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: East Ascension High School

-Coach’s Name: Kade Keowen

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

-District: 5-5A

-No. of Returning Positional Starters: 5

-No. of Returning Pitchers: 3

-Team Strengths: Team Speed

-Top Returning Players: 2023 RHP Luke Conerly

-Top 2023 Prospects: 2023 RHP Luke Conerly, 2023 INF Bryce Murden, 2023 OF Petrie Thompson, 2023 RHP Peyton Melancon

-Top 2025 & 2026 Prospects: 2026 C Hudson Browning

 

 

Team Outlook

2022 was an uncharacteristic year for East Ascension, as they finished the season with an overall record of 12-25, and failed to make the playoffs.  The Spartans are eager to get back on track this spring and return four starters from last year's team.  Head Coach Kade Keowen believes that this year's team has a lot of speed, which bodes well for the Spartans, as they play in a big park, so the ability to run the bases at a high level is important.  The depth of the Spartans pitching staff is an unknown at the moment, as they return only three arms this season with varsity experience.  The good news for Coach Keowen, is that he does return his #1 starter in senior Luke Conerly.  The right-handed hurler pitched in big games last year, as he tossed complete games against St. Amant (1-0 loss) and Dutchtwon (3-2 loss).  Conerly doesn't have an overpowering FB, as he sits 81-84 mph, but his ability to throw any of his secondary offerings, in any count for strikes, is what made him successful last spring.  Fellow senior RHP Peyton Melancon is another arm back for the Spartans this spring as well.  Offensively, Coach Keowen returns seniors Bryce Murden and Petrie Thompson back on the offensive side of things this spring.  Murden is a corner infielder and Thompson is a left-handed hitting outfielder.  Freshman catcher Hudson Browning is a young guy to keep an eye out for this spring.  Browning was a member of our Jr. Future Games team last summer and finished the week as one of the leaders in nearly every offensive category.  His swing is simple and he stays compact and short to the baseball, and his strong lower-half allows him to create a lot of power, especially up the middle and to the pull-side.  East Ascension will compete in a tough District 5-5A that includes Live Oak, Dutchtown, Denham Springs, and St. Amant, who made it all the way to the state title game in 2022.  The Spartans will be battle tested coming out of district play and we expect them to get back to the playoffs this spring.

 

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