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: Berwick High School

-Coach’s Name: Seth Henry

-Classification: Class 3A (Non-Select Division III)

-District: 8-3A

-No. of Returning Positional Starters: 5

-No. of Returning Pitchers: 4

-Team Strengths: Pitching, Defense, and Speed

-Top Returning Players: 2023 RHP Hayden Robinson (Nicholls State signee), 2023 RHP/UTIL Mason Johnston (Nicholls State commit), 2023 OF Cru Bella, 2023 C Dawson Richard, 2023 OF Jayden Milton, 2023 OF Zack Gonzales

 

 

Team Outlook

Berwick had one of the best seasons in program history last spring, after finishing the year with a 34-9 overall record.  The Panthers defeated the defending Class 3A state champions, in Sterlington, by a score of 9-8 in the semifinals.  They then advanced to the state championship game against Lutcher, where they fell in a close 5-4 game, to finish as the state runner-up in 2022.  Head Coach Seth Henry told us that their expectations for this coming spring are simple, "To make it back to Sulphur", as the Panthers return the core of their position guys and pitching staff from last year's team.  Headlining the staff is one of the best arms in the state's senior class in RHP Hayden Robinson.  The Nicholls State recruit jumped on to the scene in the summer of 2021, at our Future Games, where he showed real pitchability with a mid-upper 80's FB and aptitude for spin.  Last year, Robinson was named the Class 3A Pitcher of the Year after going 10-1 with a 2.50 ERA and 104 K's to only 23 BB's, and he doesn't seem to be slowing down, as reports out of Berwick are that he's already running his FB into the low-90's.  Senior Mason Johnston, another Nicholls State recruit, is also back this season, after earning 1st team All-State honors as a pitcher last spring.  Johnston went 8-1 last year with a 2.48 ERA, and he features a mid-upper 80's FB to go along with a bigger CB with good depth.  Senior Dawson Richard went 7-1 last season with a 0.76 ERA and has excellent command of all of his offerings.  Lastly, senior Cru Bella returns to the staff as well, after going 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA last spring.  He's another guy with a mid-upper 80's FB and a developing breaking ball.  Offensively, the Panthers have a lot back and a lot of the guys mentioned above will also help contribute with their bat and defense.  Cru Bella was a 1st team All-State selection as an outfielder last year, after hitting .370 with a HR, 15 2B, 3B, and 13 SB.  Dawson Richard was another 2022 1st team All-State utility selection after hitting .358 with 2 HR and 8 2B, to go along with his 7-1 record on the bump.  Richard also threw out 16/34 would be base stealers from behind the plate last season.  Senior OF Jayden Milton, a Nicholls State football recruit, hit .327 last spring with 4 HR, 10 2B, 2 3B, and 32 SB.  He's brings a real speed (6.50 60 time) and power combination to Coach Henry's lineup.  Senior OF Zack Gonzales is another athletic player that hit .354 with 7 2B, 3B, and 20 SB last spring, and senior Mason Johnston also returns in a utility role after hitting .333 with a HR, 5 2B, and 2 3B.   A good young guy to keep an eye on is sophomore Cole Morris who's projected to be the starter at third base this season.  Morris has a good defensive skill set and should also provide a boost to the offense.  The Panthers have all the right ingredients (experience, pitching depth, speed) to make another deep post-season run, and we expect Coach Henry and his group to be super motivated and hungry after last season's title game loss.  Between Robinson, Johnston, Richard, and Bella, they have a total of 27 wins coming back this year, which doesn't happen often.  That experience on the mound combined with their explosive offense, makes the Panthers a heavy favorite, to win a state title, heading into the spring.

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