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: Sulphur

Head Coach: Thomas Tillery

Classification: Class 5A (Non-Select D-I)

District: 3-5A

2023 Record: 34-5

2023 Playoff Finish: State Semifinalist

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 3

No. of Returning Pitchers: 2

Team Strengths: Offense & Defense

Top Returning Players: 2025 INF Bryce Fontenot (McNeese State University signee), 2025 INF Jackson Beddoe, 2026 LHP Carter Wilson

Top Newcomers: 2024 RHP Carson Cauvin, 2024 INF Cohen Babineaux, 2024 Espyn Trahan, 2025 RHP/OF Slade Shove-Knox, 2025 OF/RHP Kayden Kochell

 

Team Outlook

Sulphur had one of their best seasons in school history in 2023, as they finished the year with a 34-5 overall record and were the #3 seed in the LHSAA Non-Select D-I playoffs.  The Tors ran into district-rival Barbe in the semifinals with the Bucs coming out victorious by a score of 5-1.  First-year Head Coach Thomas Tillery will have his work cut out for him, in having to replace a large senior class from a season ago that included Jake Brown (LSU), Luke Benoit (UT-Tyler), and Gage Trahan (McNeese).  Coach Tillery believes that the strengths of this year's team will be their offense and defense, especially with the return of senior Bryce Fontenot and junior Jackson Beddoe.  Fontenot, a McNeese State recruit, has given opposing teams nightmares each of the last two seasons.  Last year, as a junior, he finished with a .407 avg. to go along with 7 HR, 10 2B, and 30 RBI, while also fielding at an impressive .944 clip in 39 games.  Beddoe, a former PBR Future Gamer, hit at an impressive .403 clip last year as a sophomore with 7 2B and 21 RBI, and will be asked to hit in the middle of the Tors order this spring.  Senior Cohen Babineaux is a guy that Coach Tillery believes will provide a new spark for the Tors offense this year, as he's seen him make big strides in the off-season.  Senior Espyn Trahan was mostly used as a defensive replacement last year, but Coach Tillery believes that he'll be a catalyst for them this year, making an impact in the outfield and on the basepaths.  Juniors Slade Shove-Knox and Kayden Kochell will both play valuable roles on the offense as well.  We had the opportunity to see Shove-Knox at our State Games event this past fall, and at our Lake Charles Preseason ID, this past Sunday.  The athletic 5'11" 165 lbs. right-hander features a mid-80's FB, but the real separator is his feel for spin, as he flashed feel for both a CB and SL with elite spin rates near 3,000 RPM's.  The guy with the most mound experience returning from last season is sophomore LHP Carter Wilson.  The southpaw won't wow anyone with velocity, at least just yet, and instead commands all of his pitches to all quadrants against right-handed and left-handed hitters alike.  Wilson logged 16 innings last season as a freshman and was able to tally 3 wins and a 1.34 ERA with 12 K's.  Sulphur looks to have another good offense and defense in 2024.  If they can have some guys step up on the mound, then we feel that the Tors will have a shot to return to the LHSAA state tournament, where anything can happen.

 

 

Follow on Twitter: @PBR_Louisiana
Follow on Instagram: @PBR_Louisiana

 

+ Click HERE to create a free profile.

+ Click HERE to purchase a subscription which gives you access to additional information on the site. 

 
Related Content: