2025 Team Preview: Archbishop Rummel High School
December 26, 2024
The 2025 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 a 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 always 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 Player and Pitcher of the Week, updating our Power 25 Rankings, as well as additional content that is focused strictly on high school baseball in Louisiana.
*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 have not received a questionnaire and would like to fill one out, please email State Director Alex Armand at [email protected]
High School Name: Archbishop Rummel High School
Head Coach: Frank Cazeaux
Classification: Class 5A (Select D-I)
District: 9-5A
2024 Record: 25-9
2024 Playoff Finish: State Semifinalist
No. of Returning Positional Starters: 7
No. of Returning Pitchers: 0
Team Strengths: Position Player Experience
Top Upperclassmen (2025 & 2026 Class): 2025 INF Gavin Nix (Louisiana Tech signee), 2025 OF/RHP Evan Burg (Tulane signee), 2025 OF Gavin Kennedy (Delgado CC signee), 2025 OF Dominic Mendieta, 2025 1B Aiden Gernard (Delgado CC signee), 2025 RHP/INF Conner Perot, 2025 C/RHP Lenny Cline (Delgado CC signee), 2025 INF Brandt Frey, 2025 INF Will Pelle (Millsaps College signee), 2025 UTL Jack Vasterling, 2025 OF Peyton Spadoni (Baton Rouge CC signee), 2025 LHP Brian Keller (LSU-Alexandria signee), 2025 RHP Nick Culotta, 2026 C Brody Giglio, 2026 RHP Brennen Ramon, 2026 INF Joe Stewart
Top Underclassmen (2027 & 2028 Class): 2027 INF Ian Smith, 2027 RHP/3B Owen Nugent
Team Outlook
Archbishop Rummel had another strong season in 2024, as they finished with an overall record of 25-9. The Raiders entered the playoffs last spring as the #3 seed in the LHSAA Select D-I playoffs, which earned them a first-round bye. Rummel then defeated #14 seed Carencro and #6 seed Alexandria in the 2nd and 3rd round to advance to the LHSAA State Tournament, where they would run into their district-rival in #2 seed John Curtis Christian. The Raiders and Patriots would give high school baseball fans an extraordinary matchup that lasted 11 innings with John Curtis coming out on top by a score of 2-1, which ended Rummel's season.
Head Coach Frank Cazeaux and company will have to replace two everyday staples from the last couple of years in departed seniors Michael Ryan (LSU) and Giancarlo Arencibia (Delgado CC), but they do return seven position players from last season's semifinal team and a current total of eight seniors have signed ther letters of intent to play baseball at the next level.
One of the biggest returners is Senior Evan Burg. The Tulane recruit has been the starting centerfielder since his freshman year and was a 1st Team All-District selection last spring. Burg will also likely play a role on the team's pitching staff this spring as well.
Fellow Senior Gavin Nix is another veteran returner, as this will be his third consecutive year as a varsity starter. The Louisiana Tech recruit is a really good left-handed hitter who can drive the ball from gap-to-gap, and has played both 2nd and 3rd base during his career.
2025 MIF Gavin Nix (Rummel HS)
— Prep Baseball Louisiana (@PrepBaseballLA) May 9, 2024
5’9” 170 lbs.
The former Jr. Future Gamer & @LATechBSB recruit ties the game at 1-1 with this sac fly to RF. #BeSeen@prepbaseball | @AlexArmandPBR pic.twitter.com/t3TuTVUTqV
Senior Lenny Cline enters his third season as the team's starting catcher and is an excellent defender with power at the plate. The Delgado Community College recruit is another two-way guy, as he owns an upper-80's heater on the mound.
Gavin Kennedy is another talented senior back for another year of action. Kennedy missed some time last season with a broken hamate bone, but was able to make it back for the end of the season as the team's leadoff hitter.
Seniors Aiden Gernard and Brandt Frey are the remaining two returning starters with Gernard back as the team's 1st baseman and Frey back at 2nd base.
A young guy to keep an eye on is Sophomore Ian Smith, who is a talented right-handed hitting shortstop, who was a member of our Junior Future Games team in 2023.
As much experience as there is returning on offense for Coach Cazeaux, there's a different story with the pitching staff, as they'll have to replace the majority of their innings from 2024, especially the innings left over by Arencibia. Burg and Cline will both see time on the mound, in addition to their duties as position players, and there will be a host of other guys who will have the opportunity to fight for mound time.
Senior Peyton Spadoni will play a role on the mound and will be in contention for an outfield spot. Senior Brian Keller earned a role as a closer on the Raiders 2023 squad and is the lone returning southpaw from last season. Senior Nick Culotta and Junior Brennen Ramon are two right-handers that will factor into the Rummel pitching staff in 2025 as well.
District 9-5A, AKA "The Catholic League" is arguably the toughest district, year in and year out, in the New Orleans, LA area, and this year looks to be no different with the likes of John Curtis, Jesuit, Brother Martin, Holy Cross, and St. Augustine all returning strong clubs. The Raiders offense will have to carry the load, especially early on in the 2025 season, as the pitching staff comes to form. It will be crucial for Coach Cazeaux and company to figure out that pitching staff with the LHSAA's new playoff format of a three-game series in each round of the playoffs. If Rummel can do enough on the mound, then they should once again be a playoff contender this coming spring.
Follow on X (Formerly Twitter): @PrepBaseballLA
Follow on Instagram: @PrepBaseballLA
Follow on Facebook: Prep Baseball Report Louisiana
+ Click HERE to create a free profile.
+ Click HERE to purchase a subscription which gives you access to additional information on the site.
Upcoming Events
SHOWCASE | DATE | LOCATION |
Lake Charles Preseason ID | 1/4/25 | Sam Houston High School (Moss Bluff, LA) |
New Orleans Preseason ID | 1/5/25 | Mike Miley Stadium (Metairie, LA) |
Baton Rouge Preseason ID | 1/12/25 | Central BR High School (Baton Rouge, LA) |
Related Content:
- LA Prep Baseball Louisiana: Opening Day Matchup Coverage 2/10/25
- LA Prep Baseball Louisiana 2025 Game of the Week: #1 Catholic (BR) vs. #2 West Monroe 2/10/25
- LA Prep Baseball Louisiana: 2027 Class State Rankings Update (February 2025) 2/07/25
- LA 2025 Team Preview: Riverside Academy 2/07/25
- LA 2025 Team Preview: Red River High School 2/07/25