The 2024 high school baseball season is quickly approaching and as usual, excitement abounds throughout the state.  Players and coaches have been working in preparation for the upcoming season and, as is the case each year, there are some very talented players and teams across Louisiana.

Teams across the state have goals and aspirations to finish their seasons in Sulphur, LA, home of the LHSAA State Championships, but there is plenty of work to be done before that becomes reality.  We hope to familiarize our readers with many of the teams across the state as we preview individual teams across Louisiana.  We will take you right up to first pitch this season with these team previews, followed by our Power 25 Rankings release, and our popular Game of the Week segment. 

Please keep checking back throughout the season as we will be your one-stop shop for everything related to high school baseball across the bayou state.  Each week, we will be releasing our players of the week, updating our Power 25 Rankings, and many more pieces of content.  

*Please note that all information is based on team preview questionnaires that were sent out and returned by the participating high school coaches.

 

High School Name: Parkview Baptist

Head Coach: Phillip Hawke

Classification: Class 3A Select D-III)

District: 7-3 A

2023 Record: 31-8

2023 Playoff Finish: State Quarterfinalist

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 6

No. of Returning Pitchers: 5

Team Strengths: Pitching & Leadership

Top Returning Players: 2024 OF/LHP Brant Melancon (Southeastern Louisiana signee), 2024 C Thomas Bonaventure (Loyola-New Orleans signee), 2024 RHP/3B Wes Marien, 2024 LHP/1B Luke Pittman, 2024 INF Jaden Graham, 2024 RHP Paxton Smith (South Arkansas Community College signee), 2025 RHP Cade Durbin, 2025 RHP Samuel Mitchell, 2026 OF Seth DeGeorge

Top Newcomers: 2024 C/1B Mason Marie, 2024 OF Gavin Laird, 2025 INF Kelan Guidry, 2025 RHP Will Robinson, 2026 RHP/UTIL Henry Beckers

 

Team Outlook

Parkview Baptist finished the 2023 season with a 31-8 overall record and earned the #5 seed entering the LHSAA Select D-III playoffs.  After a first round bye, the Eagles defeated #12 seed Catholic-New Iberia, which set the stage for a crosstown rivalry matchup in the quarterfinals against #4 seed Dunham.  Parkview Baptist won the first game of the three-game series, but then fell to the Dunham in Game 2 and 3, to end their season.  The good news for Head Coach Phillip Hawke and company is that the Eagles return six position players and five pitchers from last season.  Coach Hawke believes that the strength of this year's group is the leadership on the team and their pitching staff, which we'd have to agree, as we believe Parkview Baptist has one of the deepest pitching staffs, in the state, regardless of classification.  Senior RHP Wes Marien is at the top of the list, as the returning ace of the staff, after going 5-1 with 2 saves and a 0.72 ERA last season.  Uncommitted for now, Marien is a strike-thrower with a mid-80's FB, to go along with a swing & miss SL.  Senior LHP Brant Melancon went 4-4 with 1 save and a 2.32 ERA a season ago.  The Southeastern Louisiana recruit and former PBR Future Gamer is a "bulldog" on the mound and racks up a lot of K's (65 K's in 42 IP last year) with an upper-80's FB.  Senior LHP Luke Pittman went a perfect 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA during an injury-shortened season last year, but is back healthy and ready to make an even bigger impact this spring.  Senior RHP Paxton Smith is a "sidearm specialist" with a low 80's FB and a sweeping SL.  The Eagles also have a really nice trio of junior RHP's in Cade Durbin, Samuel Mitchell, and Will Robinson, who we got to see this fall at one of our events.  Durbin is a guy who Coach Hawke describes as having a "high IQ" and professional approach to his craft.  The former Future Gamer went 7-1 with 3 saves and a 0.78 ERA last year, thanks to a mid-80's FB with good riding life through the zone and a sharp, late-breaking low-mid 70's CB with elite spin rates north of 2900 RPM's.  Mitchell went 2-1 with a 4.59 ERA a season ago, and if he pitches like we saw him pitch at our State Games event this past fall, then he'll be even more effective this spring.  The uncommitted junior owns a 84-87 mph with good arm-side run and a swing & miss sweeping SL.  Robinson is sort of a late-bloomer and showed really well at our Baton Rouge Fall ID in October.  He's also got a really good breaking ball, to go along with a 83-85 mph FB.  A young arm to keep an eye on is sophomore RHP Henry Beckers.  Coach Hawke told us that he's pushing for a role in the starting rotation and is a strike-thrower with a 3 pitch mix.  Offensively, there's just as much to like about this year's team, especially with their top returning hitter back in Melancon.  He finished last season hitting .367 with 1 HR, 11 2B, 2 3B, 22 RBI, and 24 SB.  Managing the pitching staff behind the dish will be senior Thomas Bonaventure.  The Loyola-New Orleans recruit is one of the vocal leaders on the team and hit .280 last season with 22 RBI and finished the year with a .992 FLD%.  Marien will also be relied up on with his bat, in addition to his duties on the mound, after hitting .301 last year with 21 RBI.  Pittman is another two-way guy that Coach Hawke tells us is the "best defensive first-baseman that he's ever coached".  Senior INF Jaiden Graham is a gritty, hard-nosed, team first approach type of guy that is a really good runner and hit .300 last year with 13 RBI and 13 SB.  An underclassman to keep an eye on is sophomore OF Seth DeGeorge.  He's a terrific athlete and started last year for the Eagles as a freshman, and hit right at a .342 clip with a .490 OBP.  Senior Mason Marie is a big and physical dual-sport athlete who could provide some power in the middle of the Eagles lineup.  Senior Gavin Laird has made the move to the outfield and it seems to be paying off, as he's impressed the coaching staff for his defensive prowess.  Junior Kelan Guidry is a slick-fielding middle infielder that will play a big role as a utility guy on the infield this season.  Another junior who's had a big off-season is catcher Micah Landry, who's looking to crack the lineup and could provide Parkview Baptist with more power to an already potent lineup.  Coach Hawke told us that the motto or slogan for this year's team is "Built on the Rock".  The Eagles stress the importance of building their culture on a solid foundation, with their faith being the driving force that pushes the team to glorify God each day.  The goals have been set high for this year's Parkview Baptist team, and Coach Hawke told us that the players are laser-focused on the process of building this team up through hard work and attention to detail.  The Eagles have won 12 state titles in their program's history and the goal of this year's team is to bring home #13.  Coach Hawke and the rest of the coaching staff are extremely excited for this season because of how hungry the players have shown up each day throughout the off-season, and the work has certainly paid off, as they've gained a combined 180 lbs. as a team, over their off-season lifting program.  Parkview Baptist has added size and strength to an already talented group of players.  We fully expect this year's Eagles team to be one of the favorites in the LHSAA Select D-III playoffs, and we firmly believe that they have a really good chance at competing for that "Lucky #13" state title.  

 

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