The Lake Area pipeline to Louisiana-Lafayette continued on Wednesday during the national early signing period as four athletes picked the Ragin’ Cajuns.

Sulphur’s Jackson Beddoe and Slade Shove-Knox, along with Sam Houston’s Cole Flanagan, signed with the Cajuns baseball program, while St. Louis Catholic state record holder Hannah Boullion signed with the Cajuns track and field team.

Last year the Cajuns signed three area baseball players — Barbe’s Owen Galt and Kasen Bellard, and Sam Houston Griffin Hebert, plus St. Louis pole vaulter Mason Abshire and golfer Ross Anderson. In 2022, ULL signed Singer’s Tate Hess (baseball) and St. Louis’ Ella Segura (track), Kenzie Touchet (track).

Shove-Knox pitched in many of the Tors’ biggest games last season and finished with a 5-3 record with a 1.45 earned run average in 48 innings with 59 strikeouts and 28 walks.

“It feels really good,” Shove-Knox said. “I am really excited about what is to come. I am really thankful for the coaches that got me here.”

Beddoe batted .410 with 31 RBIs and 24 stolen bases for the regional finalist Tors.

“It is what I have worked for my whole life since I was a little kid and it all pays off,” Beddoe said.

Boullion set the Class 3A outdoor 400-meter state record in May (54.87 seconds) and has been a member of three state championship teams.

“I have some friends that already run track there and I love their facilities,” Boullion said. “It is just a really great school. Their team looks very united and I just like how their team looked.”

Flanagan missed his junior season after having Tommy John surgery but says he’s looking forward to playing with former teammates again.

“I am very happy to do this,” Flanagan said. “I love that atmosphere. It is pretty close to home. All the guys love baseball. A bunch of past teammates have been there and I am excited to be with them again.”

McNeese State picked up three area athletes, including two volleyball players. Middle hitter Ava Henry, who has 1,200 career kills, signed with the Cowgirls.

“I feel so great,” Henry said “I am so excited.

“I feel super grateful for this opportunity to play at the next level.”

Sam Houston’s Connor Walker signed with the Cowboys baseball team after he helped lead the Broncos to the semifinals in May.

“I always loved watching McNeese,” Walker said. ”It is really good to be able to go play there. I love the program.”

Barbe catcher Presley Courville signed with the University of Texas after reaching the Non-select Division I state championship game in May. He was originally committed to Texas A&M before head coach Jim Schlossnagle took the Texas job in June.

“It feels amazing,” Courville said. “I haven’t felt this way in a long time.

“The city (Austin) is amazing, and the coaches are absolutely amazing. I was with the coaches since early freshman year while they were at Texas A&M, and I switched over with them. It was a no-brainer.”

 

NCAA Division I

Jackson Beddoe, Sulphur ULL baseball

Slade Shove-Knox, Sulphur ULL baseball

Hannah Boullion, St. LOuis ULL track

Cole Flanagan, SHHS ULL baseball

Connor Walker, SHHS McNeese baseball

Ava Henry, SHHS McNeese volleyball

Bailey Foolkes, SHHS* McNeese volleyball

Presley Courville, Barbe Texas baseball

Prestaisha White, Sulphur# Southern Univ. softball

NCAA Div. II

Blake Butler, S. Beau Ouachita Bapt. wrestling

Savannah Weldon, SHHS Miss. College soccer

Caleb Lavine, SHHS McKendree Univ. wrestling

NCAA Div. III

Ashton Bultron, SHHS Belhaven baseball

Jace Vasquez, Barbe Millsaps Coll. baseball

NJCAA Div. I

Brecken Bordelon, St. Louis Baton Rouge CC baseball

Haden Peshoff, SHHS Bossier Parish CC baseball

Maddox Ardoin, SHHS Bossier Parish CC baseball

Cameron Stutes, Barbe Bossier Parish CC baseball

Jarius Miller, Barbe Hill College baseball

Shyler Smith, Barbe Nunez CC baseball

NJCAA Div. II

Brit Vick, Barbe LSUE baseball

Clayton Folks, S. Beau UA-Rich Mountain baseball

Luke Brister, S. Beau UA-Rich Mountain baseball

Yahir Pagan, SHHS UA-Rich Mountain baseball

NAIA

Aubrey Hobbs, SHHS LSUA softball

*Preffered walk on

#Signing Wednesday, Nov. 20