Abbeville site of American Legion State tourney

The Rotary Club of Abbeville is partnering with American Legion Post 29 to offer free admission on opening day of the American Legion State Championship Baseball Tournament on Saturday to any youth recreational league players who are wearing their youth league jersey and accompanied by a parent or guardian.
The parent or guardian will pay the $10 admission fee for themselves. To avail themselves of the free admission offer, it is essential for youth attendees to be dressed in their team jerseys and accompanied by a parent or guardian, according to Brady Broussard Jr., President of the Rotary Club of Abbeville. The promotion applies exclusively to the opening day, Saturday, July 8.
“We believe that by encouraging young baseball enthusiasts to attend the tournament, we can foster a love for the sport and inspire future athletes,” Broussard said. “This promotion not only supports the local recreational leagues but also gives families an opportunity to enjoy a thrilling day of baseball together.”
Broussard said the Rotary Club of Abbeville is proud to provide crucial support for the highly anticipated tournament.
Glenn Suire, chairman of the American Legion State Championship Baseball Tournament Committee, thanked the Rotary Club for its support.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Rotary Club of Abbeville and American Legion Post 29 for their unwavering support,” Suire said. “Their dedication to promoting youth baseball in our community is commendable, and we are confident that this collaboration will make the tournament an even greater success.”
Eight teams of players aged 14-19 from around Louisiana will vie for the state championship, including the host Gulf Coast Bank 29ers, who are affiliated with American Legion Post 29 in Abbeville. Games are scheduled from Saturday through July 12 at Roy Theriot Field in the A.A. Comeaux Park athletic complex.
Joining the 29ers in the tournament are the Crowley Millers, the Lafayette Drillers, the St. Landry Bank Indians, the Bossier Phillies, the Lafayette Braves, New Orleans Retif Oil and the defending state champion, Gauthier Amedee of Gonzales.
Games start at 10 a.m. Saturday with each succeeding game scheduled for three hours later (1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m.) that day. The 29ers face Gauthier Amedee in the nightcap at 7 p.m.
Second-year head coach Trey DeRouen said Gulf Coast Bank is peaking at the right time. The team is comprised of 17 players, with about half of them from Vermilion Parish schools North Vermilion, Gueydan, Kaplan and Vermilion Catholic, about half from New Iberia Senior High and Loreauville High in Iberia Parish, and a couple of players from St. Thomas More and Acadiana high schools.
Coming from so many high schools, and with different lineups most nights because some players weren’t available as they played for Metro League or travel teams left the squad having to learn to play as a team for much of the season, DeRouen said.
While he won’t have a full lineup available for the first couple of days of the tournament due to previously-scheduled vacations and travel team tournaments, if the 29ers get through the first two days, DeRouen said he will have a full roster the rest of the way.
That is promising since the team started learning to win consistently throughout the last week or two of the season. Prior to that, the team was forced to overcome one big inning in many games where a mistake or two let their opponent jump out to a big lead.
If the 29ers play the way they did late in the year, they can challenge for the title in the double-elimination tournament, DeRouen said.
“This is a very talented team,” DeRouen said. “They can compete with anybody. They can beat anybody.”
Nearly half of the roster can pitch if called upon in addition to playing defensive positions.
Team members include Mason Meyers, Dylan Navarre, Ridge Morvant, Carson Aucoin, Ryan Guillotte, Ross Dartez, Luke Harrington, Eli Finley, Jordyn Mallery, ALexander Marceaux, Evan Migues, Braeden Broussard, Isac Russell, Kanyon Griffin, Darron Degeyter, Zachery Guidry and Micah Marceaux.
Meyers, Navarre, Harrington, Finley, Marceaux, Migues, Russell and Guidry are listed as pitchers.
DeRouen said his team includes a bunch of guys who love playing the game, and don’t worry about who they’re squaring off against, regardless of the circumstances.
“They’re not scared,” he said. “They tough it out. If they’re tired, they’re like, ‘hey, we’ve got to play. We’ve got to win. We’ve got to compete.’
“That’s what’s good about these guys. They have a little grit to them. They want to be there. They want to play. When they’re on the ballfield, they’re competitive. That’s what’s nice to have, even with nine players.”
DeRouen said he is thrilled to see Legion baseball’s resurgence only a couple of years after COVID shut down the season, and is happy to see the state tournament in Abbeville.
“It’s really nice and refreshing to see baseball coming back to this area, and American Legion (baseball) flourishing like it did in the past,” he said. “Not only that, but to host the state tournament, the whole city of Abbeville, the whole parish, really backed it up and really raised money to put on a first-class event. It’s great to see that, no matter what happens.”