Bucs begin 5A playoffs today in Lafayette
It hasn’t been a banner year for Bossier Parish high school baseball.
Only two teams — Benton and Haughton — made the playoffs. And Benton lost its Class 4A first-round game last week.
So Bossier Parish’s hopes now ride with the Buccaneers, who are in Lafayette today for a first-round Class 5A playoff game against Acadiana. First pitch is at 4 p.m.
Haughton will go into the game as the underdog. The Bucs (22-9) are seeded No. 19, while the Wreckin’ Rams (19-13) are seeded No. 14.
Acadiana finished fourth in District 3-5A, one of the state’s strongest, with a 7-5 mark. Six teams from 3-5A made the playoffs, including No. 1 seed Barbe.
The Wreckin’ Rams also feature one of the nation’s top pro prospects in catcher Stryker Thornton.
“He’s the No. 1-ranked catcher in the nation,” Haughton coach Glenn Maynor said. “You can go to YouTube and watch him hit. They’re projecting him to go in the top 20 — not top 20 rounds, top 20 picks.”
Thornton, though, isn’t Acadiana’s only threat.
“They’ve got a shortstop that’s real good,” he said. “They’ve got a real good offensive team.”
Haughton is playing in Class 5A this season for the first time in school history. In terms of enrollment, it is the smallest school in the class.
“There’s been a lot of positives for our first year in 5A,” Maynor said. “We finished tied for second in district. 5A is a whole different animal than 4A. I didn’t realize it until I got here.
“In 4A in the playoffs you might get a good draw. In 5A, there’s really not any. If they make the playoffs, they’re good.”
The Bucs got off to a red-hot start, winning 13 straight games en route to a 15-2 record. They cooled off a bit in district play, but still finished tied for second with Captain Shreve.
Catcher Brady McCoy, pitcher/infielder Thomas Stanfield and pitcher/infielder Josh Walker have been the Bucs’ top players this season.
Stanfield, who is starting today, is 8-2 with a 1.56 ERA. He is also batting .385 with three home runs and 24 RBIs. Walker is 9-1 with a 1.50 ERA. He is hitting .398 with 23 RBIs. McCoy is batting .371 and leads the team with seven home runs and 38 RBIs.
But Maynor is also pleased with the way some of his younger players have developed throughout the season.
“We have a sophomore who won the job at second, John Tomb,” Maynor said. “He’s anchored that two-hole most of the year, so that’s been a plus. Zach Lemley, our left fielder, is a junior. He’s cooled off some, but he was batting .500 for awhile.”
