Weather permitting, the District 3-5A (or 3-5A west if your attention is focused only on local rivalries) will get under way in baseball when Barbe and Sam Houston play in Moss Bluff.

When last on the same field, the two played arguably the best game I’ve covered in more than two decades, with Barbe winning a 1-0, 11-inning thriller in the state semifinals en route to their 11th state championship.

The stakes won’t be that high this time, but they, and the quality of play, are always high when these two programs get together. Barbe has rolled off 20 straight wins without a loss to start their season.

Losing last year’s state most valuable player, pitcher Jack Walker, has done nothing to slow the Buc juggernaut. Gavin Guidry is a dominating first starter and fellow LSU commitments J.C. Vanek and Owen Galt have shined since joining the pitching rotation this year.

The Bucs have allowed one run in six games and shutout six opponents so far this season.

The Broncos are 14-3 and like the Bucs, have been dominant on the mound, allowing two runs or less 12 times this season.

The Broncos lineup has gotten a boost with a return to health by UL-Lafayette signee Luke Yuhasz. Andrew Glass, a Tulane signee, is one of the best two-way players in the state.

Sulphur, with an ace-level pitcher now that Jake Brown, a LSU commitment, has recovered from arm surgery, hopes to be a mix in the title chase this season. Brown, a center fielder when not on the mound, is another two-way star, who is batting .574 on the season. Dillion Bird (.446) adds strength to the Tors lineup. Sulphur is off to a 16-3 start and starts its two-game series with Barbe Saturday, following a district-opening series with Southside.

The District 4-3A race should be a fun one as well, with reigning Division II state champion St. Louis, Class 3A semifinalist Iowa and a pair of teams in the top ten of the 3A power rankings, Westlake and South Beauregard all in the mix.

The Saints are off to a 7-10 start against a brutal schedule but have returned to good form as of late, winning four of their last six. The Saints feature an explosive lineup led by Jake LaRocca, Reid Snider, Aidan Walsh and James Reina.

Westlake has won five of its last six, reversing a bad spell where the Rams dropped six of seven games. Pitcher/infielder Ethan Koonce returns to lead the Rams, who are looking to build on a solid season last year, when they advanced in the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and only second time since 2009. The Rams last reached the quarterfinal round in 1998.

Iowa is off to a good start at 10-6. The Yellow Jackets have already picked up quality wins over DeQuincy, Rosepine, Kinder, Grand Lake and New Iberia. Ross Dennison, Jacob Kershaw and Lucas Alexander lead the Jackets at the plate while Koltin Lebleu and Reed Dupre have emerged as leaders on the mound.

South Beauregard narrowly missed making another state tournament appearance last year, losing to Brusly in a three-game quarterfinal round series. Despite losing a few stalwarts to graduation, the young Knights have started the season well at 10-6, getting production for Laydon Sepulvado, Christian Wold, Carter Caraway and Bryce Jensen.

There should be plenty of drama in the lower classes as well. Rosepine has resumed its championship-winning form from last season, with Ethan Frey, Grant Ducote and Jake Smith powering the Eagles lineup and Frey and Braden Trull leading the pitching staff.

Kinder has one of the area’s top athletes in Griffin Cooley, a speedster with developing power at the plate. The Yellow Jackets and head coach Rick Whittington have a long history of winning and could challenge the Eagles for the District 5-2A crown this season. DeQuincy, led by another two-way star in Reese Ashworth, could also get into the title chase. The Tigers are 10-5 and coming off a trip to the quarterfinal round last season.

District 4-1A is an annual fight that has produced a trio of state tournament teams in recent years with Grand Lake, Oberlin and Merryville all reaching Sulphur. Grand Lake finished as runner-up last year and returns ace pitcher Devin David. The Hornets are 7-4 to start the season.

Elizabeth (12-3) and Fairview (5-1) are both off to good starts in District 5-B. The Bulldogs reached the state championship game last season. In Class C, Reeves, South Cameron and Hackberry are all currently in the top ten of the power rankings.

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Warren Arceneaux covers high school athletics. Email him at warren.arceneaux @americanpress.com