The 2023 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, our staff is excited for the upcoming spring season.  Players and coaches have been working all fall and through December, in preparation for the upcoming season and as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across Louisiana.

Programs across the state have goals and aspirations to finish the year in Sulphur, LA at the LHSAA State Tournament, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes a reality.  We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams and players across the state, as we preview many of the great programs from Louisiana.  We will take you right up to the first pitch of this season with these team previews and we'll continue providing coverage throughout the spring. 

Please keep checking back throughout the season, as we strive to be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across Louisiana.  Each week we will release our players of the week, as well as our Power 25 Rankings, which encompasses the top 25 teams in the state, regardless of class.  

*Please note that all information is based on team preview questionnaires that were sent out and returned by the participating high school coaches.  If you did not receive a questionnaire and would like to fill one out, please send an email to [email protected].

-High School Name: Oak Grove High School

-Coach’s Name: Ty Rollinson

-Classification: Class 2A 

-District: 2-2A

-No. of Returning Positional Starters: 7

-No. of Returning Pitchers: 5

-Team Strengths: Experience

-Top Returning Players: 2023 OF/RHP Caden McCarthy, 2024 OF Spencer Foster, 2025 1B/RHP Tanner Duff, 2025 INF/RHP Seth Ray, 2025 INF/RHP Jackson Bradley, 2025 OF Luke Simmons

-Top 2023 Prospects: 2023 OF/RHP Caden McCarthy

-Top 2024 Prospects: 2024 OF Spencer Foster

-Top 2025 & 2026 Prospects: 2025 1B/RHP Tanner Duff, 2025 INF/RHP Seth Ray, 2025 INF/RHP Jackson Bradley, 2025 OF Luke Simmons

 

 

Team Outlook

Oak Grove finished the 2022 season with an overall record of 18-14, and had one heck of a run through the playoffs, as they defeated Grand Lake, by a score of 2-1, in eight innings, to win the Class 1A state title.  Head Coach Ty Rollinson is excited for the 2023 season, as one of the team's biggest strengths is the experience that is back from last year's team that won it all.  There will be some new faces at certain positions, but the Tigers have a bunch of familiar faces that now understand what it takes to win a state championship.  Senior Caden McCarthy is a two-year returning starter, who will once again anchor the outfield in centerfield for the Tigers this spring and will likely be relied upon out of the bullpen, as he evolved into the team's closer a season ago.  Junior Spencer Foster is another returning two-year starter that is back in the outfield for Coach Rollinson as well.  Oak Grove's sophomore class looks to be a really talented one, with a lot of the guys gaining valuable experience on last year's state title team.  Physical 6'3" 270 lbs. sophomore Tanner Duff is back at first base this season, after leading the Tigers in every offensive category in 2022.  Duff will also see time on the mound, in addition to his duties at first base.  Last year's state championship game MVP, sophomore Luke Simmons, is back as well in the outfield and is a guy that can handle the bat extremely well.  Sophomore Jackson Bradley was the starting pitcher in last year's state title game and is also a valuable asset in the field and at the plate.  Bradley is a physical 6'4" 210 lbs. middle of the order type of hitter and a solid defender as well.  Lastly, sophomore Seth Ray, another two-year returning starter, is back for another year of action.  Ray will have a huge impact on the mound for the Tigers and is also a versatile defender, who will likely hit in the middle of the order.  There will be some change for Coach Rollinson and the Tigers this spring, as they have now been bumped up to Class 2A and will compete in the Non-Select Division II playoffs, where they will again compete against Grand Lake, as well as Springfield and Rosepine, who were both at the Class 2A state tournament last season.  Experience is something that you really can't replace, and Oak Grove returns a good core group of guys who experienced the journey and what it takes to win a state title, so we firmly believe that Coach Rollinson and his staff, will once again, have the Tigers in a great place to win another state title in 2023.  

 

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