By Rodrick Anderson and Warren Arceneaux

American Press

LSU baseball turned a triple play in the area Wednesday with Kinder High’s Griffin Cooley, Sulphur’s Jake Brown and Sam Houston’s Dylan Thompson signing National Letters of Intent with the Tigers on the opening day of the early signing period.

Cooley, an outfielder, takes a combination of speed and power to Baton Rouge.

Last season he hit .422 with three home runs, 27 RBIs and 18 steals.

“It is a blessing,” Cooley said. “It has been a goal of mine since I was a kid. I have alway felt like I belonged on that level. I feel like I swing it well and have a plus arm. I am looking forward to getting there, playing in The (Alex) Box, being in all those big games and playing with guys I have known since we were kids.”

Brown is a southpaw pitcher with a fastball in the 90s. He struck out 131 batters in 73 innings in a Class 2A semifinal run last season. He also swings a solid bat and can play in the outfield.

“It is something special,” Brown said. “It is something I have been waiting for my whole life and to be here with these other guys that I am lucky enough to call my friends and teammates.

“Growing up, LSU has always been me and my family’s dream. Growing up in Louisiana and seeing the purple and gold since I was a young kid has always been my dream and now I am happy to live it.”

Thompson has been a strong infielder for the Broncos who also provided some big hits and key innings on the mound.

“I have been dreaming about this day,” Thompson said. “I fell in love with the coaching staff.

“It is not too far away from home, but I finally get away from home a little bit.

“It has always been my dream school. I have always wanted to go there.”

Thompson’s Broncos teammate Sam Ardoin signed to play at Texas, where he will follow in the footsteps of brother Silas Ardoin, a catcher. Ardoin batted leadoff (.310, 8 doubles, 21 RBIs) in the Broncos’ run to the quarterfinals while playing second base and pitching (6-1, 2.43 ERA).

“I feel very blessed,” Ardoin said. “I know he has set a standard in our family. He really paved the way for me.

“I am looking forward to the great people around the university, making new friends, networking and creating a brotherhood with the baseball team over there. I also look forward to competing for a national championship.”

Barbe’s Donovan Lasalle signed to play at Oklahoma State. Lasalle, who can play a variety of infield and outfield positions, helped the Bucs win the 2021 state championship.

“When I was on my visit there, it felt like home. It was like being with family with the players and coaches there,” he said. “It is just the beginning here. There is still a lot of work to do and I can’t wait to get there.”

At St. Louis Catholic, teammates Reid Snider and Jake LaRocca are sticking together. Both signed to play at Louisiana Tech. The duo helped the Saints win a state title in 2021.

Snider has hit .374 with two home runs, 58 RBIs and 20 steals in his St. Louis career.

Snider, a corner infielder, said a visit to the Ruston campus made a big impression on him.

“The facilities were almost as nice as an SEC program and I loved the coaches,” he said. “It’s a great place to be and I’m excited to go there. I’m looking forward to the competition and different challenges I will face.”

LaRocca, a catcher, said there were plenty of reasons to choose Tech.

“I liked the school, the facilities and the coaches were amazingly nice people,” he said. “I’m excited to be able to get this opportunity.”

LaRocca has hit .360 with eight home runs, 54 RBIs and 27 steals at St. Louis.

Also headed to Ruston will be infielder Jake Smith, who has helped the Rosepine Eagles to a pair of Class 2A state championships. Smith earned all-state honors last year after hitting .461 with five home runs, 63 runs and 43 RBIs.

A trio of Sulphur Tors — infielder Gage Trahan (.352, 8 doubles, 4 triples, 35 RBIs), pitcher Kohl Navarre (6-1, 9 Svs, 41.2 IP, 2.18 ERA) and catcher Cooper Devall — signed with McNeese State.

Tors infielder Dillon Bird signed with Southeastern Louisiana.

Basketball

St. Louis all-state guard Paris Guillory is headed to Ruston to play for Louisiana Tech. She has helped the Saints win consecutive state championships. She averaged 18 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game last season.

“I liked that it is a family-oriented place,” she said. “They welcomed me. I want to win another state championship, reach 2,000 career points and have fun in my senior year. I’ve enjoyed the people and coaches here at St. Louis, as well as being able to accomplish so much.”

Barbe guard Mikaylah Manley is also headed north after signing with Louisiana-Monroe. She averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds per game last season

“I like the coaching staff,” Manley said. “They love their players so much and it is a great school. They made me feel so comfortable. I am looking forward to going there and improving all parts of my game.

“Now I feel like I read the court well, can rebound and score. I am working on being more aggressive.”

Track and field

South Beauregard’s Trinity Spooner is headed to Baton Rouge to throw the javelin for the Tigers. She won the Class 3A state javelin title in May and had the second-best throw (151-8) in the nation last season, according to milesplit.com.

“When I was really feeling the pressure of having to choose a school,” Spooner said. “I texted a good friend of mine asking how she knew what school was for her. She replied with the simple statement “When you get there on your visit you will know by the end of it if the school is for you. You won’t have to think about it. It will just feel right.’ And it did.

“Within the first 24 hours, I knew LSU is where I wanted to call home. Never would I have thought that I would be where I am today. I have truly been blessed with a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Softball

Three members of Sam Houston’s 2022 semifinalist team signed with Southland Conference teams. Pitcher Lexi Dibbley (5-1, 3.03 ERA/.398 avg., 10 HR, 36 RBIs) and infielder Brylie Fontenot (.534, 19 HR, 59 RBIs) inked with McNeese, while utility player Breanna Fontenot picked Southeastern Louisiana in Hammond.

Speedy outfielder and big hitter Kamryn Broussard (.470, 15 HR, 56 RBIs), who has led Iowa to back-to-back Class 3A state title games, signed with Grambling State.

Former Rosepine star Chloe Bennett, a pitcher, signed with Southeastern Louisiana. Last year Bennett played at LSU-Eunice, going 23-10 with a 3.51 ERA and 240 strikeouts in 197 innings.

What’s ahead

Signings continue today with Singer all-state pitcher Tate Hess expected to sign with Louisiana-Lafayette. A trio of St. Louis athletes will sign next week with the Ragin’ Cajuns with track and field athletes Kenzie Touchet and Ella Segura and golfer Ross Anderson also headed east.