State champs Kaplan Lady Pirates head All-Parish team

Kaplan High junior shortstop Kennedy Marceaux had an incredible season this spring to help the Lady Pirates win their first state softball championship since 2016.
Marceaux, who committed in September to sign with the University of Alabama softball program, batted .655, bashed 22 home runs and drove in an incredible 72 runs. As the Lady Pirates’ leadoff hitter.
She stayed hot in the playoffs, hitting a home run and a double in her first two at-bats in the Non-Select Division III championship game in Sulphur before being intentionally walked the two times she went up to hit, earning Marceaux the game’s Most Outstanding Player honors.
But it isn’t just the production on the field that makes Marceaux special, Kaplan head coach Brittany LeBeouf said.
“She’s not the type of player that’s worried about her stats,” LeBeouf said. “She’s worried about what’s best for the team, and how the team can win, and whatever she can do to help the team win, she’s willing to do. She’s a great teammate.”
That attitude and her play on the field earned Marceaux another postseason honor as well. For the third straight year, Marceaux has been chosen as the Most Valuable Player on the All-Vermilion Parish Softball Team as chosen by The Abbeville Meridional.
“She had a phenomenal year, and she’s going to continue to get better,” LeBeouf said. “Next year should be fun to watch. The work has started now for our new team to do it again. We realize it’s not going to be an easy task, and everybody has to get better, so that’s what we’re focusing on now.”
LeBeouf has been named the Coach of the Year for the All-Vermilion Parish team. LeBeouf had pitched in the state tournament for the Lady Pirates while in high school, then was an assistant for current KHS principal Shay Herpin, who also coached her in high school, when Kaplan won the state championship in 2016. The coach said the championship is a source of pride for the town, which always supports the team.
“I think we have the best fan base in the state,” LeBeouf said. “We had probably 2,000 people in Sulphur. Every time we do a fundraiser, they support us. Any time we ask for something, we get it. Kaplan loves their softball, and I couldn’t ask for a better community base. Not all softball schools have what we have. We’re just lucky that our community supports the softball team.”
But this season didn’t start with such high aspirations. LeBeouf said her goal with the group was to try to get to Sulphur for the state tournament for the first time since 2018.
“Obviously our goal is to win a state championship, but we hadn’t been to Sulphur in so long that we just wanted to make it there, and then we would see what would happen,” LeBeouf said. “Towards the end of the season, nothing fazed this team. They were very mentally tough, and whenever we gave them a task, they did it. There was no playing around.
“I think that’s what made them special. They didn’t let the moment get too big, and did whatever was asked, and they came out on top.”
Kaplan finished the year 27-8.
Marceaux is joined by several of her teammates on the All-Parish team, including pitcher Briley LeBeouf, who earned the win in the state title game and went 23-6 on the year with 137 strikeouts and hit .442 with five home runs and 33 RBIs; first baseman Abbigale Ford, who batted .353 with two homers and 29 RBIs; third baseman London Greene, who hit .280 with two homers and seven RBIs; outfielder Noble Hebert, who hit .430 with 12 home runs and 48 RBIs; outfielder Haylie Robinson, a defensive star and slap hitter who hit .220 with nine RBIs; and utility picks Addyson Hebert (.280, 3 HR, 21 RBIs) and Jessa Lopez (.351, 19 RBIs). All were first-team All-District 5-3A selections after Kaplan won the district title.
“It was a team effort,” LeBeouf said of the state championship run. “I would even credit the kids who couldn’t come in the dugout because they only let you take 24 kids in the dugout in Sulphur. We had probably 12 kids outside cheering their teammates on. They were there every single day for practice and getting our older kids better and ready to play.
“It was a total team effort. We preach to our kids, do your role and every role is important. With this group, I think everybody realized that every role is important, and when they understood their role, they completed it.”
Erath, which reached the second round of the non-select Division II playoffs, earned five spots on the All-Parish team — pitcher Alyssa Boutte, catcher Madyson Vallot, second baseman Ellie Goutierrez, and utility players Bailey Smith and Kiersten Perro.
Pitcher Ashton Duhon and utility selections Kennedy Kelly and Madie Broussard of North Vermilion earned All-Parish honors, as did outfielder Kaylee Schaubert of Delcambre and utility players Macie Soucy of Abbeville and Ali Broussard of Vermilion Catholic.

2023 All-Vermilion Parish Softball Team

MVP — Kennedy Marceaux, Kaplan
COY — Brittany LeBeouf, Kaplan

P — Briley LeBeouf, Kaplan Jr.
P — Alyssa Boutte, Erath Sr.
P — Ashton Duhon, North Vermilion Sr.
C — Madyson Vallot, Erath So.
1B — Abbigale Ford, Kaplan So.
2B — Ellie Goutierrez, Erath Jr.
3B — London Greene, Kaplan Jr.
SS — Kennedy Marceaux, Kaplan Jr.
OF — Noble Hebert, Kaplan Sr.
OF — Haylie Robinson, Kaplan Jr.
OF — Kaylee Schaubert, Delcambre So.
UT — Bailey Smith, Erath Sr.
UT — Addyson Hebert, Kaplan So.
UT — Jessa Lopez, Kaplan Jr.
UT — Kiersten Perro, Erath Jr.
UT — Kennedy Kelly, North Vermilion Sr.
UT — Madie Broussard, North Vermilion Sr.
UT — Macie Soucy, Abbeville Jr.
UT — Ali Broussard, Vermilion Catholic Fr.