DeQuincy Baseball Semi-Final Preview

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - The DeQuincy Tigers entered the 2022 State Playoffs as the ninth-seed in the Class 2A bracket, unfortunately for the Tigers, their playoff run was short-lived as they fell to 24th-seeded Oakdale 10-5 in the Bi-District Round, a disappointing result, but it was just the beginning for the Tigers as it fueled the fire for 2023 where they are now just one game away from playing for the Non-Select Division IV State Championship.

DeQuincy entered the 2023 State Playoffs with a chip on their shoulder following their disappointing 2022 run, and thanks in part to that disappointing 2022 experience, the Tigers were able to earn themselves a bye as the three-seed, then beat Vinton 11-1 in five innings in the Regional Round, and beat Welsh 11-2 in the Quarterfinals.

Now, DeQuincy is headed to Sulphur for the State Semi-Finals, and head coach Brady Carlson attributes that in part to the disappointing result last year.

“All year long, they talked about how that wasn’t going to happen again, they worked harder, they were more focused when we got ready to play Vinton we didn’t hear about the next round opponent, we weren’t looking ahead, they were totally focused on that opponent. Then after we beat Vinton, we had two tight games against Welsh this year and they actually beat us once, and they knew they had to be totally focused in order to beat them, and they really came out and again, the energy in the dugout, the fans really helped propel those kids to an 11-2 victory and it was really exciting for those kids and this community,” said Carlson.

For Carlson, DeQuincy’s run through the 2023 State Playoffs is personal, as a DeQuincy High School graduate, he is able to appreciate the fact that they are now just one game away from playing for a State Championship on a more personal level.

“It means a lot, you know I went to high school here, I graduated here, and it means a lot, it’s more than just a job to me. We’ve only played in one state championship game, which was in 1981, so it would be a huge accomplishment for our town, our school, and everything, so it would mean a lot to me, the community, the school, and everybody.”

Up to this point, DeQuincy has been the higher-seeded team in each of their two playoff wins, but on Tuesday that will change when they take on second-seeded Logansport, but Carlson says that doesn’t change their approach.

“They’ve (Logansport) been in the State Tournament the past couple of years, so we know they’ve been there before, and we know we’ve got to play our best in order to beat them, and we know if we let down, we don’t want that to happen so we know we’re going to face a very good opponent in Logansport, and they’ve got experience.”

To watch the full interview from Monday with Coach Carlson, click here.

DeQuincy’s Semi-Final matchup with Logansport is set for Tuesday at 5:00 on Field 41 at McMurry Park in Sulphur.

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