The LHSAA’s baseball state tournament is off and rolling in southwest Louisiana, and schools from the opposite corner of the state are off to one hell of a start.
Ouachita Christian, Mangham and Claiborne Christian will bring three of the year’s first four baseball titles back to northeast Louisiana after largely emphatic victories Wednesday in Division IV Select, Division IV Non-Select and Class C, respectively.
But Glenmora managed to hold off Pitkin in a down-to-the-wire Class B bout to claim its first championship in the program’s four final games.
CLASS B: GLENMORA 3, PITKIN 2
The Wildcats’ 1st championship
A late rally by top-seeded Pitkin nearly spoiled a gem by Glenmora pitcher Wyatt Gillespie, but the junior righty finally managed to draw a final ground ball to seal the game and history.
The Wildcats’ early cash-in of a leadoff walk and then pair of sixth-inning insurance runs proved enough for Gillespie and company to hold off the Tigers in the bottom of the seventh and claim the first championship in program history with a 3-2 win in the Class B title game.
Gillespie struck out three and allowed five hits in the 103-pitch, workmanlike complete game, staying the course through challenges errors or hit batters compiled and earning Outstanding Player honors in the victory.
He also drew the leadoff walk to start the game that helped Glenmora play from ahead throughout, as a single by junior catcher Braden Holloway and RBI double by sophomore left fielder Logan Eaves capitalized on the opportunity.
Eaves got things going again in the sixth inning of the pitchers’ duel, singling to lead off the frame and eventually coming around on an RBI single by junior first baseman Tanner Cloud, who then scored on a single by sophomore outfielder Colin Broussard.
Senior pitcher Lincoln Stephens kept his Tigers within striking distance in six innings of work in which he struck out three and allowed eight hits, but successfully navigated jams for four straight scoreless frames.
But Pitkin could never manage to break through on Gillespie and company on the scoreboard until down to its final outs.
Sophomore right fielder Wyatt Sasser and senior outfielder Slade Dougharty reached on a fielder’s choice and single, respectively.
A sacrifice fly by junior left fielder Levi Johnson brought home one run, and a hit batter with the bases loaded added another.
But Gillespie and the Wildcats finally got the final grounder to escape the threat and into the history books.
DIVISION-IV NS: MANGHAM 11, WELSH 7
The Dragons’ 1st championship since 2013
Mangham scratched across an early run and then blew the Division-IV Non-Select title game open with a seven-run third.
The big inning proved critical in holding off No. 1 Welsh, 11-7, in closest matchup of the day as the No. 3 Dragons won their first championship since 2013.
Senior catcher Reggie Roberson Jr. led the big offensive showing in which all nine batters reached base safely at least once, including six with hits.
The Northwestern State football signee finished 4-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, two RBIs and two runs.
Sophomore shortstop Colby Casey, the school’s quarterback in the fall, went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run and took the mound in the sixth inning to shut down the top-seeded Greyhounds’ attempt at a late comeback
Welsh scored multiple runs in three consecutive innings, including two two-out runs in the sixth to pull back within 11-7.
But Casey took the ball, struck out a batter to strand a runner in scoring position and then rolled through a scoreless seventh to clinch the title.
Senior Carson Mooney struck out five and allowed seven runs on seven hits and two walks in 5 2/3 innings to earn the pitching victory.
And sophomore designated hitter William Gandy and senior right fielder Rodrick Roberson provided some pop in the bottom of the order with two hits, two runs and an RBI each.
Junior shortstop Grant Haydel and junior designated hitter Brayden Thibodeaux each provided two hits and an RBI to help lead the Greyhounds, and junior Cohen Fontenot highlighted their pitching performance with a scoreless final 1 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.
DIVISION-IV SEL: OUACHITA CHRISTIAN 4, COVENANT CHRISTIAN 0
The Eagles’ 4th championship in 7 seasons / 8 years
Ouachita Christian shut out Covenant Christian behind an Outstanding Performance by sophomore Ethan Higgins to win the 11th championship in program history.
The southpaw threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings with seven hits, two strikeouts and two walks before handing the ball to junior Clark Brown for a final strikeout to cap the 4-0 shutout victory for the Division-IV Select title.
A 3-for-4 day by senior left fielder Ridge Coats with two doubles and a run helped headline the offensive showing, along with senior third baseman Luke Vidrine‘s 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs and senior shortstop Reed Smalling‘s 2-for-4 with a run.
Sophomore catcher Aaron Eldridge and junior center fielder Cole Volion put the first two runners aboard safely by error and single, respectively, to start the second inning and came home on a two-out double by Vidrine for the early lead.
And the Eagles added insurance runs in the third and fifth innings with Coats’ doubles in the middle of both scoring frames.
The four runs were more than enough for Higgins and the defense.
Senior catcher Peyton Trosclair, sophomore right fielder Kason Perry and junior second baseman R.J. Horn each provided two hits for the Lions, and junior lefty Nathan Loupe highlighted their pitching performance with two strikeouts in three innings of scoreless, one-hit relief.
CLASS C: CLAIBORNE CHRISTIAN 8, MAUREPAS 0
The Crusaders’ 1st championship since 2021-22 repeat
Claiborne Christian and sophomore pitcher Rylan Davis cruised their way through top-seeded Maurepas for the program’s eighth state championship and first since 2022.
The righty struck nine batters and allowed just six base-runners in the complete-game, one-hit shutout to earn Outstanding Performer honors in the 8-0 victory.
He also reached base and scored three of his four times to the plate to help lead a No. 3 Crusaders lineup that struck early and often with runs in four of the game’s seven innings.
Junior third baseman Parker Bearden, junior catcher Truett Hoston and eighth-grade left fielder Micah “Trey” Boyd each provided two-hit days.
