The 2024 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 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 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 players of the week, updating our Power 25 Rankings, and many more pieces of content.  

*Please note that all information is based on team preview questionnaires that were sent out and returned by the participating high school coaches.

 

High School Name: Sam Houston

Head Coach: Chad Hebert

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

District: 3-5A

2023 Record: 31-5

2023 Playoff Finish: State Semifinalist

No. of Returning Positional Starters: 5

No. of Returning Pitchers: 4

Team Strengths: Athleticism

Top Returning Players: 2024 MIF/RHP Griffin Hebert (UL-Lafayette signee), 2024 LHP Nik Toups (Southeastern Louisiana signee), 2024 OF Dylan Bell (LSU-Eunice signee), 2025 OF/LHP Cole Flanagan (UL-Lafayette commit), 2025 C Connor Walker, 2025 INF/RHP Ashton Bultron

Top 2024 & 2025 Prospects: 2024 MIF/RHP Griffin Hebert (UL-Lafayette signee), 2024 LHP Nik Toups (Southeastern Louisiana signee), 2024 OF Dylan Bell (LSU-Eunice signee), 2025 OF/LHP Cole Flanagan (UL-Lafayette commit), 2025 C Connor Walker, 2025 INF/RHP Ashton Bultron, 2025 INF/RHP Wyatt Harvey, 2025 INF Haden Peshoff, 2025 RHP Maddox Ardoin, 2025 RHP Landon Gentry, 2025 OF Cooper Smith

Top 2026 & 2027 Prospects: 2026 INF/RHP Carson Christ, 2027 RHP/INF Owen Galley

 

Team Outlook

Sam Houston finished the 2023 campaign with a 31-5 overall record and made their fifth trip in the last six seasons to the LHSAA State Tournament.  The Broncos were three outs away from moving on to the state title game last year, before West Monroe came storming back to pull off the 4-3 comeback win.  Head Coach Chad Hebert and the Broncos still have that taste in their mouth from last year's heartbreaking loss to the Rebels, and are eager to get back onto the field this coming spring.  This year's Sam Houston team is one of the more athletic groups that Coach Hebert has had during his time at Sam Houston, which is saying something, as the Broncos have consistently put out stellar players at the next level.  Another area of this team that should have Bronco fans excited is their pitching staff.  Junior Cole Flanagan blossomed into the staff ace a season ago and will once again lead the Broncos this year on the mound.  The UL-Lafayette recruit and former PBR Future Gamer is one of the state's top southpaws with a mid-upper 80's FB, to go along with a big CB, and a devastating CH that induces a ton of swings and misses.  Senior Nik Toups is another southpaw that has a chance to have a breakout season.  We recently saw the Southeastern Louisiana recruit in a December intersquad, and he was nearly unhittable.  Toups sat 87-91 mph with his heater with heavy arm-side sink/run, to go along with a much improved SL from a year ago, and he can also kill spin with his CH.  Another arm that we saw at that same intersquad that opened our eyes was senior Griffin Hebert.  The UL-Lafayette signee was electric with an exploding FB that reached 93 mph and a sweeping upper-70's SL with spin rates near 2600 RPM's.  Hebert has been used primarily in a closer type of role so far in his career, but he may be used as a starter this season.  Junior Ashton Bultron also saw an uptick in velocity over the off-season thanks to added strength and physicality.  The uncommitted right-hander now sits 85-88 mph with his FB to go along with a solid CB and CH.  An underclass arm to keep an eye on this spring is freshman RHP Owen Galley.  The former Jr. Future Gamer is a smooth mover down the slope with a clean arm path and a low-mid 80's FB, and he's also has good feel for an "11-5" shaped CB and a late-fading mid-70's CH.  Galley is currently the fifth ranked player in our 2027 State Rankings.  Coach Hebert's teams are always known for having offensive firepower and this year's group looks to be no different, even with the departures of guys like Dylan Thompson (LSU), Sam Ardoin (Texas), and Carson Devillier (LSU-Eunice) from a year ago.  Senior Griffin Hebert will likely hit at the top of the order and can really do it all at the plate.  He's got the strength to hit a double or home run and has the speed to lay down a drag bunt as well.  Fellow senior Dylan Bell is looking to have his best year yet this coming spring.  The LSU-Eunice recruit has gained strength this off-season and has worked really hard on his plate discipline, which showed up in his at-bats over the fall.  Flanagan will once again be a run-producing bat in the middle of the order, in addition to his duties on the mound.  Junior Connor Walker is another guy who is poised for a breakout year at the plate.  The two-time Future Gamer has long been known as one of the best defensive catchers in the state, but his offense is starting to catch up to his defense.  Walker had a stellar summer and fall season that he capped off in fashion at our State Games event back in October, where he belted a pull-side home run at Alex Box Stadium.  Junior Ashton Bultron came up with some of the biggest hits of the year last season for the Broncos, and should be in the middle of Sam Houston's order again this spring.  A younger guy to keep an eye on is sophomore Carson Christ.  The 5'10" 160 lbs. uncommitted infielder swung the bat extremely well for the Broncos over the fall and showed gap to gap power.  District 3-5A has long been known as one of the most competitive districts in the state for baseball.  This year, we figure the district to come down to Sam Houston or Barbe with Sulphur having graduated a big senior class from a year ago.  The difference with this year's Sam Houston team, compared to teams of the past, is the pitching staff.  Sam Houston will likely have four guys touch 90 mph or better, and all four guys can really pitch.  Coach Hebert has always found ways to produce runs, and this year with one of their best pitching staffs in school history, we fully expect the Broncos to once again be at the state tournament, where they'll have the opportunity to win their first state title in over 20 years. 

 

 

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