Acadiana area packs punch on Class 2A all-state baseball, softball teams

By James Bewers
Written for the LSWA
The Louisiana Sports Writer Association’s Class 2A All-State baseball and softball squads are heavy on the Cajun flair, with Acadiana area schools claiming three of the top four honors.

Notre Dame senior Marcella Gossen was named the LSWA’s Most Valuable Player for the Class 2A softball team, while Pioneers junior Chase Habetz was chosen as the MVP for the Class 2A baseball team.

Doyle’s Amanda Decell was voted softball Coach of the Year. Rob Segura of Loreauville was picked as Coach of the year for baseball team by a panel of sportswriters from across the state.

Gossen, a Nicholls State signee, is a three-time LSWA selection. She put up superb numbers batting .549 with 35 RBIs while owning a 2.90 ERA, before an ankle injury sidelined her for much of the playoffs.

It was Gossen who recorded the final three outs of the Pios’ 7-4 victory against Menard in the Division III championship game. It was Notre Dame’s first softball title since 2010.

Habetz, the District 7-2A MVP, was 8-2 record and 1.62 ERA over 60 ⅓ innings pitched. Habetz also owned a .356 batting average with 21 RBIs.

After posting a 22-12 record and earning the No. 3 seed in the playoffs, Decell led Doyle to its first state title in school history its first championship game appearance in a decade. Segura led Loreauville (18-11), a No. 5 seed, to its first state crown in school history.

Gossen was selected as utility player on the All-State softball team. The team’s other utility players included Catholic-NI’s Meghan Robicheaux (.413), Doyle’s Marley Olivier (17-7), Winnfield’s Rachel Yocum (.488) and Kinder’s Sarah Gartman (19-4).

The pitchers selected to the All-State softball team are St. Thomas Aquinas’ Karlee Kraft (21-7), Notre Dame’s Sydnei Simon (9-1), Mangham’s Leann Franks (21-10) and Holy Savior Menard’s Olivia Johnson. Notre Dame’s Abbey Higginbotham (.488) is the catcher.

The infield consists of Riverside’s Lexi Johnson (.500), Winnfield’s Kassidy Grantadams (.526), Many’s Keely Dubois (.618) and Rosepine’s Haylee Brinlee (.465). The outfielders are St. Thomas Aquinas’ Brilee Broussard (.467), Doyle’s Sydney Taylor (.449) and Calvary Baptist’s Bree Newman (.438).

The pitchers joining Habetz on the All-State baseball team are Kinder’s Elijah Lavan (7-1), Catholic-NI’s Broc Romero and St. Thomas Aquinas’ Alex Egan (10-1). The catcher is Dunham’s Nick Harris (.505).
The infield is made up of Notre Dame’s Thomas Stevens (.444), Loreauville’s Mike Latulas (.429), Ascension Episcopal’s Seth Kerstetter (.463) and St. Thomas Aquinas’ Champ Artigues (.453). The outfield consists of Catholic-NI’s Kyle Evans (.382), Welsh’s Zach Hayes (.320) and Mangham’s Josh Keeton (.505).

The utility players chosen are DeQuincy’s Owen Tyler (.391), Loreauville’s Shajuan Nora (.390), Ascension Episcopal’s Sean-Michael Brady (8-1), Many’s Beau Ross (10-3) and Riverside’s Jordan Loving (.474).

2018 LSWA CLASS 2A BASEBALL/SOFTBALL CHARTS
BASEBALL
Pos Player School Class Stats
P Elijah Lavan Kinder Jr. 7-1
P Chase Habetz Notre Dame Jr. 8-2
P Broc Romero Catholic-New Iberia Sr. 7-2
P Alex Egan St. Thomas Aquinas Sr. 10-1
C Nick Harris Dunham Sr. .505
IF Thomas Stevens Notre Dame Sr. .444
IF Mike Latulas Loreauville So. .429
IF Seth Kerstetter Ascension Episcopal Jr. .463
IF Champ Artigues St. Thomas Aquinas Sr. .453
OF Kyle Evans Catholic-New Iberia Sr. .382
OF Zach Hayes Welsh Sr. .320
OF Josh Keeton Mangham Jr. .505
UTL Owen Tyler DeQuincy Sr. .391
UTL Shajuan Nora Loreauville Jr. .390
UTL Sean-Michael Brady Ascension Episcopal Jr. 8-1
UTL Beau Ross Many Jr. 10-3
UTL Jordan Loving Riverside Sr. .474
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: CHASE HABETZ, NOTRE DAME
COACH OF THE YEAR: ROB SEGURA, LOREAUVILLE

Honorable mention: Jock Silvia, Newman; Raul Barrera, Kinder; Tanner Young, Vinton; Brock Booker, Many; Austyn Benoit, Welsh; Sam Smith, St. Thomas Aquinas; Jaron Whitman, Lake Arthur; Hayden Hutson, Mangham; Collin Kirsch Notre Dame; Hunter Dugas, Catholic-NI; Gage Laurence, Dunham; Xavier Guillory, DeQuincy; Tristan Doucet, Lake Arthur; Brandon Tallo, St. Thomas Aquinas; Nic Suire, Dunham; Addison Landry, Lake Arthur; Caleb Washington, Loreauville; Luke Sweeney, St. Thomas Aquinas; Michael Fontenot, Kinder; Garrett Leach, Many; Christian Hill, Many; Cade Hart, Calvary; Will Derrick, Calvary; Rafael Rosales, Lakeview; Gavin Jones, Lakeside; Dalton Crumpler, Lakeside; Zacharyn Kellogg, Red River; Brett Jurek, Winnfield; Bailey Crowe, Menard; Ethan Miller, Rosepine; Justin Lawson, Winnfield; Cade Moreau, Menard; Justin Flynn, Menard

SOFTBALL
Pos Player School Class Stats
P Karlee Kraft St. Thomas Aquinas Sr. 21-7
P Sydnei Simon Notre Dame Jr. 9-1
P Leann Franks Mangham Sr. 21-10
P Olivia Johnson Menard So. 16-9
C Abbey Higginbotham Notre Dame Sr. .488
IF Lexi Johnson Riverside So. .500
IF Kassidy Grantadams Winnfield Sr. .526
IF Keely Dubois Many Jr. .618
IF Haylee Brinlee Rosepine Sr. .465
OF Brilee Broussard St. Thomas Aquinas Fr. .467
OF Sydney Taylor Doyle Jr. .449
OF Bree Newman Calvary Sr. .438
UTL Marcella Gossen Notre Dame Sr. .549
UTL Meghan Robicheaux Catholic-NI Sr. .413
UTL Marley Olivier Doyle So. 17-7
UTL Rachel Yocum Winnfield Sr. .488
UTL Sarah Gartman Kinder Sr. 19-4
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: MARCELLA GOSSEN, NOTRE DAME
COACH OF THE YEAR: AMANDA DECELL, DOYLE

Honorable mention: Leslie Matherne, St. Thomas Aquinas; Chloe Bennett, Rosepine; Sydney Lewis, Rapides; Briana Hargrove, Oakdale; Marissa Reed, Calvary; Cam Neathery, Mangham; Ryen Lawrence, Pickering; Melise Gossen, Notre Dame; Payton Smith, Catholic-NI; Kara Wilcher, Mangham; Ashley Seeser, Menard; Karlee Lyles, Menard; Mallory Smith, Avoyelles Charter; Caitlinn Fruge, Doyle; Elise Jones, Doyle; Desiree Squires, Rosepine; Kate Trahan, Kinder; Bailey Layton, Calvary; Shelby Brown, Calvary; Shelby Hebert, Delcambre; Jourdan Cheek, St. Thomas Aquinas; Emily Rosamond, Catholic-NI; Macie Aydell, St. Thomas Aquinas; Tyra Triplett, Winnfield; Hannah Sattler, Many; Laney Taylor, Lakeside; Shelby Savell, Lakeview; Madison Castello, Red River; Madison Daville, Doyle.