For the first time since his teenage years, baseball is in the rear view mirror for David Baudry.
Baudry recently announced he is relinquishing his position as Hahnville’s head baseball coach after 10 years in that role, citing a desire to spend more time with family among his chief reasons. HHS alumnus and former Destrehan assistant baseball coach Jared Vial has been named his successor.
Baudry led HHS to the state playoffs in eight of nine possible seasons (there was no postseason in 2020 due to COVID-19). 2022 represented the first season under Baudry the Tigers missed the playoffs.
“It was just kind of a taxing year,” Baudry said. “Through no fault of anyone … between Ida, our inexperience and just some baseball things. And when you reach the age of 60, to be honest, everyone starts asking you ‘When are you gonna retire?’ I felt a lot of times like I had the energy to do it, to continue to do it, but I was kind of kidding myself. I come home very, very exhausted after some long days, and I just thought, ‘You know, this is a good time.’”
Baudry said that with a son who just graduated from college, and two daughters in college, he wants to be there as they transition to their next steps in life.
“And I want to spend some time at home, with my wife and my four dogs,” Baudry said. “(The decision) came over a very short period of time and it was a very tough decision. The whole idea of not doing it, it’s just different. I’ve been coaching baseball in some form since I was 15 years old.”
This isn’t a departure from Hahnville. Baudry will remain on staff as a teacher and as an assistant football coach.
Over his 10 years heading the Tigers baseball program, he guided the team to a record of 195-127, including five 20-win seasons.
Prior to Hahnville, he made his name on the prep baseball circuit with successful runs at two different schools, the first of those Shaw, where he led the Eagles to five playoff appearances and went 126-76 from 1995-2001.
He later moved onto his alma mater of Rummel, where he went 154-67 over six seasons from 2005-2010 – those wins not including a 2006 summer that saw him lead Nationwide Restoration, a Rummel-based American Legion squad, to the American Legion World Series Championship. That team won back-to-back state Legion titles, which ran his personal total to three – he also led Shaw’s Legion team to a 2000 state title.
Baudry’s prep record overall is 475-269.
For everywhere he’s been, though, he said his experience leading the Hahnville program truly stands out as memorable – in particular, the Tigers rivalry with Destrehan stands up to any other.
“I’ve been part of some of the big Catholic League rivalries in football and baseball … Hahnville-Destrehan baseball is something very special,” Baudry said. “I have a great deal of respect to what those guys (at Destrehan) do. No matter what, the game was hard fought … Chris Mire and I have become very good friends over the years. I wish the best for him and, obviously, whoever takes over here at Hahnville.”
More than anything else, he said, he cherishes having the chance to coach the players who have passed through the Hahnville dugout over the years.
“The players … how they attacked each day, and the relationships we had, that’s what I’ll remember,” Baudry said. “We have tremendous kids at Hahnville High School. We have great kids in the baseball program, and they’ve made it as seamless and easy as possible on a daily basis.
“The wins, the losses … you remember them, but that’s not what you remember most. It’s being there every day with those guys, watching them grow up from their freshman year all the way to graduation. That’s something I take from it.”
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