2023 Team Preview: Calvary Baptist Academy

-Top 2024 Prospects: 2024 MIF Blayne McFerren, 2024 LHP/OF Landon Fontenot, 2024 OF Aubrey Hermes, 2024 OF/LHP Hutch Grace, 2024 RHP/C Landon Smith

-Top 2025/2026 Prospects: 2025 MIF/RHP Judson Funderburk, 2026 UTIL Owen Smith

Team Outlook

Calvary Baptist Head Coach Jason Legg took over the Cavaliers program, ahead of the 2022 season last year, and expectations were high, as the club was coming off of a semi-finalist finish in 2021.  Coach Legg not only met expectations, but exceeded them, as he led the Cavaliers to a Division IV State Championship win over Ouachita Christian.  Heading into 2023, it's evident that the Cavaliers have another talented roster of players, which gives them a great chance at defending their state title.  The old saying goes, "pitching and defense wins championships", and that is definitely the strength of this year's Calvary Baptist team.  On the mound, the Cavaliers return senior LHP Jackson Legg, who is a 5 year veteran starter.  The LSU-Eunice signee will again be one of the Cavaliers top of the rotation guys and is an ultra-competitive bulldog on the mound who has pitched in a lot of big games over the course of his career.  Coach Legg is also excited to return junior LHP Landon Fontenot.  The southpaw is the reigning state championship game MVP, after tossing 6 1/3 innings with 6 strikeouts, in last year's title game win over Ouachita Christian.  Fontenot consistently works his FB in the mid-80's and pairs it well with a big, sweeping CB and a quality CH.  The Cavaliers will also rely on senior RHP Kyzer Smith (hard throwing righty), junior LHP Hutch Grace (back-end reliever), junior RHP Landon Smith (starter qualities, pounds the zone), sophomore RHP Justin Funderbunk (strike-thrower with a 3 pitch mix), and freshman RHP Owen Smith (commands the zone with a nice 12-6 CB).  As we look at the offense for Coach Legg's club, a lot of the guys mentioned above will also contribute to the team's success at the plate.  Senior 1B Jackson Legg has been a staple in the Cavaliers lineup during his career and this year will be no different, as he'll hit at the top of the order.  Legg, a left-handed hitter, has a gap to gap approach with the ability to drive the ball to all fields.  Junior Landon Fontenot projects more as an arm at the next level, but he'll also roam the outfield for the Cavaliers this spring.  In addition to his pitching performance in last year's state title game that earned him the MVP award; Fontenot also collected an RBI single in the game.  Junior OF Aubrey Hermes made highlight reel catches all fall for the Cavaliers football team and he'll likely do the same thing this spring in centerfield on the diamond.  Hermes is one of the more projectable prospects on Coach Legg's club with an athletic 6'3" 180 lbs. frame.  He'll likely be one of the table-setters at the top of the order this spring and cause havoc when he gets on the basepaths.  Junior MIF Blayne McFerren also returns on the infield for Calvary Baptist this spring.  The former Jr. Future Gamer is a scrappy middle infielder who's a quality defender with solid bat to ball skills.  Behind the plate, Coach Legg has another veteran that he can rely on in senior Cade Bedgood, who is a 4-year starter.  Bedgood is a durable backstop who's a quality receiver with a quick transfer and release, and is also very productive offensively.  Who stands in the way of the Cavaliers repeating as state champions?  The LHSAA's Select Division III pool of schools should be competitive at the top, with the likes of University Lab HS (2022 state finalist), Parkview Baptist (2022 state semi-finalist), St. Thomas Aquinas (2022 state finalist), Episcopal BR, and Dunham.  As we mentioned earlier, the strength of this year's Calvary Baptist team is pitching and defense, and the majority of this team have played in big games during their career, so we full expect for the Cavaliers to make another run at a state title this coming spring.

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