By T. Scott Boatright
Lincoln Parish produced more than a one-third of the 29 players from across north Louisiana named to the Louisiana Baseball Coaches Association All-Region 2 Prep Baseball Team announced over the holiday weekend.
Eleven Lincoln Parish players were named to the squad – five from Ruston, four from Choudrant and two from Cedar Creek.
Choudrant senior Bryce McGuire, who recently signed to continue his hardball career collegiately at South Arkansas Community College in El Dorado, was named the LABC Region 2 Pitcher of the Year after leading the Aggies to their third straight state championship game before falling 4-3 in extra innings to Anacoco.
Three other Lincoln Parish players were named LBCA All-Region 2 pitchers – Choudrant’s Landon Hennen Ruston senior Nick Robinson, who struck out 43 batters and posted an ERA of 1.92 in 58.1 innings of work on the mound this past season and plans attend Grambling State as a preferred walk-on, and Cedar Creek senior Brady Wade.
Both catchers on the LBCA All-Region 2 team hail from Lincoln Parish in seniors RJ Brown of Ruston and Gavin Murphy of Choudrant.
Brown recently signed as a preferred football walk-on at Louisiana Tech, but said the Bulldogs have also discussed him potentially joining the Diamond Dogs baseball team while Murphy will begin his college baseball career at South Ark CC.
Lincoln Parish players named as infielders on the LABC All-Region 2 team are Ruston senior JR Tollett, who has signed to play collegiately for Louisiana-Lafayette, and Cedar Creek junior Ladd Thompson.
Two of the 2023 All-Region 2 outfielders hail from Lincoln Parish – Choudrant senior Kaden Bradshaw and Ruston sophomore Jake Simmons.
Ruston senior Justin Szymanski, who recently signed to play collegiately at South Arkansas CC, was named one of two designated hitters on the 2023 LBCA All-Region 2 team,
Natchitoches Central senior Alexander Dupuy was named the LBCA Region 2 Hitter of the Year.
Another name familiar to many people in Lincoln Parish – Natchitoches Central sophomore Brock Laird, son of former Ruston High School quarterback and head football coach Brad Laird – was also named to the LABC All-Region 2 team as an infielder.
