LSUE Bengals return to World Series after yet another regional championship

LSU Eunice wrapped up its 11th regional championship in 20 years last week to earn a bid to the NJCAA Division II Baseball World Series.

The Bengals (52-7), who were playing in their sixth straight Region 23 championship, reached the finals for the 16th time and swept through the bracket undefeated for the first time since 2015.

“I don’t think there is a secret recipe,” coach Jeff Willis said. “It’s good kids raised by good people. When you put that together with work ethic, good things are possible.”

The Bengals, who have won seven national titles, will be part of a 12-team field at the NJCAA World Series, which will take place May 25-June 1 in Enid, Oklahoma. The field, which expanded from 10 to 12 teams this year, includes 10 regional champions and two at-large bids.

“Anytime you’re playing tournament baseball, you have to pitch well and get timely hits,” Willis said. “You have to get hits when people are on base. Scoring runs is key. If you get hot at the right time, you can overcome a lot.”

As reflected by their record, the Bengals have statistically dominated opponents, hitting .292 as a team compared to .195 for opponents. Six players are hitting over .300, led by infielder Tyson LeBlanc. The freshman from North Vermilion is batting .364 and also leads the team in hits, doubles and RBIs.

“Tyson likes to compete,” Willis said. “He’s hard-nosed and gets after the opponent. We’ve put pressure on defenses with stolen bases, walks, hit batsmen and by getting deep into pitch counts.”

The Bengals have been successful on 197 of 238 stolen base attempts. Dawson Willis, who is batting .315 with seven home runs, leads the team with 47 steals. LeBlanc is second with 33. By comparison, LSUE’s opponents have 50 steals.

The pitching statistics are equally one-sided. LSU-E’s staff has a 2.29 ERA compared to 8.97 for opponents. Nine pitchers have won at least one game, led by Blake Lobell (13-0, 1.93 ERA, 115 strikeouts in 88.2 innings) and Owen Schexnaydre (15-0, 2.48 ERA, 87 K/69 IP).

“Blake has been in the number 1 spot the entire year,” Willis said. “He’s pitched against everybody else’s best and got us off on the right foot. It’s a testament to the type of kid he is. He’s committed to Southeastern Louisiana. Owen, who is committed to Louisiana Tech, has a three-pitch mix with velocity.”

Catcher Andrew Lee of Ascension Episcopal, who has started 38 games, has brilliantly handled a staff that includes closer Parker Barham (3-0, 7 saves). The Bengals have struck out 597 hitters in 459.2 innings and boast the nation’s best ERA.

“We can pitch a little bit,” Willis said. “We have guys that can throw strikes, get ahead in counts and put hitters in a defensive mindset.”

LSUE, which won the title in 2021, joins reigning champion Heartland (43-16), Westchester (31-17), Kellogg (43-10), Montgomery (34-19), Madison (37-12), Des Moines Area (36-24), St. John’s River State (38-23), Brunswick (38-8) and South Arkansas (39-22) as automatic qualifiers. Two at-large bids were awarded to East Central (51-7) and Southeastern (43-17).

As the overall No. 1 seed, LSUE received a first-round bye and will meet the winner of No. 8 Kellogg/No. 9 Des Moines Area.