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: Zachary High School

-Coach’s Name: Jacob Fisher

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

-District: 4-5A

-No. of Returning Positional Starters: 2

-No. of Returning Pitchers: 6

-Team Strengths: Pitching

-Top Returning Players: 2023 SS/RHP Matthew Keller (Northwest Florida State College signee), 2023 C Reece Pierre, 2023 RHP Dylan Marionneaux

-Top 2023 Prospects: 2023 SS/RHP Matthew Keller (Northwest Florida State College signee), 2023 C Reece Pierre, 2023 RHP Dylan Marionneaux, 2023 RHP Carson Dayton (Belhaven College commit), 2023 3B Tripp Behrnes

-Top 2024 Prospects: 2024 RHP/OF Hudson Spangler

-Top 2025 & 2026 Prospects: 2025 UTIL Fischer Romero, 2026 RHP Noah Sullivan

 

Team Outlook

Zachary finished the 2022 season with an overall record of 28-15 and a district championship, making it all the way to the quarterfinals of the LHSAA Class 5A playoffs, before losing to Sulphur in the first two games of a three game series.  The Broncos had one of the biggest in-season turnarounds last spring, as they had lost five straight games, including a series sweep against Catholic (BR), heading into district play, and then Zachary went 9-1 in a tough district 4-5A, to win the district title.  The old saying goes, "It's not how you start, it's how you finish", and Head Coach Jacob Fisher knows how to get his teams prepared to make a playoff run.  Heading into 2023, Coach Fisher must replace a lot in the field, as the Broncos only return two starters from last year's team, however, they do return quite a bit on the mound.  Senior RHP Dylan Marionneaux has emerged as the likely #1 starter for Zachary's rotation this spring.  The uncommitted right-handed hurler has seen an uptick in velocity over the off-season, as we recently saw him up to 87 mph, sitting 85-86 mph with his FB, and we expect that to continue to rise over the coming months.  Junior RHP Hudson Spangler is another guy that Coach Fisher and company are excited about heading into this season.  Spangler looks to be the guy to take over next season, for Alabama football commit Eli Holstein on the gridiron.  On the mound, he works his FB in the mid-80's and pairs it well with a sharp, late-biting SL.  Seniors Matthew Keller and Carson Dayton are also back for the Broncos on the mound this spring.  Keller is an ultra-competitive strike thrower with a low-mid 80's sinking FB and Dayton, a Belhaven recruit, is a physical 6'4" 180 lbs. RHP with a lot of upside.  A good looking young pitcher to keep an eye on is freshman RHP Noah Sullivan, who we saw in a January get into the low-80's with his FB and the arm really works.  Offensively, as we mentioned above, the Broncos only return two starters from last year's quarterfinal team and none are more important than Keller.  The Northwest Florida recruit is a four-year starter and is the sparkplug and "heartbeat" of the Broncos.  He'll likely hit in the lead-off spot and will man the shortstop position again this year.  Senior Reece Pierre is the other returner, who is back for another year of action behind the plate.  Pierre is an excellent receiver and blocker who takes quality at-bats.  Spangler, who we mentioned above, will also be competing for time in the outfield and is a physical RHH with gap to gap power.  Sophomore Fischer Romero will be a utility guy that the Broncos will rely on and is a physical right-handed hitter with pull-side pop.  Senior Tripp Behrnes is in line to take over the third base job and will likely hit somewhere in the middle of the order.  Last year, Behrnes was used mostly as a defensive replacement, so that experience will help heading into this spring.  Zachary will compete in a new district 4-5A this year with Catholic (BR) and Central (BR) standing in their way of repeating as district champions.  Class 5A, as a whole, will also be really competitive as it is year in and year out.  One thing that we do know, is that Coach Fisher always has his teams ready to play, regardless of how much experience is on the field, and he always gets the most out of his guys.  Zachary may take some lumps and bruises early on, as they have one of the more difficult schedules in the state, but just like last season, Coach Fisher and his staff will have the Broncos playing at a high level at the end of the season.

 

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