Patriots to battle North Desoto in semifinals

The North Vermilion Patriots have found their way back to the Class 4A semifinals.
The Patriots (38-2) battle North Desoto (33-5) in the semifinal game in the Class 4A state tournament. Game time is at 4 p.m. in McCurry Park in Sulphur. The winner advances to the finals, which will be played on Saturday at 2 p.m.
North Vermilion head coach Jeremy Trahan said, “We are excited to be in the state tournament for the second year in a row. Our kids have worked really hard to get to this point.”
This is the fourth time in the school’s history, the baseball team reaches the semifinal. They did it in 1994, 1995, 2021 and now 2022.
The Patriots enter the game on a 15-game winning streak. North Desoto has won 13 of its last 14 games.
Last weekend, the Patriots advanced to the semifinals by sweeping the Rayne Wolves.
No. 5 North DeSoto advanced to the semifinals after sweeping No. 4 Northwood of Shreveport.
North Desoto won the Class 3A state title in 2012 and reached the semis in 2013.
Trahan has been able to watch North Desoto on film and was impressed with their pitching staff. Two guys throw around 86 miles per hour fastball.
“We have faced pitchers who throw that hard,” said Trahan. “Sulphur had a kid who threw 88 miles per hour, and Ascension and Berwick had guys who threw up in the 80s.”

Who is starting on the hill today?

Speaking of pitching, who will be the starting North Vermilion Patriots’ starting pitcher in today’s Class 4A semifinal game?
Late Wednesday, the North Vermilion coaches had not made that decision. But the odds are, it is going be between two guys.
Allen “AJ” Johnson and Aiden Leonard have stepped up and are now the 1-2 arms for the 38-2 Patriots.
“It will be a surprise,” said NV head coach Jeremy Trahan.
Leonard is 9-0 with an earned run average of .80 and 102 strikeouts.
Johnson is 8-1 with a 0.44 earn run average and 58 strikeouts.
Johnson pitched on Saturday against Rayne and did not allow a run to score. Johnson, a junior right-hander, struck out four and needed only 76 pitches to win.
Last year, Johnson threw 21 pitches, and Leonard only threw two pitches in the semifinal game, and he was credited with the win.
A year ago in the semifinals, NV’s 1-2 arms were left-hander John Touchet and right-hander Tyson LeBlanc, who combined to pitch 11 2/3 innings in Sulphur.
Now, there is a chance they may not see the mound if everything goes North Vermilion’s way in the next two games.
Touchet missed a few games at the start of the season due to a hamstring injury. He nursed it for most of the season while playing centerfield.
Touchet has pitched in two games (2-0) and struck out 23.
LeBlanc went from being a starter to a closer since the rise of Johnson and Leonard. LeBlanc, who started in last year’s semifinal game, is 9-0 with a 1.03 earned run average and 61 strikeouts.
North Vermilion head coach Jeremy Trahan said the NV defense is solid when Johnson and Leonard pitch. It lets Touchet stay in centerfield and LeBlanc stay at second base.
“This year, Aiden and Allen have been our one and two pitchers,” Trahan said after beating Rayne. “We’re better defensively when Aiden and Allen are on the mound because we can leave Touchet in center field and LeBlanc at second base. We feel like our defense is hard to beat when Aiden and Allen are on the mound.”
If Leonard or Johnson are pitching, the NV defense will look like this. Dylan Naquin will be played first base; Leblanc is on second base, Lane Patin is at shortstop, and Camden Breaux is on third base.
The outfield comprises of Cooper David in the left field, Touchet in the center field, and Brant Fontenot in the right field.
Blake Lastrapes is the starting catcher.