By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

RESERVE — Riverside baseball standout Tate Scioneaux saved the best performance of his career for his last start.

The senior pitcher allowed just two hits against powerful, top-seeded Evangel, spurring his Rebels to victory in the Class 2A semifinals and into the state championship game on the back of a 3-1 victory.

His dominance on that day capped off what was a stellar senior year, one that led to Scioneaux being named Riverside’s Male Athlete of the Year at the school’s recent annual athletic banquet.

That final weekend saw Scioneaux toss 10 innings (he pitched three innings a day after the Evangel victory) and allow just four total hits and one run. Evangel entered that weekend on a tear, winners of 17 straight and a team that had scored 82 runs over its previous six games.

He finished the season with a microscopic 0.55 ERA and a 10-3 record, helping to lead a team that returned just two full-time starters from the prior year finish as District 9-2A champion and state runner-up. An All-State selection, he struck out 120 batters in 91 innings. Four of his wins came in the postseason.

As a hitter, he posted a .450 batting average with six home runs, 40 RBIs and a .520 on-base percentage.

“I thought he was the best player in 2A,” said Riverside assistant baseball coach Barrett Morgan. “When you look at who we threw him against and you look at the dominant numbers he posted, it makes the year he had even more impressive.”

Added head coach Matt White, “He’s the epitome of a team leader, both on and off the field.”

But Scioneaux’s impact wasn’t limited to the baseball field. A returning All-District defensive back, he stepped into a quarterback position vacated by the graduated Darnell Rachal, who captained the most productive offense in the history of the school.

He was unshaken by that pressure. After a 1-1 start, the Rebels went on to win seven of next final nine games, averaging 43.2 points a game in their seven victories.

The added responsibility didn’t hurt him defensively, as he helped steady that side of the ball with seven interceptions and 40 tackles.