It was a banner year for District 4-1A which sent four teams to the state softball and baseball semifinals and swept the top honors on the American Press All-Southwest Louisiana Small School teams.

South Cameron Lady Tarpons senior pitcher Lexi DeBarge and Grand Lake Hornets senior third baseman Kade Pousson are the MVPs after leading their teams on deep playoff runs.

DeBarge lead the Tarpons to the semifinals for the first time since 2007. The District 4-1A MVP and LSU-Eunice signee posted a 15-6 record and batted .379.

Pousson, a two-way player, hit .471 with 24 RBIs and 23 runs while going 5-2 on the mound and claimed 4-1A MVP honors while leading the Hornets to the Class 1A state championship game.

Coach of the Year honors went to East Beauregard’s Marsha Cooley and Grand Lake’s Mark Young.

Cooley led East Beauregard to its first state softball tournament appearance, where they lost to eventual state champion LaSalle in the semifinals.

Young started the school year as an assistant principal but later took over the baseball team and guided the Hornets to a district championship and their first state championship game before losing to LaSalle 8-3.

In addition to Pousson, baseball infielders include Kinder first baseman Stag Credeur (.314, 30 runs) and second baseman Chris Khammany (40 runs, 38 runs), Rosepine shortstop Tanner Wiegand (.468, 51 runs, 24 RBIs, 30 SBs, 3-2A MVP) and Elizabeth catcher Ty Morgan (.588, 8 HRs, 39 RBIs, 38 runs, 8-0, 1.29 ERA), the District 6-C MVP.

Pitchers include Grand Lake’s Kade Delcambre (9-3, 55 IP, 72 Ks), Oberlin’s Tyler Alexander (10-5), DeQuincy’s Luke Miller (8-0, 1.33 ERA) and Rosepine southpaw Ty Perrill (8-3, 1.39).

Outfielders are Kinder’s Conner Fawcett (.333, 6 HR, 29 RBIs), Grand Lake’s Alex Guillory (.417, 31 runs, 18 SBs) and Welsh’s Zach Hayes. Utility players include Elizabeth’s Mark Reed (10-2, 1.44 ERA/.420, 33 RBIs, 34 runs), Vinton’s Dalen Guillory (5-3, 1.32 ERA/.319, 16 RBIs, 23 runs, 19 SBs), Hamilton Christian’s Corbin McEntire (.6-5, 2.64 ERA, 91 K, 23 BB), Oberlin’s Christian Maldanado and Reeves’ Blaze Gauthron.

Joining DeBarge as pitchers on the softball team are East Beauregard’s Abbie Clendening (9-6, 1.41 ERA, .372, 5 HRs, 22 RBIs), Rosepine’s Morghan LaTour (194, 134 IP, 201 Ks), an LSU-Eunice signee, and Kinder’s Sarah Gartman.

Infield picks include Rosepine catcher and Lamar signee Lauryn McMahon (.365, 4 HRs, 21 RBIs) and third baseman Haylee Brinlee (.442, 6 HRs, 34 RBIs, 11 doubles, 4 triples), East Beauregard first baseman Kylie Bullock, South Cameron second baseman Karlee Nunez, and Kinder shortstop Kate Trahan, the District 4-2A MVP.

Outfielders include Oberlin’s Kelsey Ardoin, Lake Arthur’s Jamara Levy and South Cameron’s Cadi Manuel.

Rounding out the softball team are utility players Blanche Beard (.442, 3 HRs, 31 runs, 30 RBIs) of Hackberry, DeQuincy’s Allie Doucet, Rosepine Desiree Squires (.457, 30 RBIs, 13 doubles, 5 triples), South Cameron’s Baleigh Conner and East Beauregard’s Kristen Deason.

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