Written for the LSWA
Two senior pitchers dominated while leading their teams during dominant LHSAA title runs. Sterlington’s Maddie Taylor and South Beauregard’s Jace Duhon were selected as the Outstanding Player award-winners on the 2024 Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 3A all-state softball and baseball teams. Taylor lost only once, going 19-1 with a 0.96 earned run average and 146 strikeouts in 101 2/3 innings. Her influence extended to the plate as she batted .463 with 10 home runs and 36 RBIs. The McNeese State signee pitched 11 scoreless innings at the state tournament in Sulphur as the Panthers beat No. 5 Jena 3-2 and No. 2 Doyle 1-0 in the Division III nonselect final. Duhon led the Golden Knights to their first title game appearance since 2019 and first state championship since 2017.
Duhon, a UL-Monroe signee, went 10-2 with three saves while maintaining a 1.10 earned run average with 80 strikeouts in 68 innings for Division III nonselect baseball champion South Beauregard. Duhon was 3-0, including a no-hitter in the quarterfinals, during the playoffs. He tossed a three-hitter in a 6-1 win over Doyle in the semifinals as the Knights finished the season 31-3 with a 16-game win streak. University High’s Justin Morgan and Sterlington’s Brian West are the baseball and softball Coaches of the Year, respectively. In his first season, West led the team to a 31-1 record, their first state title since they were a 1A team in 2001 and a top-five national ranking in the USA Today Sports Super 25.SBHS started the season 22-0 before its only loss to North DeSoto on March 26.
Meanwhile, No. 1 seed Sterlington outscored opponents 24-3 in the postseason and beat No. 2 Doyle 1-0 in the Division III nonselect final. Morgan led U-High to the finals three times since 2014, but the Cubs finally won this spring, rallying to upset top-seeded St. Charles 11-8 in the title game.
LSWA CLASS 3A ALL-STATE CHARTS
BASEBALL
Pos. Player School Cl Stat
P Sterling Sims Sterlington Sr. 12-0, 1.07 ERA
P Tyler Weimer E.D. White Sr. 6-2, 0.79 ERA
P Camden Sunstrom University Sr. 7-3, 2.35 ERA
P Jace Duhon South Beauregard Sr. 10-2, 1.10 ERA
C Thomas Bonaventure Parkview Baptist Sr. .380
IF Devyn Downs Sterlington Fr. .381
IF Miller Sheets Sterlington So. .366
IF Jake McCann University Jr. .325
IF Lucas Alexander Iowa Jr. .35
1OF Travis Adams Sterlington Jr. .381
OF Zerrick Jones Jena Sr. .420
OF Bryce Deason South Beauregard Sr. .402
UT Caiden Barcia Doyle Sr. .387/5-2
UT Brant Melancon Parkview Baptist Sr. .485/8-2
UT Layden Sepulvado South Beauregard Sr. .478
UT Tallen Tourelle St. Louis Catholic Sr. .414/6-2
UT Cole Corbello Iowa Sr. .333/10-1
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: JACE DUHON, SOUTH BEAUREGARD
COACH OF THE YEAR: JUSTIN MORGAN, UNIVERSITY
Honorable mention
Lane Rogers, Berwick; Jason Mathews, Berwick; Carter Whipple, Berwick; Haidyn Boone, Buckeye; Adam Brodnax, Buckeye; Drew Tyson, Buckeye; Zach Hunt, Caldwell Parish; A.J. Maxwell, Caldwell Parish; Remington Stephens, Caldwell Parish; Joe Sutherlin, Caldwell Parish; Austin Thomas, Caldwell Parish; Taryn Varnell, Caldwell Parish; Jax Triche, E.D. White; Luke Zeringue, E.D. White; Brennan Broussard, Erath; Seth Leger, Erath; Blayden Fontenot, Iota; Jayce Lantier, Iota; Zeke Wall, Iota; Reed Dupre, Iowa; Jacob Belcher, Jena; Calex Campbell, Jena; Caden Mursch, Jena; Brayden Oakes, Jena; Jayden Benoit, Jennings; Cade Durbin, Parkview Baptist; Brylon Jennings, Patterson; Clayton Folks, South Beauregard; Andre Mahler, St. James; Bran Olsson, University; Cooper Cryer, Westlake; Hadley Hardesty, Westlake.
SOFTBALL Pos Player School Cl Stat
P Maddie Taylor Sterlington Sr. 19-1, 0.96 ERA
P Olivia Henry Buckeye Sr. 19-5, 0.93 ERA
P Kiette Cooper Jena So. 19-9, 2.46 ERA
P Briley LeBeouf Kaplan Sr. 20-4, 1.09 ERA
C Kylee Savant Doyle Jr. .343
IF Jaleeyah Alford Sterlington So. .400
IF Kennedy Marceaux Kaplan Sr. .615
IF Kassidy Rivero Doyle Jr. .386
IF Brianna Fontenot Kinder Jr. .583
OF Ava West Sterlington Fr. .380
OF Adysen Mitchell Buckeye Jr. .460
OF Shelby Taylor Doyle Jr. .531
UT Daisy Temple Caldwell Parish Jr. .407
UT Addison Harvey University Sr. .636
UT Allie Chrislip Sterlington Jr. .402/12-0
UT Hailey Peterson Haynes Academy Sr. .528/19-7
UT Camryn Becnel E.D. White Sr. .425
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: MADDIE TAYLOR, STERLINGTON
COACH OF THE YEAR: BRIAN WEST, STERLINGTON
Honorable mentionJenna Chauvin, Albany; Allison Brossett, Buckeye; Rosalee Richey, Buckeye Sidney St. Pe’, Buckeye; Nolyn Bruyninckx, Caldwell Parish; Se’Marai Smith, Caldwell Parish; Bella Collins, Doyle; Olivia Cortez, E.D. White; Shelbiee Gros, E.D. White; Ava Palumbo, Haynes; Haydeyn Schexayder, Iota; Leah Cox, Iowa; Alivia Singletary, Iowa; Callie Decker, Jena; Cydney Kate Parker, Jena; Hillari Shuff, Kinder; Haley Lindsay, Parkview Baptist; Ashtyn Rogers, Patrick Taylor; Jadon Russell, Patrick Taylor; Joslynn Deal, South Beauregard; Emma Huber, South Beauregard; Aubrie Carter, Sterlington; Colbie Mitchell, St. James; Mhallaya Picou, St. James; Sa’Vya Sutherland, St. James.