Loreauville will need to put up a new sign outside of town — one that proclaims the community as home to a state champion.

The Loreauville High School baseball team brought back home some serious hardware this past weekend from its trip to McMurry Park in Sulphur for the LHSAA state tournament.

Not only did the LHS baseball team bring back the program’s first state championship but also the school’s first state title in any team sport.

Loreauville accomplished the impressive feat by rallying from five runs down to take down Welsh, 12-5, in Saturday’s title game — a day after beating top seed Kinder, 12-9.

Loreauville has been building up to this moment ever since Rob Segura took over as head coach of the Tigers more than a decade ago.

Under his direction, Loreauville has made the playoffs nine times in 11 seasons, and reached the state quarterfinals twice before this year’s magical run with losing to Kinder in 2013 and then eventual state champion Sterlington in 2017. 

This season, Loreauville did take its lumps with a difficult schedule that saw the Tigers lose 11 games, including a 10-2 late season loss to eventual Division II state champion Teurlings Catholic. There was also the three-game losing streak in District 7-2A play that prevented them from claiming the district championship.

Yet, when the postseason came Loreauville played with the determination and discipline of a state champion as the team outscored its first three playoff opponents by the margin of 61-10. Then came the back-to-back 12 run games in Sulphur.

The town of less than 900 residents, which actually categorizes it as a village, may need to go ahead and clear some space for more signs in the future. 

LHS loses only four seniors from this year’s team and many of the team’s biggest impact players are only sophomores, which will make the Tigers a title contender for the next few years.

But for right now, it is time for the Tigers and their hometown, which celebrated the victory with a parade on Thursday night, to enjoy their moment in the spotlight. It is well deserved.

Raymond Partsch III

Managing Editor