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: Barbe High School

-Coach’s Name: Glenn Cecchini

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

-District: 3-5A

-No. of Returning Positional Starters: 5

-No. of Returning Pitchers: 3

-Team Strengths: Production and experience, both offensively and on the mound.

-Top Returning Players: 2023 CF Donovan LaSalle (Oklahoma State Signee), 2023 1B/LHP JC Vanek, 2023 OF/RHP Grant Trahan, 2024 RHP Landon Victorian (LSU Commit), 2024 SS/RHP Owen Galt (LSU Commit), 2024 LHP/OF Diego Corrales, 2025 C Presley Courville (Texas A&M Commit)

-Top 2023 Prospects: 2023 CF Donovan LaSalle (Oklahoma State Signee), 2023 1B/LHP JC Vanek, 2023 OF/RHP Grant Trahan, 2023 OF Ashton Quiller, 2023 INF Holden Leblanc, 2023 RHP Seth Hebert, 2023 RHP Landon Ledoux

-Top 2024 Prospects: 2024 RHP Landon Victorian (LSU Commit), 2024 SS/RHP Owen Galt (LSU Commit), 2024 RHP/INF Kasen Bellard (University of Louisiana Commit), 2024 LHP/OF Diego Corrales, 2024 1B Gabe Guidry

-Top 2025 Prospects: 2025 C Presley Courville (Texas A&M Commit)

-Top 2026 Prospects: 2026 OF/RHP JD Alexander, 2026 INF/RHP Myles Ledoux

 

Team Outlook

Barbe finished the 2022 season with a 36-4 record and a quarterfinal appearance, where the Bucs lost a three game series against St. Amant, who made it to the State Championship game before losing to eventual Class 5A State Champion West Monroe.  Missing the state tournament doesn't happen often for the Bucs, as last season was the first time in four years that they missed out on advancing to the final four, which means Head Coach Glenn Cecchini will have his team hungry this spring.  When taking a look at this year's Barbe squad, the biggest piece of the puzzle that the Bucs will have to replace is SS/RHP Gavin Guidry who is now at LSU.  Guidry was the team's top arm last spring and was also a staple in the lineup and in the infield.  The good news for Barbe is that they have the state's top ranked player in the 2024 class, in RHP Landon Victorian (LSU Commit), who is set to take over the top spot in the rotation.  Last year, Victorian enjoyed one of the best sophomore season's in program history, as he finished the year with a 10-1 record to go along with a 1.04 ERA across 74 IP, with 94 K's to only 25 BB.  The LSU commit sports a three-pitch mix with a 90-93 mph FB, 78-80 mph SL, and a 78-80 mph CH.  The rest of the Barbe starting rotation should be rounded out by two southpaw's in Senior LHP JC Vanek and Junior LHP Diego Corrales.  Vanek, one of the top uncommitted 2023's in the state, finished last spring with a 8-2 record and 2.40 ERA, while Corrales posted a 7-1 record with a 1.30 ERA.  When looking at the rest of the staff, we expect guys like seniors Grant Trahan, Landon Ledoux, and Seth Hebert to log innings, as well as juniors Owen Galt and Kasen Bellard, and freshman JD Alexander. Offensively, the Bucs hit .356 as a team last spring and have several returners coming back this year.  Senior JC Vanek led the Bucs in hitting in 2021 during their State Championship run and last year as a Junior, he hit .374 with 4 HR, 9 2B, and 23 RBI.  Barbe is also excited to return the likes of senior Donovan LaSalle who hit .312 last spring with 3 HR, 10 2B, and 39 RBI.  The Oklahoma State signee is also expected to take over in CF, after serving as the team's 2B each of the last two seasons.  Another uncommitted senior to keep an eye on is Grant Trahan, who hit .378 last spring with 2 HR and 26 RBI.  Moving on to the junior class, the Bucs also return starting SS Owen Galt, who is one of the most reliable defenders in the state and enjoyed a breakout offensive season last spring, as he finished the year hitting .402 with 11 2B and 34 RBI.  Behind the plate, Presley Courville is back for his second season of action, after earning the starting catching job last year as a freshman.  The Texas A&M commit hit .311 last spring with 15 RBI.  Others who should factor into the Barbe lineup this coming season include seniors Holden Leblanc (INF) and Ashton Quiller (OF), juniors Kasen Bellard (INF), Gabe Guidry (1B), and Diego Corrales (OF), as well as freshmen JD Alexander (OF) and Myles Ledoux (INF).  What does the road back to Sulphur, LA look like for the Bucs?  Well, they'll have to compete in what should be another tough District 3-5A with rivals Sulphur and Sam Houston returning the bulk of their lineups, but as we mentioned above, Head Coach Glenn Cecchini will have this year's team as ready and motivated as ever, so we fully expect the Bucs to return to the state tournament this spring, which will give them an opportunity to compete for their 12th State Championship in program history. 

 

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