Written for the LSWA
State champions from Sam Houston claimed two of the top honors for baseball and softball on the Class 5A all-state teams selected by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
Pitcher Kaitlyn Mire was voted Outstanding Player on the softball squad after leading SHHS to its LHSAA Division I nonselect title. Chad Hebert was selected as baseball’s Coach of the Year after leading the Broncos to the Division I nonselect baseball title.
Live Oak’s Sawyer Pruitt was selected as the Outstanding Player on the baseball squad, while Benton’s Kelsey Baker of Division I nonselect quarterfinalist Benton was picked as the Coach of the Year for softball.
Mire, a sophomore, pitched all but two-thirds of an inning during a 30-2 season that included a 28-game winning streak for Sam Houston. She pitched a three-hitter in the state finals against Dutchtown. She had a 1.63 ERA with 110 strikeouts in 180 innings.
With Hebert as coach, Sam Houston went 37-8 and won a baseball state championship for the first time since 2001. It is the second title in school history.
Pruitt, a UL-Lafayette signee, led Live Oak to a No. 1 playoff seed and a runner-up finish to Sam Houston. The District 5-5A MVP finished 9-2 with a 1.17 ERA and 117 strikeouts in 77 innings pitched.
Benton’s Baker became interim coach just before the season began and led her school to its first 20-win season since 2017 on the way to a No. 2 playoff seed and the quarterfinals of the Division I nonselect playoffs.
LSWA CLASS 5A ALL-STATE CHARTS
BASEBALL
Pos Player School Cl avg
P Will Andrade Holy Cross Sr. 14-2
P Bradyn Cupit West Monroe Jr. 5-3
P Drew Ferguson West Monroe Sr. 9-2
P Jarius Miller Barbe Sr. 13-1
C Andrew Clapinski Catholic-BR Sr. .409
IF Ryan Darrah Brother Martin Sr. .382
IF Casey McCoy Dutchtown Sr. .383
IF Dom Pellegrin Holy Cross Jr. .402
IF Jack Ruckert Catholic-BR Sr. .369
OF Jackson Lee Ruston Jr. .413
OF Cole Snell Benton Jr. .468
OF Christian Turner Haughton Sr. .405
UT Brayden Calamari Slidell Sr. .413
UT Cole Flanagan Sam Houston Sr. .381
UT Cole Navarro Brother Martin Sr. 11-2
UT Sawyer Pruitt Live Oak Sr. 9-2
UT Cooper Smith Live Oak Sr. .383
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: SAWYER PRUITT, LIVE OAK
COACH OF THE YEAR: CHAD HEBERT, SAM HOUSTON
Honorable Mention
Nate Alario, John Curtis; Thomas Allen, Benton; Lytton Arledge, West Monroe; Lenny Cline, Archbishop Rummel; Tanner Conley, Fontainebleau; Trey Davis, Higgins; Tristan Dehart, Terrebonne; Connor Donnelly, Jesuit; Davis Emonet, Catholic; Parker Franks, Neville; Troy Green, Slidell; Owen Galley, Sam Houston; Kanyon Griffin, Acadiana; Hunter Guillot, Thibodaux; Mason Hickman, Mandeville; David Griep, Ruston; Brock Laird, Natchitoches Central; Lucas Lawrence, Catholic; Noah Lewis, Catholic; Lawton Littleton, Barbe; Carson Malasovich, Northshore; Chase Marcotte, Destrehan; JP Moak, Ruston; Wes Oats, Pineville; Gavin Panks, Covington; Brayden Rachal, Alexandria; Tyler Roark, West Monroe; Tyler Roach, Ruston; Logan Rogers, H.L. Bourgeois; Koa Romero, Hahnville; Aidan Ryan, Covington; Andrew Sharp, Captain Shreve; Slade Shove-Knox, Sulphur; Connor Smith, Northshore; Austyn Taylor, Pineville; Abel Thetford, Parkway; Brody Trosclair, Thibodaux; Bryce Wilson, Chalmette; Zach Wilburn, Byrd.
SOFTBALL
Pos Player School Cl avg
P Makayla Escude John Curtis So. 21-5
P Abby Froelich Dutchtown Sr. 24-9
P Kailyn Mire Sam Houston So. 30-2
P Baleigh Moniz Benton Fr. 23-5
C Layla Landry Sam Houston So. .500
IF Ava Burkett Destrehan Sr. .604
IF Madelyn Halle Pineville Sr. .430
IF Chloe Krey Mt. Carmel Sr. .376
IF Cayden Tullier East Ascension Jr. .500
OF Jadin Basco Pineville So. .394
OF Da’Miaya Dunn Live Oak Jr. .474
OF Miley Percle John Curtis Sr. .491
UT Abby Dagro Ponchatoula Sr. .538
UT – Kinsley McInnis John Curtis So. .422
UT – Pressy White Sulphur Sr. .520
UT – Amiyah Wilson Alexandria So. .494
UT – Carolina Eidson Sam Houston Sr. 495
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: KAILYN MIRE, SAM HOUSTON
COACH OF THE YEAR: KELSEY BAKER, BENTON
Honorable mention
Brianna Benecke, Haughton; Addalyn Burch, Pineville; Sarah Grace Buckels, Alexandria; Caroline Butscher, Fontainebleau; Briley Byrnes, Pineville; Lilly Cooper, Sr., Evangel; Braylee Decoteau, St. Amant; McKenzie Creel, East Ascension; Dylan Defee, Benton; Emersyn Disotell, Benton; Kate Degruise, Central Lafourche; Addison Dickerson, Thibodaux; Anna Doll, Northshore; Mallory Edwards, Pineville; Lanie Eschette, Central Lafourche; Mia Graefenstein, Mandeville; Dakota Howard, Parkway; Mia Impastato, Chapelle; Brazzi Jacob, Hahnville; Jolie Lozano, Destrehan; Ella Kay, Barbe; Ella Hendrick, Captain Shreve; Charlie Kyle, Sulphur; Briley Lovell, Southside; Bailey Mackles, Slidell; Rheagan Montgomery, Ouachita; Addison Martinez, Thibodaux; Charlee Prothro, Haughton; Ashley Promes, Benton; Brooke Rabalais, St. Amant; Morgan Robinson, Natchitoches Central; Ella Sanchez, Northshore; Caroline Sciro, West Monroe; Cassidy Sicuro, Pineville; Addy Stein, Chapelle; Kyla Stout, West Monroe; Emily Thibodeaux, Acadiana; Hayden Traub, Mount Carmel; Megan Wicker, Covington; Harlee Ursy, Walker; Catelyn Yeager, Covington.