Kaplan High baseball team making history by being No. 5 in Division III playoffs

KAPLAN - The Kaplan Pirates baseball team has made history this season, and they likely do not even realize it.
The LHSAA recently released the Division III Non-Select Playoffs, and the Pirates (19-12)  are seeded No. 5.
The high seed earned them a first-round bye, and they will play the winner of No. 12 Caldwell and No. 21 Church Point in the second round. 
Being ranked No. 5 is the highest ranking for the baseball program since the LHSAA began ranking teams.
The Pirates are coached by three non-faculty members, who all graduated from Kaplan High.
Jake Faulk is in his first year as the head coach. He spent five years as an Kaplan assistant coach. Teal Richard and Romy David are the assistant coaches.
“I love the five seed,” Faulk said. “It is better than I thought we would be. I will take it.”
When the Pirates went to the semifinals in 2008, they were ranked No. 11; the following year, they were ranked No. 7.
When they reached the semifinals in 2003, the LHSAA did not have a ranking system.
They have won eight out of their last nine games, including six straight. 
The team’s success combines good chemistry and the squad willing to go the extra mile.
“I am not surprised by our success,” Faulk said. “These young men have worked hard. They matured from their freshman and sophomore years and became young men. They have grown up at the end of the season.”
The team consists of four senior players who have played as starters for three years.
The four senior starters are Hayes Mire (pitcher/center fielder), Remy Broussard (catcher), Carter Petry (right field) and Karter Meaux (pitcher/first base).
The junior starters are Aiden Gaspard (shortstop) and third baseman Sabe David.
Owen Marceaux (left field), Gage Guidry (pitcher), and Trent Guidry (outfielder) are the three sophomore starters.
The only freshman starting is Hayden Gaspard at second base. Hayden is the younger brother of Aiden, the starting shortstop.
Kaplan has a .301 team batting average. 
Meaux leads the team with a .438 batting average and has knocked in 31 runs. He has six hits in the last two games.
Petry is hitting .368 with a team-leading 39 runs batted in.
The Pirates have a few arms to use in the playoffs.
Ayden Gaspard is 4-1. He shut down Central Catholic last week. He threw five innings and only allowed one hit, walked one, and struck out eight in Kaplan’s 12-1 win.
Sabe David’s pitching record is 3-2, Karter Meaux’s is 4-2, and Hayden Mire’s is 2-5.
The playoffs will start this week, and it is a three-game series. Faulk said that what day Kaplan plays in the second round will be determined by who wins between Caldwell and Church Point. If it is Caldwell, the first game will likely be played on Friday, followed by a doubleheader on Saturday.
If the Pirates have to play Church Point, it could be a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday if needed.
Faulk said having the first-round bye is positive because Kaplan has a few players dealing with injuries.
Shortstop Aiden Gaspard is nursing a leg injury he injured on a second-base play against Erath. 
Hayden Mire could use the rest to nurse a shoulder injury.
“The extra week off is fine,” Faulk said.  “We are going to rest some players.”

5 Teams in Playoffs

Five Vermilion Parish teams in the LHSAA Baseball Playoffs.

Division II - Non Select

No. 23 Beau Chene at No. 9 North Vermilion
(First Game, Friday, 6 p.m..; Second game, Saturday, Noon: Third game if needed, 3 p.m. Saturday

Division III - Non Select

No. 2 Erath drew a bye first round
No. 5 Kaplan drew a bye first round

Division IV - Non Select

No. 23 at No. 10 Delcambre: Game April 25, 6 p.m. in Delcambre

Division IV - Select

No. 2 VC drew first round bye. The Eagles’ second round playoff game will be on April 29-May 3.