By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

Four local athletes were selected to the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s Class 2A All-State baseball and softball teams, including two earning their third All-State spot.

St. Charles’ Marc Picciola and Riverside’s Chase Bazile earned spots on the baseball side, while St. Charles teammates Courtney Western and Megan Louque were among the state’s best softball players.

For Picciola and Western, it was their third season of earning All-State honors.

Picciola, a senior and Louisiana Tech signee, was the MVP of District 9-2A and had a tremendous year playing second base. He hit .456 with 10 home runs and 39 RBIs. He also had a 2.80 ERA and 4-2 record on the mound.

He earned All-State honors as a freshman and a sophomore. His junior season started late due to a knee injury.

“It’s just the culmination of four strong seasons,” said St. Charles coach Paul Waguespack. “Marc’s gotten better each and every season and he went out with a real good senior year. In the past, we’ve had guys struggle as seniors. But he was outstanding.”

Western earns her third straight selection after making the Class 3A team in consecutive years. Western also earned honorable mention All-State status as a freshman.

As a senior, Western did it all, hitting .543 and scoring 40 runs while going 15-1 on the mound and striking out 144 batters in 99 innings. She also compiled a 0.78 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP.

“It’s a tribute to her hard work,” said St. Charles coach Ty Monica. “And also to how much she respects the game, and how much everybody respects her. She put St. Charles on the map, and certainly deserves to be honored as a three-time selection.”

Louque was another two-way threat for the Comets, batting .422 with 37 RBIs while also winning 13 games on the mound, including four playoff victories after taking over for Western, who played but could not pitch through a late season knee injury.

It is the junior’s first All-State selection.

“It wasn’t just the way she finished either,” said Monica. “She led us in batting average for a lot of the season. Then to fill in for Courtney like she did shows the kind of mental toughness Megan has. She solidified the spot.”

Bazile hit .400 and collected 40 RBIs for the Rebels this season as the team’s top hitter. The senior shortstop and second baseman earns his first All-State selection as a result after helping carry Riverside into the state quarterfinals for the second straight season.

“It’s a huge honor to make the All-State team, and Chase is more than deserving,” said Riverside coach Britt Waguespack. “He’s meant a whole lot to us, and this shows the public exactly how much he meant to us. To play the schedule we did and to hit .400 really says it all.”