After pulling off a huge upset over second-ranked Zachary on Saturday, the Hahnville baseball team is headed to the Class 5A state tournament for the first time since 2006.
Once again it was the seniors who led the charge for the Tigers, with a solo home run by Mike Ford and a double by Cody Farrell providing all the offense Hahnville needed for a 2-1 victory. Fellow senior Jake Cologne pitched one of his best games of the season for the Tigers, giving up only three hits and allowing one run in five innings. Cologne struck out three in the game.
“The win was pretty important because it was the most recent one, but it’s also important because it got us over the hump into the tournament where this program needs to be,” Hahnville head coach Kade Rogers said. “We just have a good group of guys who are playing well at the right time.”
Playing well might be an understatement.
The Tigers are currently riding an 18-game winning streak that includes a perfect 10-0 mark in district play and two impressive postseason wins. The Tigers have not lost a game since March 18.
“This streak is pretty rare and we are just enjoying it while we can,” Rogers said. “We are catching some breaks, but the kids are doing the right things.”
Rogers said the streak is also a testament to the amount of work the players have put in throughout the season.
“After beating Zachary, the guys were most excited that they got to practice on Monday,” Rogers said. “That says a lot about this team. It’s filled with a group of guys who work hard to improve their game and enjoy that hard work.”
That work ethic can be traced back to the team’s five seniors, who include Ford, Farrell, Cologne, Travis Faucheux and Taylor Joyce. But the seniors not only work hard, they have come up big in the postseason to keep Hahnville’s state championship hopes alive.
In the bi-district round against Covington, Ford hit three doubles and brought home four runs. Faucheux had three RBIs on two hits, while Farrell came on in relief in the final 1.2 innings to get the win.
Against Zachary, Ford and Farrell brought in the team’s two runs while Cologne cruised through five innings to get the win.
“These guys have been extremely important to this squad,” Rogers said. “They are guys who ever since they were freshmen were saying they would make it to the tournament and go after the ultimate goal. They have worked hard for four years and haven’t quit.
“They have been down at times, but they have always found a way to fight through it. I am just happy for them that they have gotten this chance.”
Hahnville, who was seeded 15th to start the tournament, will face off against No. 10 Archbishop Rummel on Friday at 4 p.m.
The game will be held at Tulane’s baseball stadium.
Rummel beat Central Lafourche, 3-2, in the bi-district round before knocking off Fontainebleau in the regionals.
Rogers said that Rummel is one of those teams that does everything well.
“They pitch well, play good defense and have good at bats,” he said. “When you get into the round of eight, you know it’s anybody’s game. Once you get there, you never know what can happen.”
But for the Tigers, Rogers said the team just needs to keep it simple.
“We have to play with confidence and realize that it’s just another ballgame,” he said.
If the Tigers beat Rummel, they will play in the semifinals at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Win that game, and they are in the state championship, which will be held at 7 p.m.
All games are at Tulane’s stadium.
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