Baseball: Riverside secures Marty Luquet’s 500th career coaching win

It took a little longer than he desired but the magic number has been achieved.

Riverside Academy defeated West St. John 16-0 in a game shortened to 4 ½ innings at Reserve in a District 10-1A game Thursday to give head coach Marty Luquet his coveted 500th career victory as a head coach on the sixth try.

With a very young team, the Rebels have faced a very tough schedule and the record (5-16-1, 1-0) reflects it. Suffice it to say that the future is very bright.

Freshmen Cruz Cambre and Colten Diamond combined on a one-hitter. The Rebels had 13 hits. Senior Jaymes Tamplain and freshman Brody Vicknair each had two hits and three RBI. Freshman Cameron Matt had two hits, drove in a run and scored three times.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to coach at some really good places with really good players and really good coaches,” Luquet said. “I always tell people when you surround yourself with good people, good things happen. I’ve been blessed to do it for 27 years. I have had at least 100 players contact me since last night. You really feel the love.”

Luquet came to New Orleans from Illinois to play college baseball at the University of New Orleans for legendary coach Ron Maestri.

Luquet started his head coaching career at John F. Kennedy in 1980.

He went on to coach at O. Perry Walker, Hammond and St. James before landing the plum job at Destrehan.

The Wildcats were a perfect fit.

Luquet led Destrehan to a pair of state championship game appearances and took the Wildcats to the playoffs all 14 years, retiring after the 2014 season.

Luquet worked in the Recreation Department in St. Charles Parish before returning to coaching.

After coaching the American Legion Gauthier Amadee team for three years, including a pair of state championships and an American Legion World Series appearance, Luquet returned to the high school ranks as an assistant baseball coach and assistant athletic director at Riverside, where he also served as acting principal for a stint.

Luquet was named athletic director at Riverside in 2021 and took over as head baseball coach as well. There are other memorable wins in his illustrious career which stand out.

“I remember my first win as a head coach, beating Nicholls,” Luquet said. “Our kids played hard. You do not forget your first one. Our kids played hard at every school I coached at. The two games that stand out were in 1986 when we beat Jesuit in 1986 at O. Perry Walker in a game at UNO. Our nine-hole hitter, Craig Bazeley, hit a 3-run homer in the bottom of the sixth. In 2003, we beat traditional power Barbe and future Major Leaguer Wade LeBlanc, who was 17-0, in the semifinals. Beau Jones pitched a terrific game for us. Beau was a first-round pick of the Atlanta Braves.”

Riverside plays St. Martin’s Episcopal for the District 10-1A title today at 4 p.m. in Reserve.

Luquet is not done, far from it.

“I would like to think so,” Luquet said. “The Lord has blessed me to put me in a spot to do what I love. My play is to keep doing it. We have a good young group and I have promised them I will be here throughout their careers. I still love doing this. Things are never easy but you have to see the good, the positive, which clearly outweigh the negative.”

There are likely more memories to come for the outstanding coach. The prep scene is fortunate to have Luquet.