MC 12U All-Stars to open region against DeQuincy

Morgan City’s 12U All-Stars will be looking to bounce back from a tough ending to District 3 Tournament play when it opens play Friday at 1 p.m. against DeQuincy in the Majors North Regional at Caffery Park in Franklin.
Morgan City enters regional play after topping St. Mary Central 7-1 Monday and forcing a winner-take-all game immediately after.
While Morgan City held as much as a 6-1 lead in the finale, St. Mary Central came back for an eventual 8-6 victory.
Morgan City has had little time to think about the district finale, and coach James Stansbury said his team responded well from the setback.
“That’s one thing about young boys, they’re resilient,” he said.
Stansbury said he likes the idea of a quick turnaround from district to regional play.
“I think that’s best. … We’re ready to get back out there and play some good baseball,” he said.
Heading into regional play, Stansbury said he expects the competition to be solid.
“They’re all-stars, too, and I expect to see some really good competition,” he said.
As for what it will take to be successful, he said it would be defense that would be the determining factor.
“We can hit the ball,” he said. “There’s no doubt about that and I don’t expect that to change.”
Hitting — specifically home runs — is something Morgan City excelled at in district play, as the team connected on seven out-of-the-park home runs in five games.
Stansbury said he knew his squad was capable of the power they displayed with their home runs based on their practices.
“Of course hitting them out in batting practice and during the games are different, but we do have some strong boys on the team. … Hopefully we didn’t hit them all out in district. Hopefully we have some left,” he said.
While Morgan City will have a shorter trip to regionals, Stansbury agreed it’s an opportunity for fewer distractions and keep a routine.
“The boys should be able to be well rested before each ball game,” he said. “I think that’s important.”
Joining Morgan City in the North Regional will be Union Parish, host Franklin, West Carroll, Franklinton American, Girard and Alexandria.
Regional action will continue daily through next week with a championship game set for Monday at 7:30 p.m.
However, if the winner emerging from the loser’s bracket defeats the undefeated team that advanced to the finals, then the two teams will meet again for a winner-take-all contest at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The champion will advance to face the winner of the South Regional in Metairie for 12-year-old state championship.