Class 5A-4A
Outstanding Player
Sawyer Pruitt, Live Oak
Pitching against many of Louisiana’s top teams during his senior season, Sawyer Pruitt led the Eagles to a Division I nonselect runner-up finish in impressive fashion.
“I just wanted to give my team the best chance to win every time I touched the ball and I feel like I did that pretty well,” Pruitt said. “My velocity picked up a little bit. My change-up took off a little more this year and so did my slider.
“As a pitcher, the most important thing to do is fill up the strike zone and don’t give up free passes. The five games when I located three pitches I gave up one run, so that was huge.”
The 6-foot-6 UL signee finished 9-2 for Live Oak, recording 117 strikeouts and earning LSWA Class 5A all-state honors.
Pruitt cites a 1-0 victory over Division I select champion Catholic and a shutout win over Benton in a semifinal series game as examples.
Just as crucial as the key wins Pruitt noted was his effort in a 3-1 triumph over eventual champion Sam Houston in the best-of-three finals series. He walked the first four batters he faced and then struck out the next three. Pruitt allowed just three hits and finished with 11 strikeouts.
“Sawyer faced all the toughest teams — Barbe, Catholic, Teurlings, Sam Houston, Parkview, Dutchtown, Benton and Northshore,” Live Oak coach Jesse Cassard said. “He deserves all the attention and accolades he is getting.
“He pitched against the best of the best and was so consistent. His preparation and ability to stay locked in was very mature.”
Class 5A, 4A All-Metro team
PITCHERS
Cameron DeRoche
Lutcher Jr.
Went 8-1 with 1.37 ERA
Zant Gurney
Live Oak, Jr.
Tallied 9-2 record with 1.64 ERA
Lucas Lawrence
Catholic Jr.
Went 9-2 with 1.21 ERA
Sawyer Pruitt
Live Oak, Sr.
Finished 9-2 with 1.17 ERA
Brayden Ray
Brusly, Jr.
Went 10-2 with 0.98 ERA
CATCHER
Andrew Clapinski
Catholic, Sr.
Hit .469
INFIELDERS
Cole Guidroz
Central Jr.
Hit .340
Chip Joiner
West Feliciana Sr.
Batted .400
Matthew Lewis
Denham Springs Sr.
Had a .398 average
Casey McCoy
Dutchtown Sr.
Hit .383
Jack Ruckert
Catholic Sr.
Batted .369
OUTFIELDERS
Noah Lewis
Catholic Sr.
Hit .336
John Martinez
St. Michael, Sr.
Had .390 average
Braylen Montgomery
Walker Sr.
Batted .421
Aiden Washington
Brusly Sr.
Hit .393
UTILITY PLAYERS
Gage Berthelot
Lutcher Sr.
Batted .352; scored 29 runs
Drew Daigle
Brusly Sr.
Batted.384; 5-2 as pitcher
Davis Emonet
Catholic Sr.
Hit .379; 4-0 as pitcher
Aubrey St. Angelo
Brusly Jr.
Hit .360 with 35 RBIs
Cooper Smith
Live Oak Sr.
Hit .383 with eight home runs
Kason Johnson
Dutchtown Sr,
Batted .320; 4-2 as pitcher
Noah Sullivan
Zachary Jr.
Finished 6-2 with 1.37 ERA
Coach of the Year
Brad Bass, Catholic
Another year brought another LHSAA Division I select championship for Brad Bass and the Bears. The 2025 title carried special significance to go along with an outstanding 37-5 record.
An 8-1 victory over Brother Martin that completed a two-game sweep in the championship series gave Catholic back-to-back baseball titles for the first time in school history.
Losing multiple starters from a 2024 championship team that claimed a No. 1 national ranking was not the obstacle that skeptics — and perhaps some opponents — expected Bass’ squad to encounter.
Capitalizing on their version of the next-man-up mentality, the Bears relied on pitching depth and a balanced offense that featured new starters in key places.
Finishing ninth in MaxPreps' final national poll — the best for a Louisiana team — was a final accolade for Bass and the Bears.
Classes 3A and below
Outstanding player
Jake McCann, University
A year after helping University High win its first LHSAA baseball title, there was no question who the leader would be — infielder Jake McCann.
The Belhaven College signee had to step out of his comfort to play the role. McCann admitted the results surprised him as he led the Cubs to a runner-up finish in Division III select.
“We graduated such a large senior class of leaders and I knew I needed to speak up,” McCann said. “I always try to lead by example, so that part was different.
“When we went 4-0 in the Monroe tournament to open the season, I knew good things would happen. Toward the end of this year … that was probably as much fun as I’ve ever had playing baseball.”
In 2024, McCann powered a rally that gave Cubs a come-from-behind victory in the title game. As a senior, his numbers improved. He batted .373 with 47 hits, 45 runs, 14 doubles, three home runs and 24 RBIs.
“Jake was just that guy for us,” coach Jon Ramsey said. “He was the leader and nobody would question that. Even though he’s not the most vocal guy, he knew what he needed to do.
“Nobody can ever question his work ethic. The (players) respect him, so when he did speak, they listened.”
McCann, in turn, credits his teammates, coaches and the team culture. His self-deprecating approach is no surprise.
“We’re an incredibly resilient group,” McCann said. “That resiliency is something we built a culture with.
“Early on, we were super young with a lot of new starters. We made mistakes, but by the end of the year we were clicking. It was really special.”
All-Metro team
PITCHERS
Cade Durbin
Parkview Baptist, Sr.
Went 7-0 with 0.99 ERA
Mace Melancon
Ascension Catholic, Sr.
Finished 7-2 with 2.51 ERA
Sam Mitchell
Parkview Baptist, Sr.
Had 6-2 record with 1.54 ERA
Grant Sunstrom
University, Jr.
Finished 7-3 with 1.45 ERA
Sam Stewart
Family Christian, Jr.
Went 10-3 with 3.09 ERA
CATCHER
Wyatt Buratt
Ascension Christian, Sr.
Hit .382
INFIELDERS
Clayton Kimball
Central Private, Sr.
Batted .365
Jake McCann
University, Sr.
Hit.373
Devyn Baker
Family Christian, So.
Had .378 average
Josh Lim
Dunham School, Sr.
Batted .368
William Nikolaus
Dunham School, Sr.
Hit .320
OUTFIELDERS
Clayton Fontenot
Parkview Baptist, So.
Batted .525
Jaris Hamilton
University, Sr.
Had .315 average
Brody Bailey
Episcopal, Sr.
Hit .318
UTILITY PLAYERS
Henry Beckers
Parkview Baptist, Jr.
Hit .387; had 4-1 pitching record
Tyler Bickett
Central Private, Sr.
Had 7-3 pitching record; batted .327
Chase Cresson
Episcopal, Sr.
Went 4-2 as pitcher; batted .306
Mason Hill
French Settlement, Sr.
Hit .394 with 4-2 pitching record
Mason LeBlanc
Ascension Christian, Sr.
Hit .346; 4-0 as pitcher
Trevor McMorris
French Settlement Jr.
Batted .384; 5-4 as pitcher
Kade Penalbar
Maurepas Jr.
Had 132 strikeouts
Coach of the Year
Jon Ramsey, University
Fate is not always kind to coaches who take over a program in any sport the year after a precedent-setting season.
Because he was an assistant coach at U-High previously, John Ramsey knew both what he had and the challenges the Cubs would face.
What followed was a 2025 season of success few teams in the Baton Rouge area would match or surpass. U-High advanced to the Division III select final series, claiming a runner-up finish with a revamped lineup and coaching staff.
Ramsey’s first season as the U-High head coach ended with a 28-11 record. The Cubs were a No. 2 playoff seed and swept all three of their early-round opponents by 2-0 series margins.