Under the banner of the ES&H Wildcats, Destrehan’s baseball team returned to American Legion play this summer after playing an independent schedule a year ago, wrapping up their season at the Second District tournament earlier this month. The Wildcats finished with a record of 5-7-1 as its staff largely focused on developing its younger players. Destrehan coach Chris Mire said in many ways, it was a mixed bag of results, but a number of players stepped up and showed their potential.
The established Wildcat players weren’t bad themselves: District 7-5A MVP Dane Simon kept his hot play going in Legion, hitting .383 with 10 RBIs. Evan Keller was also strong, finishing with a .349 average and 10 RBIs.
After a prep season where he focused on pitching, Nolan Lemoine had a big summer with his bat, hitting .295 and driving in 12 runs. Already entrenched in the Destrehan rotation and having earned a strong reputation for his glove work at first base, a Lemoine breakout as a hitter could be a major development for the Wildcats, said Mire.
“He was really locked in offensively over the first three or four weeks of the summer,” Mire said. “If he can be a run producer for us in the middle of our lineup, that will be big.”
Mire believes that will happen, noting Lemoine as one of the Wildcats’ pivotal offensive players next season.
“Our offensive production is going to center around the combined abilities of Dane Simon, Nolan Lemoine and Gage Broussard,” Mire said. “They have to drive in runs and be productive for us.”
P.J. Carmichael has likely nailed down the job at second base. Ethan West and Zachary Wild, meanwhile, have pushed for their share of playing time next season thanks to their strong performances and versatile skillsets. Both players saw time at multiple positions this summer.
“They played well and have really forced us to consider shuffling guys around to get them in there,” Mire said. “Both are utility guys who can play wherever we need them to.”
The Destrehan pitching staff is a strength and figures to be again next season. Still, the Wildcats looked to add firepower during the Legion campaign. Mire said the summer offered the chance to evaluate the team’s younger pitchers, noting freshman P.J. Thomas’ strong performance as a pleasant surprise.
“He developed a little quicker than I’d have thought,” Mire said. “He did a really good job on the mound.”
The Wildcats played in a grueling summer district. The Second District of Legion boasted five locally-based teams with River Parish ties, including teams based from the programs of Hahnville, St. Charles Catholic and Lutcher. District champion Pedal Valves boasted top senior players from a number of schools, including graduates of Destrehan, St. Charles Catholic and Rummel.
“The tough schedule is nothing new for us,” Mire said. “We play a tough slate in prep season as well. (But) our young guys getting those reps and finding success against good teams and good programs like Hahnville and St. Charles Catholic, it’s big for their confidence and beneficial to us as a whole.”
The biggest development, the coach says, is the shared goal his team has developed over their time together. Whether it be a veteran player or an underclassman pushing for playing time, reaching the state tournament next prep season is the unified desire for the Wildcat players.
“The team jelled together as we went,” Mire said. “Everyone’s buying in.”
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