This week, Louisiana boasts a strong presence in the national high school baseball rankings, with Live Oak, Catholic-Baton Rouge, and Barbe all securing spots in the top 25.
The Eagles, Bears, and Buccaneers are at the forefront of this week’s listings among Louisiana’s top 25 baseball teams. Here’s the complete roundup below.
1. Live Oak (22-4)
Power rating: No. 1 (Division I nonselect)
The Eagles have racked up 12 victories in their last 13 games, with their only defeat coming against Lutcher. Brock Davis contributed with a pair of hits, including a double, during a 5-2 district triumph over Denham Springs (19-8, 2-4). Junior Zant Gurney, boasting a 1.35 ERA, pitched six innings to secure the win. Brayden Allen has been outstanding at the plate, hitting .390 with 23 RBIs and a couple of home runs over 23 games, while Cooper Smith has launched four home runs for Live Oak, who is undefeated at 8-0 in District 5-5A.
2. Catholic-BR (22-4)
Power rating: No. 1 (Division I select)
Catholic has faced Live Oak twice, suffering losses in both encounters, although they did manage to take down the Eagles with a 5-1 win. Lucas Lawrence, earning the win, delivered an impressive performance during an 8-1 district victory against Central-BR, allowing no earned runs and striking out six. Harrison Kidder shone at the plate with three RBIs from the clean-up position, and catcher Andrew Clapinski recorded a perfect 3-for-3 outing with a double. Shortstop Jack Ruckert contributed with a three-run home run in a decisive 13-0 win against Central.
3. Barbe (23-4)
Power rating: No. 5 (Division I nonselect)
The Buccaneers are on a remarkable 17-game winning streak, having shut out eight out of their last nine competitors. Texas Longhorns catcher recruit Presley Courville has garnered attention from Prep Baseball Report after going 5-for-8 with a home run. The pitching rotation is solidified by southpaws Jairus Miller and Lawton Littleton. Barbe has not allowed a run in their District 3-5A games.
4. Teurlings Catholic (19-3)
Power rating: No. 1 (Division II select)
The Rebels have triumphed in 14 of their last 16 games, with both losses coming against Live Oak. Teurlings Catholic, which has also defeated Live Oak, boasts four wins in their last five outings by a staggering combined score of 68-1. Will Power powered the team, driving in four runs in a commanding 16-1 victory against Comeaux, while senior Jace Garber pitched two innings in relief after throwing a perfect game against Rayne.
5. Brother Martin (19-6)
Power rating: No. 4 (Division I select)
The Crusaders are thriving, with 12 wins in their last 13 contests, with a narrow 2-1 loss to John Curtis. Brother Martin, having also defeated John Curtis, currently leads the Catholic League with a 7-1 record. The Crusaders recently achieved a sweep of Jesuit and Holy Cross, with Bronson Laumont and Stan Wiltz each delivering three hits in an 8-0 victory over Jesuit, per Grant Chachere of Crescent City Sports.
6. St. Thomas More (18-4)
Power rating: No. 3 (Division I select)
The Cougars have emerged victorious in 10 out of their last 11 games, with only a 2-0 loss to Teurlings Catholic marring their record. STM shut down north Vermilion with a 10-0 victory, thanks to the combined effort of pitchers Riley Rowell and Talan Soileau. Jacob Froehlich recorded two hits, including an RBI double, while Rowell himself brought in two runs with a double. Sophomore Cooper Hawkins impressed by going 3-for-3 with both a double and a triple in a 17-2 thrashing of David Thibodaux.
7. Sam Houston (21-5)
Power rating: No. 9 (Division I nonselect)
Being ranked ninth in Division I is indicative of the division’s competitive strength. The Broncos from Sam Houston have won 16 of their last 19 games, falling short by just one run to Barbe, St. Thomas More, and Acadiana. Starting pitcher Owen Galley has performed admirably with a 2.25 ERA, accumulating 34 strikeouts across 40 innings. In a recent 17-3 rout of Carencro, Charlie Donaldson achieved three hits and drove in five runs.
8. Benton (24-1)
Power rating: No. 3 (Division I nonselect)
The Tigers’ sole defeat came against St. Louis Catholic. Benton, which managed to secure two wins from three games against the Saints, has kept 22 teams to three or fewer runs. In a recent 4-3 District 1-5A victory over Haughton, Thomas Allen allowed just six hits over eight innings, striking out 11 batters and yielding only two earned runs. Brody Turnipseed played hero, driving in the winning run for Benton, who is set to welcome West Monroe on March 31.
9. West Monroe (17-7)
Power rating: No. 16 (Division I nonselect)
The Rebels have achieved nine consecutive victories, including a remarkable streak of five straight shutouts. Their three losses were to out-of-state rivals from Texas and Mississippi. West Monroe began their season with three losses against Catholic-BR. Garrett Frye struck out six in a strong performance against Ouachita Christian, leading to a narrow 5-4 win where left fielder Gage Carr knocked in three runs.
10. Parkview Baptist (18-6)
Power rating: No. 1 (Division III select)
The Eagles had their nine-game winning streak cut short by a narrow loss to Live Oak. Their pitching has been exceptional, providing a strong backbone to their overall success. With 13 shutouts under their belt, the Eagles faced two defeats against the impressive Lutheran South (Texas), boasting a record of 23-1-1. Sam Mitchell and Cade Durbin came together for a total of 13 strikeouts, leading to a 2-0 victory over Central-BR. In a 6-4 win against Zachary, Durbin proved to be the winning pitcher, while Henry Beckers contributed significantly with a home run and three RBIs. Impressively, the Eagles claimed two out of three games against Archbishop Rummel.
11. Archbishop Rummel (18-8)
Power rating: No. 8 (Division I select)
Currently sitting in second place in the Catholic League, Rummel has earned victories against Vandebilt Catholic, Covington, John Curtis, Ponchatoula (twice), and Jesuit. The Raiders managed to split games with Curtis and Jesuit and achieved a clean sweep against St. Augustine, winning by two shutouts. Evan Burg showcased his talent by throwing a five-inning no-hitter in the 10-0 win over Curtis, while Gavin Nix delivered a notable three-run double.
12. Northwood-Shreveport (17-3)
Power rating: No. 4 (Division I nonselect)
The Falcons recently saw their impressive 14-game winning streak come to an end at the hands of District 1-4A rival North DeSoto, though they previously defeated them 5-2. This week, Northwood will face two critical district matchups against Loyola Prep (16-7). In their win against North DeSoto, pitcher Landon Martin tallied seven strikeouts, allowing only seven hits over five innings. Jaxon Bentzler added two scoreless innings for the save with 1 hit and 3 strikeouts, while Nathan Cervantes made his mark with a clutch two-run double.
13. Holy Cross (20-3)
Power rating: No. 2 (Division I select)
The Tigers kicked off their season strong, going 17-0 before losing three out of five contests against Jesuit and Brother Martin. Holy Cross, however, managed to split games with Jesuit and stunned John Curtis by sweeping them with scores of 3-2 and 10-1. Colton Gerrets became a hero for the Tigers, hitting a two-run double in the seventh inning to secure that one-run victory, and Will Andrade pitched 6 2/3 innings to clinch the win.
14. Haughton (20-5)
Power rating: No. 2 (Division I nonselect)
The Buccaneers have experienced a surge, winning 15 out of their last 17 games, with their only losses to Benton. Haughton managed to sweep their District 1-5A rival Natchitoches Central (19-6) and powered through small-school contender Calvary Baptist (18-8), delivering dominating wins against the Cavaliers with a combined score of 36-7 over three games. Christian Turner stood out with three hits, including a double, in a decisive 10-0 victory against Captain Shreve, while Justin Adkinson struck out six over six innings.
15. John Curtis Christian (14-10)
Power rating: No. 8 (Division I select)
The Patriots recently split a series of two games against District 9-5A rivals St. Augustine, Brother Martin, and Archbishop Rummel. Notably, six of their losses have come by a single run. In a nail-biting 2-1 win over Brother Martin, Bryce Hebert took the mound for a complete seven-inning performance, while standout left fielder Xavier Brown, who excels in multiple sports, managed to score a run and contribute a hit.
16. Covenant Christian (23-0)
Power rating: No. 1 (Division IV select)
The Lions have dominated defensively, shutting out 14 opponents and ensuring that not one has scored more than four runs in a game. Covenant Christian has some intriguing upcoming matchups against Erath (16-8), St. Charles (15-9), and John Curtis, though a game with Jesuit was unfortunately canceled. Junior pitcher Owen Trosclair made headlines by tossing a no-hitter and racking up 13 strikeouts during a slim 1-0 victory against Central Catholic, with Peyton Trosclair driving in the winning run.
17. Jesuit (16-8)
Power rating: No. 5 (Division I select)
The Blue Jays recently split their series in the Catholic League against Holy Cross and Archbishop Rummel before facing a challenging sweep against Brother Martin. Tyler Sciambra delivered a stellar performance, notching three hits in a 6-1 win over Holy Cross, while pitcher Connor Donnelly threw a complete game, striking out three and allowing only three hits. Sciambra, who plays first base and bats clean-up, added to the team’s success with two RBIs.
18. Northshore (22-4)
Power rating: No. 6 (Division I nonselect)
The Panthers have been on fire, winning seven games in a row while keeping 13 opponents to one run or less. In a 2-0 district win over Chalmette, Connor Smith threw a one-hitter over 6.2 innings, striking out 12 batters and giving away only five walks. Cale Bricker helped close the game with the final two outs. Dalton Davidson showcased his power by hitting a two-run homer during a 6-2 win over Archbishop Shaw.
19. Brusly (23-4)
Power rating: No. 1 (Division II nonselect)
The Panthers have also recently fallen into a rhythm, with their six-game winning streak coming to an end against St. Charles. However, their four losses are by a narrow margin of just eight runs collectively. Brayden Ray delivered a strong complete game, allowing eight hits while securing five strikeouts and one walk in a 5-1 district triumph at St. Michael. Coy Purpera had an outstanding game, going 4-for-4 with two doubles during an 8-2 win over Central Private.
20. Vandebilt Catholic (20-6)
Power rating: No. 2 (Division II select)
The Terriers are coming off strong performances, including wins over St. Thomas More, Dutchtown, and Lutcher, achieving 13 victories out of their last 14 encounters, with only a single loss to Hahnville. Spencer Guilbeau recorded a stellar outing, striking out eight and allowing four walks while throwing a three-hitter over six innings in a 6-1 success against Riverside Academy, supported by substantial contributions of two RBIs each from Thomas LeCompte and Corey Bouregois.
21. Ruston (20-7)
Power rating: No. 10 (Division I nonselect)
The Bearcats recently experienced a setback to their impressive run, with a 14-game winning streak concluding in a 2-1 loss against Alexandria. Ruston’s impressive sequence included victories over North DeSoto, Natchitoches-Central, Sterlington, Loyola Prep, Glenbrook, and a win over Alexandria (5-1) before ultimately falling to the Trojans at home. Dillon Williams shone in the game against ASH, hitting a two-run double, while Tyler Roach’s complete game performance saw him striking out five and allowing just four hits, with no earned runs allowed and just one walk.
22. Dutchtown (19-9)
Power rating: No. 7 (Division I nonselect)
With 12 wins in their last 15 outings, the Griffins have encountered tight losses against Lutheran South (Texas), Vandebilt Catholic, and Ascension Catholic. As they prepare for upcoming District 5-5A matches against Walker (18-8) and Live Oak, they recently swept both St. Amant (16-11) and Denham Springs (19-8). Cayden Hill pitched 5.1 innings, while Casey McCoy finished with 1.2 innings of work, combining for a total of six strikeouts in a solid 3-1 victory over Denham Springs.
23. University Lab (17-6)
Power rating: No. 2 (Division III select)
The Cubs have secured victories in nine out of their last ten games, with their only setback coming against Zachary. U-High, having triumphed in two of three contests against Lutcher, is set for a two-game series in District 6-3A against Parkview Baptist in April. Recently, the Cubs executed a comeback to defeat another Division III select contender, Catholic-New Iberia, winning 5-4. Shepherd Gannon delivered a pivotal two-out, two-run single during the seventh inning.
24. Opelousas Catholic (18-6)
Power rating: No. 2 (Division IV select)
The Vikings are riding an impressive 11-game winning streak, which includes victories against Rayne, Notre Dame, Tioga, Breaux Bridge, Sacred Heart, and Iowa. Carter Stelly was credited with the win in their 7-2 triumph over Iowa. The team saw Rowen Bergeron and John Parker Trahan hit home runs, while Kross Gillen contributed with an RBI double.
25. Ascension Episcopal (21-3)
Power rating: No. 4 (Division IV select)
The Blue Gators have enjoyed a stellar run, winning 14 of their last 15 outings, including clinching the three-game district championship series against Vermilion Catholic. Ascension Episcopal endured a close 6-5 loss to the Eagles but came back to win both subsequent games by scores of 4-3 and 5-3. Jackson Devey showcased his skills with a complete game performance, striking out five while allowing only three hits in a 2-1 victory over Kaplan. Aiden Gaspard added a home run to the mix.
Just missed the cut: Ascension Catholic, Ascension Christian, Ponchatoula, North DeSoto, Lutcher, Pope John Paul II, Catholic New Iberia, Loyola Prep, St. Charles Catholic, Buckeye, Acadiana, Sterlington, Erath, Westlake, West Ouachita, Walker, Natchitoches-Central, Denham Springs, Covington, Zachary, Central-BR.
