Two scorching hot baseball teams will battle it out Friday as Hahnville travels to face Slidell.
HHS has won nine of its past 11 games, while Slidell has picked up wins in 11 of its past 13 games. Plenty of power points will be on the line here – and for Hahnville, a potential measure of payback after Slidell defeated HHS 7-1 to open the season.
Hahnville head coach Jared Vial says his Tigers are a much different team now than it was in that opener. One thing he expects to be exactly the same is the starting pitcher his team will see on the hill for Slidell – Troy Green, a hard-throwing righthander and LSU-Eunice commitment.
“It’s good to get a re-do on it,” said Vial. “I’m sure we’ll see the same arm … we’ve moved some pieces around and it’s a totally different lineup. It’ll be big for us. It’s going to be a power points game for sure.”
On that last point, it will be a very big game for position as both teams are looking to climb the ranks. Hahnville is ranked No. 21 in power points, with Slidell ranked right behind at No. 22.
Both teams are looking to generate some breathing room. While both are on the way up momentum-wise in recent weeks, just 24 teams qualify for the postseason field.
For Hahnville, things began clicking once the roster got back to full strength. One driving force has been the play of sophomore Kaleb Guarisco, whose bat has ignited in recent games. Guarisco missed the first few weeks of the season and is beginning to lock in now with several games under his belt.
“He’s starting to feel it at the plate,” Vial said. “I think coming off of his big freshman year, he kind of wanted it all in one bite and needed to get back mentally. He’s back to that mindset of taking it at bat by at bat and his confidence is coming back. He doesn’t get too up or down – he knows he’ll be fine and he’s seeing it very well right now.”
Hahnville (15-9) has won three in a row – a 9-2 victory over Newman, an 8-3 win over Vandebilt Catholic and a 10-0 win Tuesday over H.L. Bourgeois – the first two of those contests at Hahnville.
The win over Vandebilt Catholic was an especially strong one – the 17-6 Terriers are ranked No. 2 overall in Division II select power points ranking.
A strong game on the mound by Javonte Gray helped secure that victory. He went five innings of two-hit ball, allowing one earned run and striking out five to earn the win.
Guarisco went 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Brayden Fontenot scored twice, and Koa Romero went 2-for-3 with two runs and an RBI.
It was another strong pitching outing on Tuesday against the Braves, this time from Avyn Whitney, who pitched five shutout innings of one-hit ball for the win. He struck out six and walked no batters. Bennett Goris finished the game with two scoreless innings in relief.
Koa Romero went 2-for-3 with three runs scored. Koby Caulfield and Luke Eusea each drove in two runs. Landen Teague went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
“(Whitney) fills up the zone. He had a 78-percent strike rate (Tuesday night). He doesn’t blow it by you, but he attacks the zone, and he’s pitched very well for us,” said Vial.
“The pitching part of it has really been the tone setter for us. We’ve had a lot of home games and going up for your first at-bat with 0 runs on the board helps. And on the flip side, there have been some games we’ve given up some runs and the offense has shown that ability to come back, so that gives the pitchers’ confidence – it kind of works both ways.”
Against Newman, Guarisco had a monster day, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Romero drove in two runs. Matt Plaisance earned the win, going the complete game and striking out seven against one walk. He allowed one earned run on two hits.
With plenty of new faces in the lineup this season, Hahnville needed to find itself through the early part of its schedule – and find its health as well, as some key Tigers were missing in action.
A recent 6-5 walk off win over Ponchatoula showed HHS has a lot of fight.
“We’re just trying to preach to these guys to battle … we gave away a lot of games early, and it comes with a young team,” said Vial, in his third season as the Tigers’ head coach. “You go up a couple of runs and hit that lull and lose focus. We’re playing quality teams and you have to compete for seven innings.”
What excites Vial is the message appears to be landing with his players.
“Ponchatoula was a big one for us, then E.D. White with a really good lefty on the mound. We answer, they answer and it was a battle to the end.”
A battle Hahnville won, pulling away for an 8-3 victory.
“Having that resolve – it’s been a good stretch for us,” said Vial.
Last season brought on breakouts from three then-freshmen Tigers, Koa Romero, Landen Teague and Kaleb Guarisco. They’re sophomores now, but also rank among the Tigers with the most on-field experience this time around with the departure of a large senior class from last year’s team.
Guarisco missed the first month of the season due to injury. Romero and Teague have also battled the injury bug, though they’ve been able to provide their offensive skills to the lineup; dual shoulder injuries, however, rendered both unable to pitch until recently.
Romero’s bat has not suffered – at all, his average hovering around .500 all season.
On the mound, Jacob Heiden has stepped forward in a big way. Heiden posted a 3.60 ERA entering the week and has asserted himself as a go-to arm.
“As far as our staff, he’s been our leader,” said Vial. “He’s been our bulldog every time he’s pitched.”
Plaisance – the younger brother of 2024 senior Hayden Plaisance – has given quality innings as a sophomore. Teague, now back on the mound, has been the team’s primary closer. And Gray, now healthy after battling injury himself early on, is back and pitching well.
Whitney is another who has taken a big step forward – he’s 5-1 thus far.
Offensively, Luke Eusea is batting .316 this season and has had a hot bat during Hahnville’s recent surge. Ditto centerfielder Bennett Naquin. Joshua Cancienne has been a clutch RBI producer in the middle of the order. And Brayden Fontenot has been heating up atop the order in the leadoff spot.
“(Fontenot) has that skillset you think of for a leadoff guy – he finds a way on, walks, has competitive at-bats at the top of your lineup,” said Vial.
Naquin went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs in Hahnville’s 8-3 win over E.D. White. Fontenot was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and Cancienne drove in two runs. Teague, Cancienne and Jeremy Olmo each doubled.
Teague earned the win on the mound to move to 3-0. He struck out two and allowed no runs on four hits over his three shutout innings.
Guarisco’s walk-off RBI single lifted Hahnville to a 6-5 win over Ponchatoula.
Romero went 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Eusea was 2-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Fontenot, Eusea, Naquin and Romero each doubled in the game.
Heiden got a no-decision, going 6.2 innings and allowing five runs on eight hits. He struck out five and walked one.
