Under Coach David Baudry’s direction, the Hahnville High School-based American Legion squad has become one of the state’s top perennial performers.
Otto Candies has advanced to the American Legion state tournament in each of his three seasons as the team’s head coach, once finishing as state runner-up and twice finishing third. Last season, Otto Candies entered the state tourney as its top seed and finished third after winning the Legion Southeast Regional.
This week, Otto Candies is attempting to defend its Southeast Regional crown, after winning the double-elimination tournament in 2014, the first time a HHS-based club has won the tourney.
The team got off to a positive start in the tournament Wednesday, with Otto Candies taking a decisive 9-1 victory over Hannan-based Post 16 behind David Vial’s strong nine-inning pitching performance. Vial struck out four and walked just one. A five-run third inning gave Otto Candies the advantage for good.
The tournament will continue through the weekend. Two teams will advance; three consecutive victories would officially punch a ticket to the state tournament.
Baudry has to offer a few more words of instruction to his players this summer than he has in the recent past. Senior Waylon LeBlanc is the only Otto Candies player who played on last year’s team and is the lone senior player rostered from the prep season.
“We’re younger than we’re accustomed to,” said Baudry, who led Rummel-based Nationwide Restoration to the American Legion national championship in 2006. “It showed last week against John Curtis when we lost 14-1 in the (Second District) championship. I didn’t think we played as poorly as that score indicated. But we made some early mistakes and they’re a little more experienced than we are. They took advantage.”
As Baudry alluded to, Otto Candies fell in the Second District title game after a ferocious start to the game offensively by the Patriots.
Curtis charged out the gates, driving home nine runs within the first four innings of play.
Trent Comier’s three-run home run put the Patriots up 9-0 in the fourth inning, and Ian Landreneau pitched 6.1 shutout innings to earn the win.
Peyton Keller’s RBI single in the seventh inning scored Braxton Dufrene for Otto Candies’ lone run. Dufrene went 2 for 3 to lead HHS in the game. Starting pitcher Trent Bergeron took the loss.
To get to the district championship game, Otto Candies felled St. Charles Catholic-based Townsend Homes, 8-3, in the opening game of the tournament.
Bryce Hargis started and got the win on the mound for Otto Candies, which was the fourth-seed of the district tourney.
Hargis is among those Baudry praised for his consistency all summer long. Braxton Dufrene and Trent Bergeron combine with him to anchor the pitching rotation. Dufrene has played all summer as a position player, but hasn’t pitched due to injury. Baudry said the team is excited to have him back in a pitching role for the regional.
Offensively, Hargis and Dufrene have each swung hot bats, with LeBlanc and Peyton Keller each shining as well in the batting lineup.
The format of the tournament makes a few things heightened importance. Game length extends from seven to nine innings in addition to the double-elimination rules, meaning pitching depth is vital —as is, in many cases, staying in the winner’s bracket early.
“You can win three straight and advance, but if you lose (the first game), you’re looking at playing maybe five times in four days,” Baudry said. “Starting fast is paramount.”
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