Chasing Expectations: Undefeated Covenant Christian wants to make amends for last year’s semifinal exit

by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor

Covenant Christian baseball coach Joe Teuton would love to believe his team will finish the season without a blemish on its record and win the school’s first state baseball championship.

He’s been around the game long, though, enough to realize the odds are difficult to accomplish the former, but his team’s motivation and desire burn bright to make the latter a reality.

“I’m not saying that we can’t get beat,” Teuton said. “Baseball’s a game where you can get beat. I feel like you’re going to have to beat us because I don’t feel like we’re giving the game away right now and not beating ourselves. I think we’re giving ourselves a chance to win every game. That’s all you can do. You hope we can keep this rolling.”

Since an agonizing one-run loss to Glenbrook Academy in the 2024 Division IV select state semifinals, Covenant Christian has been on a mission. The Lions, the No. 1 team in the Division IV power ratings, are 25-0 overall – the state’s only undefeated team – and can wrap up their 14th District 7-1A championship Thursday with a trip to Jeanerette.

“Our goal is to get back to Sulphur and win the state championship,” Teuton said. “It starts off with a district championship. We want to cross that bridge first and if you can do that, I feel like if we have an opportunity, and when we get back to Sulphur, we’ve got some unfinished business. I think the kids feel we have some business to tend to that we didn’t get quite done last year.”

Covenant Christian was 28-4 last season and reached the state semifinals for the second time in three years and third overall. The Lions ran into Class 1A All-State pitcher Easton Sanders, a Louisiana Tech signee, and dropped a 3-2 decision. 

“He was as good as I’ve seen on the mound in high school in a long time,” Teuton said of Sanders. “We were one pitch away. We had runners on second and third with our best hitter up and he lined out. It didn’t go our way. That bad taste is still in our mouths. I think it’s really motivated our guys to find a way to get back to Sulphur. 

“I feel like if we get back, we’ve got a real chance to win,” Teuton said. “The hardest part is getting back. When you’re senior-heavy, we’ve just got to find a way to stay motivated, stay hungry. Our players have done a great job of that.”

Trying to remain focused

With five starters and five pitchers returning, Covenant Christian had the foundation in place for an extraordinary season.

The Lions haven’t disappointed, outscoring their opposition 294-14. They’ve recorded 19 run-rule victories, 16 shutouts and are 14-0 against teams in Classes 4A-5A.

“We’re super excited,” said Teuton, now in his 18th season after starting the program and going 3-18 his first season. “We thought we would have a chance to be pretty good. Hats off to our players and coaching staff. They’ve bought in and have done everything we’ve asked them to do. We expected to be good. We didn’t expect to be undefeated. You’ve got to win a few games you’re not supposed to. Our kids have done an outstanding job.”

Teuton built a schedule to try and challenge his promising team early and often.

Facing a great majority of larger schools, the intent was to expose the Lions to a variety of styles of play – particularly hard-throwing pitchers – to get prepared for another run to the state tournament.

Among the team’s early highlights was a 10-0 win over Division II select power E.D. White and Division I non-select staple Destrehan, 13-4, in March.

The team’s closest call came on March 27 against the team they know best.

Covenant Christian was locked in a District 7-1A showdown with arch-rival Central Catholic of Morgan City with the Lions riding their ace Owen Trosclair. 

Trosclair gave his team his before effort with a complete game no-hitter and Covenant Christian scored the game’s only run on its second hit of the game – a run-scoring infield single to deep short from Peyton Trosclair – for a 1-0 triumph.

“They have been our rival since 2013,” Teuton said. “Since I’ve been here, they’ve had a chance to go to Sulphur and have gone four times and won a state championship. Year in and year out, I feel they’re going to be like us. We showed some fights. We faced some adversity and a pretty good arm against us. That’s prepared us going into the playoffs.”

Teuton looks forward to upcoming tests against powers John Curtis, the No. 6 team in Division I select, St. Charles Catholic, the No. 3 team in Division II select, and Erath, the No. 2 team in Division III non-select.

“We’ve been fortunate that we’ve been a little lucky and we’ve played pretty good,” Teuton said. “If you put luck together, and you’ve played pretty good, the results show for themselves. I’m not saying an undefeated season is unreachable, but going into the playoffs we probably need a loss or two. We need to continue to stay humble. When you win it’s hard to stay humble. That’s just today’s world that we’re in with social media. We’ve got to find a way with our guys to be hungry and stay humble.”

Teuton credited the role of his veteran coaching staff of Tristan Rogers, Butch Theriot, and Travis Hebert for helping the team maintain perspective through hard work.

“The coaching staff’s done a great job of keeping these guys in check,” he said. “At the end of the day, you have to tip your hat to the players. It’s not about X’s and O’s; it’s about the Johnny’s and Joe’s and we’ve got some of those. Our players deserve all of the credit.”

Rogers has been with Teuton the longest, entering his 14thseason, while Theriot is a former head coach at Houma Christian who’s in his first season of working with the pitching staff. Hebert, also the school’s soccer coach, is in his sixth year and works with the outfielders and base runners.

“Year in and year out, I feel like the coaches and players are on the same page,” Teuton said. “The players know what to do. We’ve got some kids that have been playing since the seventh grade and can almost probably coach the team.”

Lions enjoy a widespread winning culture

Before the baseball team took its turn and began winning games this season, they followed a trend amongst the fall sports that supply baseball with between 90 to 95% of their players. 

Covenant Christian enjoyed a 10-0 regular season in football and following an opening-round bye, defeated Central Catholic,41-13, to advance to the state quarterfinals where the Lions dropped a 30-14 verdict to eventual state runner-up Ouachita Christian.

“Our guys go 11-0 and lose in quarterfinals and I felt we continued that momentum from football,” Teuton said.

Covenant Christian’s basketball team reached the regional round of the state playoffs and the soccer team, led by Travis Hebert, went 14-6-5 and advanced to the state quarterfinals.

“For the most part all of our baseball players are multi-sport athletes that play football and soccer,” Teuton said. “The culture of the game across the board, we try to compete and win. If you compete you’ve got an opportunity across the board. I think we’ve snowballed off the football and soccer seasons. You don’t have to teach these guys how to win. We’re just piggybacking off the other sports. The winning culture we’ve established at the school has carried over another year into baseball.”

Teuton praised his school’s administration and a great working relationship among the school’s coaches.

“Every program is trying to be the best they can,” he said. “At a small school, we’ve got kids that play multiple sports. Coaches support each other and this is just a fun place and I’m glad to say that I’ve been a part of it. Hopefully, if my health stays good, I can do this for a long time. I really enjoy being here.”

Headlining the veteran baseball team are two players headed for baseball careers beyond high school.

Shortstop Mason Canter became Teuton’s first Division I player and signed with nearby Nicholls State. Staff ace Brennan Champagne signed with Baton Rouge Community College, while left fielder Carsen Hebert signed to play football at Nicholls. 

Teuton believes twins Owen and Peyton Trosclair, a pair of juniors, will have the same next-level opportunity next season.

Champagne and Hebert were both named to last year’s Class 1A All-State first team and the Trosclair twins and Tristan Rogers were all honorable mention selections.

Owen Trosclair, quarterback of the football team, was a Class 1A All-State first-team choice in football and Champagne was honorable mention.

Woven into the fabric of this year’s success is a familiarity that exists between the team’s upperclassmen – five seniors and two juniors. 

Mason Canter, the Trosclair twins, Champagne, and Hebert all played on the varsity team as eighth graders, giving them a leg up in their careers and helping to foster Covenant Christian’s climb up the mountain in Division IV select.

“Our varsity coaches also coach the middle school guys,” Teuton said. “They know the routine. When our guys get in the 9-10th grade, they’re almost like juniors and seniors in our program because of our middle school program.”

Owen Trosclair and Champagne have given Covenant Christian potent top-of-the-rotation options on the mound with solid contributions from an improved Mason Dudek and Hebert, the team’s closer.

“This is nothing new, this is what we expected,” Teuton said of his top two pitchers. “Those guys have set the standard on the mound. I feel like anytime those two kids take the mound we have a good opportunity.”

Peyton Trosclair is the team’s catcher and major RBI producer with senior Chevy Bourgeois providing a boost in his first season with the Lions.

Sophomores Evan Duplantis and Nathan Loupe are starting their third seasons and freshman second baseman Casen Perry has shown growth after starting last season. Another freshman, Madix Latiolais, is a utility player who’s caught approximately 25% of the team’s games, Teuton said.

“As a team, guys really know their role,” Teuton said. “The older guys have stepped up and the younger guys from last year have brought it to the next level. That goes to coach Rogers and his development. We’re happy, but we still don’t feel we’ve played our best game.”