Big games in prep baseball

• By FRED ALDRICH
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: May 5, 2008 - UPDATED: 6:33 a.m.

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High-stakes baseball games are on the calendar for local teams today as prep athletic competition winds down for this school year.

Parkview Baptist hosts Catholic High of New Iberia in a Class 3A LHSAA playoff game with the winner advancing to the semifinals on Friday at Miller Field in Crowley.

Central and Catholic are at home in Class 5A regional contests. The Wildcats (26-10) host defending 5A champion Jesuit (24-10) at the Central High field at 4 p.m., and the Bears play Slidell at Grizzly Field, also with a 4 p.m. start time. Winners of those games advance to the state tournament quarterfinals Friday at A.B. Netterville Field at North Park in Denham Springs.

Central Private (28-2) and Copiah Academy (17-11) open their best-of-three series for the south state championship of the Mississippi Private School Association at Central Private at 6 p.m.

Catholic High knows Slidell will be a dangerous opponent. The Tigers knocked them out of the playoffs last year, but coach Kyle Achord said that defeat won’t be a real factor in this game.

“That was last year, and now it’s two different teams playing,” he said. “We know they always do a good job year-in and year-out, and we’ve playing playing really well down the stretch.

“We played them and beat them back in February, but that doesn’t mean much now. We know they can really tear it up at the top of the order, and we’re going to have to be ready for the arms they’re going to bring.”

Catholic’s offensive strength appears to be in the middle of their batting order, but Achord says numbers can be deceiving.

“There’s no question we’re strong in the middle of the lineup, but we’re dangerous enough on the top and bottom, too. We feel like we can get production anywhere in the lineup,” he said.

Austin Nola, who bats third for the Bears, is hitting .460 with 13 HR and 39 RBIs. Cleanup hitter Ryan Lewis has a .476 average with 10 HR and 44 RBIs, and Greg Judice is hitting .556 with seven home runs.

Achord will send D.J. Ponder (12-0) to the mound with the rest of his pitching staff ready to be called on if necessary.

“We’re all healthy and that’s what you need in the playoffs,” Achord said. “You have to stay healthy and get some breaks.

“This is a great group of talented kids who make good decisions on and off the field. They’ve stayed focused on what we need to do,” he said.