A mixture of impressive individual performances, program history and dominance highlight the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s 2023 Class 2A All-State baseball and softball teams.
DeQuincy pitcher Reese Ashworth and Calvary Baptist infielder D.J. Lynch earned Outstanding Player honors in baseball and softball respectively. Coach of the Year awards went to St. Charles Catholic’s Wayne Stein in baseball and to Vinton’s Garrett Coppels in softball.
The rare distinction of back-to-back Coach of the Year recognition goes to Stein in his final season leading the program, as he steps down to focus on his duties as athletic director and football coach.
He helped lead the Comets to their second straight Division-III select state championship — and third title since 2019, with no playoffs held in 2020 and a runner-up finish in 2021.
St. Charles secured the No. 1 seed in the bracket with a 26-6-1 regular season against predominantly higher-classification opponents.
The six wins and one tie all came against Class 5A programs that reached at least the quarterfinals in their brackets.
And the Comets rolled through the postseason with a 6-1 record and 51-18 run differential with only quarterfinal foe University Lab claiming a game or staying within four runs.
Meanwhile, Ashworth capped his prep career by leading DeQuincy to its first state championship appearance since 1981.
The LSU-Eunice signee compiled a 10-2 record, 0.96 ERA, 134 strikeouts and 26 walks in 87 innings. She pitched a no-hitter in the regionals and one-hitter in the semifinals.
He also led the Tigers at the plate with a .435 average, 10 homers, four triples, eight doubles, 38 RBIs and 39 runs scored, including five hits and three RBIs in the Division IV nonselect title game.
In softball, Coppels coached Vinton to its first three playoff victories and the school’s first semifinal appearance in any sport since the 1950s.
The Lions were 0-7 all-time in the softball playoffs until this spring’s run, which included an upset of top-seeded LaSalle in the quarterfinals.
Vinton finished with a 21-11 record after failing to get 10 wins the previous five seasons.
Lynch batted .528 with 19 homers, 45 RBIs and 61 runs scored help lead her Cavaliers to their second straight title.
Calvary Baptist finished the season 26-9 against a schedule of larger schools with eight losses coming to Class 5A playoff teams and the other to dominant Class 4A champion North DeSoto.
The Cavaliers outscored their postseason opponents 53-4 in four games with Lynch as the biggest bat in a strong lineup.
LSWA 2023 CLASS 2A CHARTS
BASEBALL
P Andrew Prejean Menard Sr. 11-2
P Reese Ashworth DeQuincy Sr. 10-2
P Brandon Kragle St. Charles Jr. 8-1
P Brady St. Pierre St. Charles Jr. 9-0
C Grant Cohn Dunham Sr. .427
IF Ayden Authement St. Charles Sr. .378
IF Brodie Stuart Oak Grove So. .443
IF Jake Smith Rosepine Sr. .406
IF Grant Ducote Rosepine Sr. .436
OF Will Sanders Springfield Sr. .492
OF Aden Cline Rosepine Sr. .424
OF Parker LeBlanc Delcambre Sr. 427
UTL Michael Hotard St. Charles
UTL Jackson Legg Calvary Sr. 10-2
UTL Cooper Scott Menard Jr. 7-1
UTL Sam Bernard Notre Dame Sr. 8-2
UTL Aidan Mouton Notre Dame Sr. .417
OUTSTANDING PLAYER; REESE ASHWORTH, DEQUINCY
COACH OF THE YEAR: WAYNE STEIN, ST. CHARLES
Honorable mention
Tyler Hughes, Red River; E.J. Abshire, Ascension Episcopal; Gage Hutson, Mangham; Garrett Walker, Grand Lake; Logan Sorrel, Dunham; Cade Bedgood, Calvary; Jon Jon Dick, Lakeside; JC Hendrickson, Many; Ben Wade, Menard; Andrew Abshire, Notre Dame; Hollan Stripling, D’Arbonne Woods; Tanner Duff, Oak Grove; Drake Aldredge, Menard; Drew Bourgeois, Dunham; Jackson Monica, St. Charles; Lane Almond, Mangham; Hunter Gillespie, Glenmora; Cameron Parks, Glenmora; Chase Cresson, Episcopal; Peyton Woodring, Ascension Episcopal; Seth Ray, Oak Grove; Blake Rodriguez, Pope John Paul II; Hadley Warner, Vinton; Sammy Maddox, DeQuincy, Jorge Pertuit, Houma Christian.
SOFTBALL
P Kynzee Anderson Calvary Fr. 22-9
P Bailee Royer Notre Dame Sr. 22-4
P Jaycie O’Connor Vinton Jr. 21-11
P Malloy Miles French Settlement 8th 15-9
C Hailey Henry Houma Christian Jr. .424
IF Jadyn Yesso Houma Christian Jr. .529
IF DJ Lynch Calvary Jr. .528
IF Emily DeSelle Menard Jr. .487
IF Ramsey Walker Calvary Jr. .500
OF Sara Kate Booker Many Jr. .531
OF Keleigh Spell Notre Dame Jr. .557
OF Shelby Deason Rosepine Sr. .490
UTL Lexie Melin Loreauville So. .548
UTL Brooke Dupuy French Settlement Sr. .421
UTL Tavia Leadon Calvary Sr. .516
UTL Ashley Johnson Oak Grove Jr. .417
UTL Mia Ganote St. Charles Jr. .446
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: DJ LYNCH, CALVARY
COACH OF THE YEAR: GARRETT COPPELS, VINTON
Honorable mention
Kaylee Methvin, Menard; Sam Daniels, Port Barre; Briley Lovell, Houma Christian; Gabby Lafferty, DeQuincy; Jenna Marler, Rosepine; Adah Doucet. DeQuincy; Ashley Johnson, Oak Grove; Jolie Gray, Vinton; Madison Nelson Winnfield; Callie Maitre. Notre Dame; Adrienn Arnett, St. Charles; Kayla Bendic, Pope John Paul II; Baileigh Kellogg, DeQuincy; Macey Freed, Notre Dame; Sawyer Shelton, Menard; Karlie Glascock, Oak Grove; Aubrey Thomas, Houma Christian; Kamryn Leone, Many; Gabby Boudreaux, Notre Dame; Brooke Karpinski, French Settlement; Claire McIlwain, Dunham; Barbra Ann White, Rosepine; Laynie Jones, D’Arbonne Woods; Joley Bennett, D’Arbonne Woods; Destiny Pierce, Houma Christian; Olivia Roan, D’Arbonne Woods.
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