Guarisco, Jensen net 1A state top honors

Class 1A state champion Central Catholic swept the individual honors on the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Class 1A All-State baseball team.
Central Catholic senior shortstop Samuel Guarisco was named Class 1A’s Outstanding Player, while the Eagles skipper, Tyler Jensen, is 1A’s Coach of the Year.
The Eagles also had two other first-team selections, pitcher Gregory Leger and first baseman Mitchell Lemoine, and two honorable mention selections, pitcher Blake Hidalgo and utility player Stefano Guarisco.
“Obviously I’m excited about us having five guys represent us on all-state,” Jensen said. “That’s always a good honor. …. I definitely thought that Blake and Stefano deserved to be first-team as well.”
Jensen said there were others on his team he thought were deserving of all-state recognition.
Samuel Guarisco, the Most Outstanding Player in the 1A title game, finished the season with a .403 batting average with 10 doubles and 31 RBIs.
The senior came on in relief in the state championship game on the mound and had the game-winning hit in the bottom of the seventh in the Eagles 8-7 victory.
“Like I said after the (title) game, he’s been our guy,” Jensen said. “I think that award is not only what he did this year but a culmination of four years combined.”
Guarisco, a four-year starter at shortstop who also pitched during high school, caps his prep career as a four-time all-state selection, including a first-team selection the past two seasons.
Meanwhile, Jensen led the Eagles (28-4) to their first state title since the one he won as a senior in high school in 2005.
“Obviously, very humbling,” Jensen said of the honor. “It’s nice to be respected by sports writers, by your peers, but more than anything, it’s an award to be shared by your staff.”
He said he felt like early this season, he had done “one of the worst jobs” as a head coach but his assistants, Larry Lombardo, Dan Irwin and Gary Hebert, had done one of the best jobs.
Jensen has led the Eagles to at least the Class 1A semifinals in each of his five seasons at the helm, including three state championship game appearances. He has a 122-33 record as the Eagles head coach.
Leger finished his junior season with a 6-3 mark, a 1.89 ERA and 71 strikeouts.
While Jensen said Leger had some “tough losses” and “tough games” against high caliber competition, the coach thought it was beneficial.
“I felt like it really prepared him for the second-round playoff game against Grand Lake and the final game against Oak Grove,” Jensen said.
He said he was proud that Leger and Hidalgo put up such impressive numbers despite facing some of the state’s best teams.
Lemoine, a junior, batted .430 with 10 doubles, one home run and 31 RBIs.
“He was probably the most feared power hitter we had. … A lot of people showed him a lot of respect,” Jensen said.
Hidalgo finished his junior season with a 7-1 record and an ERA under 2.50. He had 73 strikeouts.
Jensen said he talked to Hidalgo about what the coach thought was a first-team snub and said he hopes Hidalgo uses it as motivation.
“He’s a kid that’s going to be driven to prove a point, and I’m really looking forward to how he uses it as motivation,” Jensen said.
Stefano Guarisco, who batted .438 in district, made his mark in a big way at the state tournament. The senior and Nicholls State football signee had a double in the bottom of the seventh and scored the game’s lone run, using his speed, in a 1-0 victory against Hanson Memorial in the semifinals.
In the state championship game, he had a bunt single in the bottom of the seventh during the Eagles rally for an 8-7 victory against Oak Grove.
“We asked him to do some things that he really hadn’t had to do in the past,” Jensen said of Guarisco, who he said is more adept to playing centerfield but was moved to second base this season.
“We’re definitely going to miss him in the top of the order,” Jensen said. “Our tone setter and our emotional leader out there.”
With a large junior class coming back, Jensen said he expects to be in contention for a state title next year.
“The thing I told the guys before the summer is as hard as it is to win one, it’s 10 times harder to win another one,” said Jensen, who won back-to-back titles his junior and senior seasons of high school.
Central Catholic’s league, District 7-1A, was well represented on the All-State team. Other first-team selections included Hanson pitcher John Guienze, Hanson catcher Bo Barrilleaux, Hanson outfielder Brennan Young, Vermilion Catholic outfielder Hunter Frith, Ascension Episcopal outfielder Jeffery Elkins and utility selection Emile Trahan of Vermilion Catholic.
District 7-1A honorable mention selections included Vermilion Catholic’s Gage Trahan and Hanson’s Luke Lancon.

Louisiana Sports Writers Association
Class 1A All-State Baseball
Pos. Player School Cl Avg
P Brady Atkins Montgomery Sr. 8-4
P Chuck Kovach Westminster Sr. 7-1
P John Guienze Hanson Sr. 10-2
P Gregory Leger Central Catholic Jr. 6-3
C Bo Barrilleaux Hanson Sr. .518
IF Mitchel Lemoine Central Catholic Jr. .430
IF Gavin Dugas Houma Christian So. .500
IF Samuel Guarisco Central Catholic Sr. .403
IF Nick Bellina Ascension Catholic Jr. .455
OF Brennan Young Hanson Sr. .447
OF Hunter Frith Vermilion Catholic Sr. .422
OF Jeffery Elkins Ascension Episcopal Jr. .411
UT Kyle Delcambre Grand Lake Sr. 9-2
UT Landon Clifton Ascension Catholic Jr. 7-2
UT Logan Maggio Catholic-PC Sr. .375
UT Cullen Ledet Covenant Christian Sr. 7-1
UT Emile Trahan Vermilion Catholic Sr. .454
Outstanding Player: Samuel Guarisco, Central Catholic
Coach of the Year: Tyler Jensen, Central Catholic
Honorable mention: Kade Pousson, Grand Lake; Kevin Bird, St. Martin’s; Tre’ Mouriz,
Crescent City; Gage Trahan, Vermilion Catholic; Blake Hidalgo, Central Catholic; Ryan
Boudreaux, Covenant Christian; Cameron Soulet, Covenant Christian; Brock Theriot,
Houma Christian; Brady Atkins, Montgomery; McCade LeBlanc, Houma Christian; Cole
Zeagler, St. Mary’s; Luke Lancon, Hanson Memorial; Gavin Dugas, Houma Christian;
Mason Zerangue, Ascension Catholic; Stefano Guarisco, Central Catholic; Ross Campbell,
LaSalle; David Giroir, Ascension Catholic; Jackson Wyly, Oak Grove; Hayden Waters, Oak
Grove; Sam Philley, Oak Grove; Huff McIntosh, Cedar Creek; Jacob Mitcham, Cedar
Creek; Alex Puckett, Cedar Creek; Zach Parks, Delhi Charter; Elijah Ward, Delhi Charter.
Bold denotes representatives from District 7-1A

Additional reporting by The Acadiana Advocate.