Fourth-year seniors pushing CL baseball

Johnny Jones’ LSU career will go a long way in deciding Alleva’s fate
April 18, 2012
Hornets finishing the season strong
April 18, 2012
Johnny Jones’ LSU career will go a long way in deciding Alleva’s fate
April 18, 2012
Hornets finishing the season strong
April 18, 2012

Four seasons ago, the Central Lafourche baseball team had five freshman players playing key roles on the varsity squad.


That team struggled.

Flash forward to the present and those once-inexperienced pups are now seniors with countless innings under their belts.


The Trojans are now pushing for a district championship.


With years of experience at several key positions, Central Lafourche has established themselves as a force throughout the Tri-parish area.

With an undefeated record in the first round of Bayou District play, the Trojans appear primed and ready to dog pile as possible future district champions.


“We knew when it was set up with five freshmen on the varsity that we’d have a real strong team our senior year,” senior pitcher and outfielder Stephen Potter said. “And this year is finally that year and so far, we’re doing what we can to live up to our own expectations and play good baseball.”


“Our district season so far has been really good for us,” Trojans coach Scott Duplantis said. “We started it off 7-0. That’s the first time that we’ve done that here at Central maybe ever and I know for sure it’s the first time since I’ve been here in 13 years. It’s been just an absolutely great start.”

The unquestioned key to Central Lafourche’s success has been its dominant pitching staff.


The Trojans are currently allowing just a measly 3.76 runs per game this season.


In district play, those numbers are even more fierce and Central Lafourche is allowing just 1.42 runs per tilt, including two shutouts and three games where they’ve allowed just one run.

Senior lefty and Nicholls State University commitment Jace Cheramie anchors that pitching staff with Potter, who also owns a few complete game victories in his own right.


Together, the Trojans’ 1-2 punch make up two of four left-handed pitchers the team has on its staff, which has earned high praise throughout the season from their coach.


“Our pitching has been fabulous,” Duplantis said. “This is the best staff that I’ve ever had here. And area, this is one of the best staffs I’ve seen in the area here in a really long time. We have the ability to run out the four lefties and they have all been excellent. We mix them in with a handful of righties and we’ve just been tough to hit. I think the numbers allow us the ability to say that because we’ve definitely been tough to hit.”

“We really made it a goal in the offseason to work hard as a staff, because we believed if we did, we could be doing these things we’re doing right now,” Cheramie said. “It’s pretty cool to us to see that work paying off in the form of on-field success.”


One of the reasons why Central Lafourche has been tough to hit is because of their season-long theme on the mound – location.


The Trojans have consistently pounded the strikezone, which has forced teams to put the ball in play.

“Just stay away from the walks,” Duplantis said. “That’s what got us early in the year – we were putting guys on and truthfully, that’s what was giving teams a shot to beat us. As a coach, you can tell the guys, ‘OK, they are maybe going to get a hit an inning.’ Well, if you mix a walk in somewhere in front of that hit and all of a sudden the inning is trouble and there are your runs. Getting away from that has been what’s allowed us to take that next step in district.”


With pitchers throwing strikes and opponents putting the ball in play, it’s up to the Trojans’ defense to stand tall in the face of a challenge.

So far they’ve done that and more.

Duplantis said Central Lafourche has made “very few” errors since district play started.

Senior shortstop Austin Odell and first baseman Evan Hebert agreed and said the team’s defense is a perfect complement to the pitching.

“We’ve played wonderful defense so far in district,” Odell said. “We had our ups and downs before district in the field, but now we’ve kind of relaxed and we’re making all of the routine plays.”

“It’s awesome,” Hebert added. “Having the pitchers throw strikes just gives us a pace to the game that we like. That helps the defense and really just everyone, because we all get to stay in the game.”

With quick innings on defense, the Trojans spend a lot of time on the sticks – an area where the team is improving this season.

Central Lafourche has been a hit or miss offensive club that sometimes has pop, but other times has fizzle.

Either way, Duplantis said the strategy for the Trojans is made simple because of the team’s dominant arms.

“Just get on base, play small base, steal a sack or two – do whatever we’ve got to do to scratch home a few runs here or there,” Duplantis said. “We know we don’t need to score a dozen to win. That’s a luxury we have.”

With the second round of district speeding into gear, another luxury the Trojans have is in the standings.

Central Lafourche is currently in first place in the Bayou District by two whole games.

The team hopes to keep that lead and take home the title.

If they do, they believe they can continue their push into the playoffs.

After all, these guys have seen the ropes. For many, this is their fourth time around the block.

“We want to make a run,” Cheramie said. “We want to try and take this thing far into the playoffs.”

“We just need to keep doing the same things in the second half as we did in the first half,” Hebert added. “If we do, we can get into the playoffs and shift our goals to making a run at a state championship.”

Central Lafourche pitcher Jace Cheramie tosses a pitch during a game last season.

CASEY GISCLAIR | TRI-PARISH TIMES