CCHS heads north to face Cedar Creek

Central Catholic will look to continue its playoff run as Class 1A’s top-ranked team when it makes a four-plus hour road trip to Ruston to face No. 9 Cedar Creek Thursday at 6 p.m.
Central Catholic (25-4) was forced to travel in the quarterfinal round after Cedar Creek (18-9), Class 1A’s ninth seed, pulled the mild upset against St. Martin’s Episcopal with an 8-3 victory on the road in second-round play. The game began Saturday and was halted in the fifth due to rain with Cedar Creek ahead 8-2. The game was called in the sixth inning Sunday with Cedar Creek leading 8-3.
As for its upcoming road trip, Central Catholic coach Tyler Jensen said his team may be better suited for the road.
“They genuinely like being around each other — even if they aggravate each other,” Jensen said. “They genuinely enjoy it. I think the road trip will be fine.”
Jensen said his experienced team has made trips before to Sulphur for the state tournament, so he said he thinks they are prepared for the long trip.
“It’s just going to be how do we handle the in-game stuff? I’m not so much worried about the four and a half hour ride as I am how we’re going to play, in general,” Jensen said.
Central Catholic’s matchup with Cedar Creek also will a uniting of friends in Jensen and Cedar Creek coach Ben Haddox.
“He’s kind of my contact up north,” Jensen said. “I’m his contact down in the south just about teams, but a lot of times we talk about other things besides baseball. He and I both are kind of the same in that we’re not the type of guys that just want to talk baseball all the time. He’s a really good guy. I was hoping to avoid them, not only (because) we’re friends, but because they’re a really good team.”
Cedar Creek won the District 1-1A title with a 7-0 mark this year.
In the playoffs, the Cougars have defeated No. 27 Block, 10-2, and St. Martin’s.
“They do a lot of the things Grand Lake does as far as small-balling you and putting pressure on you,” Jensen said of Cedar Creek. “I think they’ll have some guys that swing it a little better in the order.”
Cedar Creek features an LSU-Eunice signee, Huff McIntosh, on the mound.
Two years ago when Cedar Creek, then a No. 7 seed, upset No. 3 Central Catholic in the Class 1A semifinals, 13-8, on their way to a Class 1A title, the Cougars started sophomore Huff McIntosh. McIntosh, now an LSU-Eunice signee, is back for his senior year.
“He does a really good job of changing speeds,” Jensen said. “I think he’ll be a lot like John Guienze of Hanson on the mound, throwing three pitches for (strikes). It just comes down to how we play. I say that all the time, and I tell our guys that all the time. I feel as confident as anyone when we play like we can, and we’ve said it: you have one bad day. You don’t bring your best one day, and your season ends.
Neither team returns many starters from that game two years ago, and Cedar Creek actually features a young team with just two seniors and two juniors.
“That doesn’t matter much,” Jensen said of Cedar Creek’s youth. “With a program like that, that’s constantly making runs in the playoffs and their success, that doesn’t matter a whole, whole lot, especially with them getting to play at home.”
However, with a young team, Jensen said it is important for his veteran team to get off to a fast start.
“With the type of guys that we have, with them having a younger team, I think if we can start fast and get a lead and play like we can early, maybe it’ll raise some doubts in their minds,” Jensen said.
If Cedar Creek falls behind, though, Jensen said he knows they won’t fold.
“Like I said earlier, we’ll have to play our best 21 outs on defense, 21 outs on offense, and hopefully things go our way,” Jensen said.
Additional reporting by www.rustonleader.com