With the high school state baseball tournament less than a week away, several area teams are looking to book a trip to McMurry Park in Sulphur next week.
DeQuincy is looking for its first trip since 2001, when it hosts No. 7 Rosepine (20-10) in a best-of-three quarterfinal series starting at 6 p.m. Friday. The second game is set for 1 p.m. Saturday followed by a third game, if necessary, at 3:30 p.m.
The Tigers’ (26-4) No. 2 ranking is their best since the Louisiana High School Athletic Association started using power rankings in 2008.
The teams met earlier in the season with DeQuincy pulling off a 7-4 win on March 31.
“They feel good,” DeQuincy head coach Brady Carlson said of his players. “We have had a great season.
“They have worked hard and they are confident. We know Rosepine very well. They are a well-coached team and hard-nosed. We have our work cut out for us.”
DeQuincy has relied on the arms of senior Cullen Irwin and sophomores Cullen Pharris, an LSU commitment, and Luke Miller, plus solid defense.
“We have pitched really well and played really good defense,” Carlson said. “Our kids play every inning and they are focused.
“They don’t ever really let things get to them. Our defense has been lights out all season.”
Kinder
No. 4 Kinder (20-14) is playing in the quarterfinals for the first time since winning the second of back-to-back Class 2A state championships in 2015.
The Yellow Jackets are on a six-game win streak after sweeping District 4-2A rival Mamou 6-3 and 1-0 in the regional round.
Kinder’s best-of-three series with No. 5 Many (26-8) will start at 6 p.m. Friday. Game 2 will start at 11 a.m. Saturday followed by the third game, if necessary, at 1 p.m.
Oberlin
In Class 1A, No. 9 Oberlin (19-12) is in the quarterfinals for the third time since 1999 and first time since losing to North Iberville 7-5 in 2004. But this time the Tigers want to take it a step further to the semifinals for the first time in school history.
“We are just anxious but excited because of the position we are at,” Oberlin head coach Greg Manuel said. “We definitely want to take it a couple steps further.
“I just hope we get the chance. If we hit the ball well and play defense, we should make it.”
The Tigers’ quarterfinal opponent, No. 16 Block (12-14), has hit a hot streak of late, winning five of its last six games, including a 19-11 stunner over No. 1 Logansport in the regional round. Game time is set for 5 p.m. today.
“We are definitely not going to take them lightly,” Manuel said. “They are in the same district as Logansport.
“Logansport beat them twice in the regular season, but they (Oberlin) got hot lately.”
Before Manuel took over the Oberlin baseball program, the Tigers had not won a playoff game since 2007.
“We have had good, strong leadership,” Manuel said. “We have been gelling as a team as the year progressed. I am just trying to get these guys to believe in themselves.”
Grand Lake
No. 7 Grand Lake (18-11) reached the Class B quarterfinals in 2010 and 2013, but this is the first time the Hornets have made it to the quarterfinals since moving up to Class 1A.
The Hornets will travel to last-year’s state runner-up No. 2 Oak Grove (18-11) for a single game at 5 p.m. today.
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