Former Rebel Jordan Porrier named tournament MVP

By JOHNNY PEPPO

Sports Editor

The Dizzy Dean 17- to 19-year-old World Series had plenty of local flavor a week and a half ago, when the New Orleans Spice took the national championship in Southaven, Mississippi, over the Baltimore Wave by a score of 4-2.

Led in the title run by former Riverside Rebel Jordan Porrier, who was named tournament MVP for his play at shortstop and pitcher, the Spice streaked through the first two rounds of brackets before dropping a game in the double-elimination tournament. Fellow St. John Parish standouts Matt Heltz, Kyle Olasin and Blake Gillies aided in the team’s rebound games with timely hitting and base-stealing which gave their squad the opportunity to take two straight over an undefeated Baltimore squad.

The World Series started well for the Spice as they opened with a win over tournament favorite Florida 9-3 in the first game, behind the strong pitching of Robby Breaux and Gillies along with bats of Porrier, Heltz and Olasin. New Orleans advanced passed Georgia 12-1 and Virgina, 14-2, with Porrier picking up a win from the mound to see the only other undefeated team in the Maryland-based Wave team. But the Spice were flat in a 4-3 loss pushing them into the loser’s bracket to take on Tennesse.

There, New Orleans jumped out to an early lead, and winning the right to advance to face the Maryland squad again. Already down to the Wave team by a loss, head coach Danny Riehm called on Porrier to pitch. Backed with clutch hitting and base stealing by Heltz and Olasin, New Orleans held on in a tense one for a 10-5 victory, forcing the ‘if-necessary’ game. In a well played game on both sides of the ball, the Spice defeated the Waves 4-2 for the Championship behind a gutsy pitching performance by former E.D. White all-star Robbie Breaux.

The title makes two championship squads that Porrier has been a part of, as he played a pivotal role in Riverside’s state title run this past season. He has committed to Pensacola Junior College and was tabbed as a Major League Baseball draft pick to the Atlanta Braves in the 33rd round this year.

Heltz and Olasin were standouts on the recent St. Charles Catholic LHSAA state semi-finalist team. Blake Gillies, a resident of LaPlace and a graduate of Brother Martin High School, recently completed his freshman season at Enterprise College in Alabama where he led all freshmen in innings pitched.

The Spice as a team finishes the 2006 season, which began on May 28, with an overall record of 32-9. The team finished the World Series with a 6-1 record that included wins over three state championship teams. The team won a state championship of their own, taking the Louisiana tournament

held at Alex Box Stadium on the campus of LSU the weekend of July 19. After a close call against Rummel High School, the Spice did not give up a run, defeating The Baton Rouge White Sox 9-0, the Louisiana Irish 12-0 and Denham Springs’ Home Run Palace 19-0 in the championship game, earning the trip to the National Championships.