight games in a row, before losing a doubleheader last Saturday to Tioga.  In the Warriors and Panthers first matchup this season, they gave the ball to their ace in senior Garrett Taylor and he was solid, as he tossed 3 innings and gave up only 1 ER on 2 H with 1 BB and 3 K's.  Fellow juniors Anthony Jackson, Aiden Melna, and William Patrick have all logged meaningful innings this season for the Warriors, and could be called upon this Wednesday night against Sterlington.  Speaking of Patrick, he's the state's top player in the junior class and offers a rare combination of power and speed, which should make him a priority prospect to see for MLB scouts next spring.  The LSU recruit went 3-6 (.500) last Saturday against Tioga with a HR, 2B, 3 R, and 5 RBI, and nearly hit for the cycle in the first game.  Taylor and Melna also hit at the top of the St. Frederick order, and another guy to keep an eye on is junior Kaden Miller, who is an athletic uncommitted prospect that is the table-setter at the top of the Warriors lineup.  High school baseball fans can expect there to be some runs scored on Wednesday night and unlike their first two matchups earler this season, we expect this deciding game three to be a much closer contest.

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