By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

LAPLACE — When it comes to Class 2A, St. John Parish has certainly been on the map over the last two seasons, with Riverside and St. Charles counting themselves among state contenders. The two schools, in fact, are four-for-four in reaching at least the state quarterfinals in each sport, with a semifinalist and state runner-up finish included in that count.

So it should be no surprise that six local athletes adorn the Class 2A All-State baseball and softball teams after another tremendous year from the Rebels and Comets in all facets.

The Riverside girls, fresh off of a top seed and finish in the state semifinals, net three All-State starters after finishing the season with a 30-3 record. Pitcher Destin Vicknair —L’Observateur’s Parish MVP — catcher Katie Bailey and centerfielder Taylor Terrio each make the team. All are sophomores.

“Obviously, that means a lot for our program and a lot for our girls,” said Riverside coach Kristy Hebert. “Knowing we have them for another two years is very promising, especially knowing that they’ll improve and be even better.”

District foe St. Charles is represented on the squad by one of its senior leaders, Megan Louque, who helped lead SCC into the state quarterfinals after losing the majority of its starters from a season ago.

On the baseball side, St. Charles’ Brady Hitt set all-time school records for home runs and RBIs in a season and sees his year culminate in a selection for the All-State squad. He was named L’Observateur’s Parish MVP for baseball last week.

Riverside’s Tate Scioneaux also posted gaudy numbers as the Rebels’ ace and as their leading hitter and he has been selected to the All-State team as well.

St. Charles’ Jared Keating, Shane McNeil and Jeffrey Hall and Riverside’s Dylan Martin were all named baseball honorable mention. St. Charles’ Jaymie Remondet and Emily Triche were honorable mention for softball.

Vicknair was dominating this season, the Rebels’ lead pitcher for the third consecutive season despite only being a sophomore. She went 25-3 with an ERA of 0.64. She struck out 162 batters. Her on-base percentage of .615 led the parish and she had five home runs and 42 RBIs.

“Obviously, she was a big part of our success,” said Hebert. “Hitting over .500, you don’t see much of that. I knew she had a good shot at the team after the year she had, so I’m glad to see it happen.”

Bailey, a sophomore, had a tremendous year of her own both offensively and defensively, hitting .438 (.471 OBP) with three home runs and 34 RBIs. She threw out baserunners on 12 of 17 steal attempts as the team’s catcher.

“She’s been back there since her eighth grade season and keeps getting better. She’s made the most improvement with her bat and we can count on her to come up big when we need a hit. She’s really steady behind the plate.”

Terrio’s tremendous speed helped make the sophomore one of the state’s top defensive centerfielders, as well as one of it’s best leadoff batters. She got on base at a .560 clip (.490 BA), stole 23 bases and scored 44 runs.

“She’s played for us since she was in the seventh grade. She’s a quiet player, but she speaks with her bat and glove. She’s modest and doesn’t care about the individual praise, but just wants to help her team win.”

Louque was her team’s lone pitcher after the graduation of Courtney Western and a preseason injury to Chelsea Loupe, but the senior stepped up to win 22 games and post a 1.82 ERA. She also hit six home runs, a single season school record, and batted .452 with 35 RBIs.

“She was part of our first title team as a freshman, and one of my most vivid memories was seeing her with tears running down her face,” said St. Charles coach Ty Monica. “You can talk about what she did as a pitcher, and she was tremendous, but at the plate she brought a whole lot to the table. She ends up going 2 for 3 at the All-Star game with the best players in the state … To finish her career on the All-State team is fitting. She’s very deserving.”

A senior, Hitt simply leaves SCC after posting one of the school’s most productive seasons ever. His eye-popping numbers included 14 home runs and 56 RBIs, both school records. He hit .530 and scored 47 runs. As a pitcher, the lefty had a 3.85 ERA and went 4-2.

“It’s the culmination of the season he had,” said St. Charles coach Paul Waguespack. “You bat over .500, hit 14 home runs … you’re a guy who deserves all the accolades. He’ll play ball this summer and now it’s a matter of where he goes next. He’s got a couple of offers and now he’s just deciding.”

Scioneaux, a junior, was Riverside’s go-to guy on the mound and was its best bet for a big hit, hitting 13 home runs with 42 RBIs. He scored 33 runs. On the mound, he went 5-3 with a 3.47 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 66.2 innings.

“The stats don’t lie with Tate, especially when you consider how teams would pitch around him,” said Riverside coach Matt White.

“There’s no telling what he might have done had teams come across the plate at him. We’re just glad to have him for another year. He’ll be our number one again, he’ll catch … he’s a prospect. But he’s a guy that will be successful with or without baseball.”