By RYAN ARENA

L’Observateur

BOUTTE — The senior class of Hahnville’s softball team helped lift the Tigers to unprecedented heights, and after finishing as 2012’s Class 5A state runner-up the squad earned a Class 5A All-State team-high three selections.

Pitcher Hannah Haydel, second baseman Courtney Dutreix and shortstop Summer Melancon were recognized as All-State performers by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association this week.

The Lutcher and Hahnville’s baseball teams and the Lutcher softball team also had representation. LHS pitcher Jared Poche earned a spot on the Class 4A baseball team while the Bulldogs’ Kassidy Zeringue was named to the 4A softball squad. Cody Farrell represents Hahnville on the Class 5A team.

Destrehan’s Michelle Haydel and Hahnville’s Amye Barre were softball honorable mention. Hahnville’s Connor Lorio and Mikey Ford were baseball honorable mention.  

The Hahnville softball trio helped the Lady Tigers capture a state championship in 2011 along with state runner-up finishes in 2010 and 2012.

With her selection, Dutreix becomes the rare prep athlete who has three All-State selections to her credit and the first to do so in the history of Hahnville’s program. A signee with Louisiana-Monroe, she hit .520 with 34 RBIs and 41 runs scored.

“She’s that five-tool player that you always wish for,” said Hahnville softball coach Kenneth Vial. “That she’d be a four-time selection comes as no surprise to me. She’s really got no weaknesses. She can run, hit, hit for power and she plays hard every day. She’s small in stature, but nobody’s got more heart than she does.”

Haydel, a Nicholls State signee, went 31-3 this season with a 1.28 ERA and 203 strikeouts. She finishes her career with a 74-10 overall record with just two years as a fulltime starter.

“She’s a bulldog,” said Vial. “I always felt that with that pitcher and with our defense, for every 10 games we’d win nine. She knows how to overcome adversity. You hit a two-run home run on her, and she’s just like, ‘Oh well, we’ll do it next inning.’ I never had to go out and calm her down.”

Melancon, another Louisiana-Monroe signee, was always a top infield glove, but had a breakout season offensively in 2012. She hit .444 with a .526 on-base percentage, scored 36 runs and knocked in 27 RBIs.

“UL-Monroe got a massive steal in my opinion. She’s an SEC player to me,” said Vial. “She’s got the best hands, defensively as far fielding ground balls, I’ve ever been around, be it male or female.

“Up until this point, she was an average hitter but a great shortstop. But this year, she became our best hitter. She grew into her role as our second hitter, started taking walks … she did it all.”

Farrell, a  senior shortstop, hit .429 while scoring 25 runs and knocking in 39 RBIs this season.  He helped the Tigers make a run to the Class 5A state baseball tournament, after the team began 6-13; it ran off 19 wins in a row before its eventual quarterfinal loss to Rummel.

“He’s a complete player,” said Hahnville baseball coach Kade Rogers.

“He’s very unselfish and did whatever he had to do to help us win games. Cody was a sparkplug for us, solid defensively, and when he got on base, he gave us an advantage with his ability to steal bases. He was just a joy to coach.”

A junior, Poche mowed down most of his opposition. He went 10-1 with a 1.12 ERA while striking out 77 batters. It is his second season as an All-State selection.

“I’ve coached a lot of pitchers in my career,” said Lutcher baseball coach Davey Clement, “and I think he’s the best one all-around. We knew when he was on the mound, our goal was to score four. He had goals for himself, but we knew if we scored four, we had a really good chance to win.”

Zeringue, a senior, hit .427 for the Lady Bulldogs while stealing an incredible 62 bases. It is her first All-State selection.

“We had a chat with her last year,” said Lutcher softball coach Blake Orgeron.

“She led us in steals last season, but we knew she was capable of more. She’s one of the fastest around and there was no reason to not run. And she made things happen all season. She created a lot of havoc.”