Blue Jay Commits Early to Louisiana State University 
Senior Jordan Rittiner has announced his commitment
to play college baseball for LSU. Last season, Jordan
was 8-4 with a 1.64 ERA and one save for Jesuit,
which reached the Class 5A championship last year.
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Guidry Twins, Lukinovich Sign Baseball Pacts with Delgado Community College
The Delgado Dolphins’ baseball team signs a stellar trio of Blue Jays
who enjoyed a great season on Jesuit’s 2008 state runner-up squad.
In an informal ceremony at Jesuit on Wednesday afternoon, Chad and Cory Guidry (seated, from left) and teammate Stephen Lukinovich (seated, right), sign scholarship pacts with Delgado Community College, where they will attend school and play baseball for Dolphins’ head coach Joe Scheuermann. Jesuit parents Lenny and Karen Guidry (far left) and Mayra and Drew Lukinovich (far right) proudly sign their own names attesting to their sons’ scholarship. Chad Guidry played center field for the Blue Jays while brother Cory anchored second base. Stephen Lukinovich played third and first base and also pitched for the Jays. The Guidrys and Lukinovich are expected to play key roles in the Dolphins’ baseball program.
Congratulations Chad, Cory, and Stephen! |
Blue Jay Named to Class 5A All-State Team Congratulations to junior third baseman Mason Katz for being named to the Class 5A All-State team and junior pitcher Jordan Rittiner for earning honorable mention recognition.
Blue Jays Named to T-P All-Metro Baseball Team 
Congratulations to juniors Jordan Rittiner (20) and Mason Katz (5)
for being named to The Times-Picayune’s All-Metro Baseball Team.
10-5A Coaches'All-District Baseball Team
Congratulations to the following Blue Jays named
to the coaches’ All-District Baseball Team.
Junior Jordan Rittiner, Pitcher
Junior Mason Katz, Infielder
Junior Joe Palmer, Outfielder
Senior Joe Morse, Utility
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LHSAA State Baseball Tournament: Blue Jays Finish the Season State Runner-Up
Jesuit seniors meet on the pitcher’s mound Saturday night
to accept the 2008 State Runner-up Trophy.
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Jesuit Falls to Barbe in State Finals, 7-5
Head Baseball Coach Tim Parenton congratulates junior Mason Katz
after hitting a two run homerun early in the finals Saturday night
at A.B. Netterville Park in Denham Springs, Louisiana. Mason’s
two homeruns in the finals and his play throughout the weekend earned
him the Most Valuable Offensive Player Award for the tournament.
Yet, inspite of Mason’s play and the team’s determined performance,
the Jays fell short to Barbe, 7-5.
Jesuit-Barbe Baseball Photo Gallery (The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.) Blue Jays Fall Short of Capturing 5A Title Jesuit runs out of pitching, can't keep up with Barbe in final
Sunday, May 11, 2008 By Pierce W. Huff
DENHAM SPRINGS -- Jesuit's improbable journey to a second straight Class 5A state championship game ended Saturday.
With the Blue Jays out of late-season magic and pitching, they fell to Barbe 7-5 at A.B. Netterville Field at North Park.
The victory was the second state title in three years for the Buccaneers (35-7), and was their first ever against Jesuit in four games. The Blue Jays defeated Barbe 2-1 in eight innings to win the Class 5A state championship in 2002. "Jesuit has a great tradition," Buccaneers Coach Glenn Cecchini said. "It was a great game." But Jesuit (26-11) did not go down easily. At one point this season, the Blue Jays were 10-9, and despite rebounding to win 16 of their next 17 games, including 11 in a row, they did not even win the Catholic League. But they made a run in the playoffs, before running out of gas. Jesuit defeated the second, third and seventh-seeded teams in the tournament. "Our kids stuck together and played hard," Jesuit Coach Tim Parenton said. "Our guys battled every single day this year." "I don't know if there is anybody who thought we would make it to here (the state championship game) or to Denham Springs at all," Blue Jays third baseman Mason Katz said. "Everybody contributed, the whole team, starters and non starters." Jesuit led 5-4 in the top of the fifth inning when Katz, who hit home runs in his first two at-bats, was intentionally walked with one out. He took second on a single by catcher Joe Morse and scored when left fielder Joe Palmer singled over the head of Barbe second baseman Garin Cecchini. But the Buccaneers scored three runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth to take a 7-5 lead. Catcher Nick Doty drove in one run with a one-out double to left center. Senior pitcher Ryan Doiron drove in a run with a one-out single to center, and designated hitter Hommy Rosado drove in one run with a one-out double to right center. Jesuit then loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh, but Doiron struck out Palmer and first baseman Stephen Lukinovich to end the game. Doiron (11-1), the Outstanding Defensive Player of the tournament, pitched five innings and allowed one run on four strikeouts. He pitched six innings in a 10-2 victory against Ponchatoula on Friday and two innings in Barbe's 8-7 victory against Airline last Saturday. "I can't say enough about him," Cecchini said. "Our guys are resilient, they battled and they never gave up." Katz, the Outstanding Offensive Player of the tournament, hit a two-run homer to center with one out in the second to give the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead. They increased the lead to 3-0 later in the inning when right fielder Scott Cronin scored on a two-out single by second baseman Cory Guidry that was just out of the reach of a leap by Barbe shortstop Josh Lebert. The Buccaneers scored four runs on four hits and one walk in the bottom of the second to take a 4-3 lead, but Jesuit tied the score at 4 in the top of the third when Katz smashed his second homer. Meanwhile, the starters for both teams struggled. Jesuit junior right-hander Alex Roeling, who entered with a 2.77 ERA, started and pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed three runs and two hits and walked three. He was replaced by senior right-hander David Hatfield with one out in the second. Barbe left-hander Tanner Mathis, pitched two innings and allowed three runs on four hits and hit one batter. He was replaced by Doiron in the third. Jesuit made the championship game by defeating Baton Rouge-Catholic in a Class 5A semifinals game earlier Saturday. Lukinovich threw a complete-game, five-hitter with five strikeouts and hit a three-run double to lead the Blue Jays. Jesuit scored all of its runs in the fourth after it had nine consecutive hitters retired by Catholic left-hander Ryan Lewis.
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Blue Jays Cage Catholic High Bears in Semi-finals, 4-1
Senior Stephen Lukinovich, with junior Mason Katz (5) backing up, prepares
to glove an infield pop up. Stephen’s outstanding pitching and
defensive performance led the Jays to a 4-1 victory over the
Catholic High Bears and placed Jesuit in the finals.
Jesuit-Catholic Baseball Photo Gallery
(The following article is courtesy of The Advocate.) Lukinovich’s Arm, Bat Propel Jays Past Bears By ROBIN FAMBROUGH
Advocate sportswriter
DENHAM SPRINGS — Stephen Luckinovich was set to be Jesuit’s closer when the season started.
The senior infielder-pitcher almost single-handedly closed out Catholic High’s season Saturday afternoon.
Besides pitching a five-hitter, Lukinovich (3-2) smashed a three-run double as Jesuit ousted Catholic 4-1 in the second semifinal game at the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Class 5A Tournament at A.B. Netterville Field in North Park.
“I haven’t pitched that many (games), but I did it when it counted,” Lukinovich said.
With the victory, Jesuit advanced to play Barbe, of Lake Charles, an 8-7 semifinal winner over Airline of Bossier City, in the other semifinal, in the 5A title game Saturday night.
Lukinovich’s pitching, along with a four-run fourth inning powered defending 5A champion Jesuit.
Catholic (33-7) was seeking its first title-game appearance since 1992.
“Part of winning high school baseball games is staying out of the big inning and we weren’t able to do that,” Catholic coach Kyle Achord said. “We were in control of the game for six of the seven innings and Ryan Lewis gave us a great effort on the mound. But that one inning was the difference.”
Lukinovich and Scott Cronin each had run-scoring doubles in the fourth inning. Mason Katz finished 2-for-3 with a double for the Blue Jays.
Alex Facundis was 1-for-3 with a seventh-inning double that led to Catholic’s only run. Matt Coye was 1-for-3 and knocked in that run in the seventh. Ryan Lewis (7-2) allowed just four hits for Catholic.
Lewis had a no-hitter for three innings, retiring the first nine batters he faced. Lukinovich yielded one hit in three innings.
The game changed in the top of the fourth when Jesuit strung together three hits, including two doubles, and drew three walks to score four runs.
Adding to the drama was the fact the Bears came close to turning a double play that would have ended the inning before Jesuit scored.
Leadoff batter Cory Guidry walked for the Blue Jays and moved to second on a ground out. Katz reached on an infield hit.
Joe Morse walked to load the bases. Joe Palmer then hit a ground ball to third baseman Micah Podorsky who threw home for a force out. Catcher Christian Bonds threw to first, trying to compete the double play, but Palmer was called safe.
Luckinovich then helped his cause with a three-run double to left center. After another walk, Scott Cronin’s double brought home the fourth run.
Catholic mounted a threat in the bottom of the fifth. Coye reached on an error with one out and Bonds drew a walk. However, Luckinovich struck out the next two batters.
“He (Lukinovich) is a tough kid,” Jesuit coach Tim Parenton said. “He was going to be our closer, but early in the year we didn’t have a lot of opportunities, so he became one of our starters.”
Facundus doubled to start a Catholic rally in the bottom of the seventh. A single up the middle by Coye made it 4-1. Lukinovich got a pop up and a ground-ball double play to end the game.
“We picked a tough time for our bats to go silent, but (Lukinovich) had something to do with it,” Achord said. “Our expectation was to play for a state title. But I couldn’t be prouder of our season. They’ve represented Catholic High the baseball program well.”
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LHSAA State Baseball Tournament: Jays Outlast Rams in Quarterfinals, 9-7
Senior second baseman Cory Guidry beats the tag at home to score a run
for the Jays. After taking a nine run lead, the Jays held off a late charge
from the Acadiana Rams to win, 9-7.
Jesuit-Acadiana Baseball Photo Gallery Jesuit moves on in the state tournament to play the winner of the
Dutchtown-Catholic High game on Saturday afternoon at 2. |
(The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.) Jesuit Holds on to Top Acadiana Eight-run 2nd proves enough for Blue Jays
Saturday, May 10, 2008 By Pierce W. Huff
DENHAM SPRINGS -- The inning was as surprising as the final score.
Rarely do teams make it all the way to the Class 5A state tournament to play one of their worst games of the year, but Acadiana did.
Defending state champion Jesuit had trouble putting Acadiana away, and the result made for some nervous moments Friday. But the Blue Jays scored eight runs in the second inning and held off the Wrecking Rams 9-7 in a Class 5A quarterfinal at A.B. Netterville Field at North Park. "It's baseball, and we got on them early," Jesuit Coach Tim Parenton said. "We jumped out early and got a little momentum. We knew they were a good team." Jesuit (25-10) will play Baton Rouge-Catholic today at 2 p.m. in the Class 5A semifinals. The championship game is set for 7 p.m. The Blue Jays defeated Acadiana for the second time in less than three weeks. Jesuit won at Acadiana 8-0 on April 26. The teams combined for eight errors Friday, including five by Acadiana (30-7). "One bad inning," Rams Coach Scott McCullogh said. "Those things happen in the playoffs. You come in sometimes a little tight." After scoreless first inning, Jesuit put together its biggest inning of the season. The Blue Jays scored the eight runs on five hits and three errors in the second inning to take an 8-0 lead. Acadiana allowed five unearned runs. Third baseman Josh Ezell committed two errors and left fielder Grant Falcon had one. With one out, Jesuit left fielder Joe Palmer reached on a ball that went between Ezell's legs. Palmer advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a double in the right-center gap by Stephen Lukinovich. Lukinovich scored when designated hitter Nico Caluda slapped an opposite-field single to left on the next at-bat. Center fielder Chad Guidry had a two-run single with two outs. Third baseman Mason Katz hit a three-run home run to left-center field. Palmer finished the scoring with a run-scoring double to right-center field but was tagged out when he drifted beyond second base. "Once we got on a roll it just kept going," Katz said. The top of the second lasted 26 minutes, and Jesuit sent 11 batters to the plate. The first inning lasted 17 minutes. After the inning, Rams right-hander Daniel Cloteau (8-3) was replaced by Jeb Stefan, a right-hander who has signed with Louisiana Tech. The Blue Jays increased their lead to 9-0 in the fourth with one run on one hit and one passed ball. Jesuit left-hander Jordan Rittiner (8-4) wasn't sharp, but he was effective. Rittiner worked six innings, allowing six runs on nine hits, and struck out six. "I thought I threw pretty well," Rittiner said. "I knew I didn't have my best stuff today." Rittiner faced a first-and-third situation with two out in the third but got Acadiana catcher Corey Broussard to ground out. The Rams scored two runs on three hits, one walk and a wild pitch in the fourth inning to cut Jesuit's lead to 9-2. They scored four runs on three hits and two errors in the sixth inning, cutting the lead to 9-6. "In the sixth inning I was pretty scared," Rittiner said. Acadiana's Hunter Thibodeaux hit a solo home run with one out in the seventh, but Lukinovich ended the game with two ground outs. "They made some adjustments and hit the ball the other way, but we held on to win," Parenton said. 
Triple Play! Senior Stephen Lukinovich (left) moved from first base
to take the mound and earned a save. Junior starting pitcher
Jordan Rittiner kept the Rams off balanced for most of the game
to secure a win. Finally, junior Mason Katz slammed a monster
three run homerun in the second inning to spark the Jays’ offense.
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Jesuit Baseball Prepares for State Tournament
The 2008 Jesuit baseball team returns to the LHSAA 5A State Baseball Tournament
this weekend in Denham Springs, Louisiana, at A.B. Netterville Park.
The Jays open against Acadiana, Friday afternoon at 4.
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(The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.) Jesuit's Rittiner Finally Hitting Stride Defending Class 5A Champions Have Won Nine Straight Games
Friday, May 09, 2008 By Pierce W. Huff
When Jesuit junior left-hander Jordan Rittiner was 1-4 earlier this season after posting a 12-0 record last year, no one ever told him to "believe in his stuff," and he didn't dare tell himself that kind of thing.
Rittiner didn't panic when his record was bad. He just kept pitching the same way he did last year, knowing things would turn around.
His faith in himself paid dividends for Jesuit. He has a six-game winning streak and will start for Jesuit (24-10) today when the defending state champion Blue Jays play Acadiana (30-6) in a Class 5A quarterfinal in Denham Springs. Rittiner (7-4) said he got a "reality check" after his rough start. "I got spoiled a little bit last year," he said. The junior struggled this season because opposing hitters had adjusted to him. Teams knew that he liked to pitch inside and throw off-speed pitches away, so they didn't swing as much at his outside pitches, which forced him to throw more pitches over the plate. "Last year the batters were free-swinging more," Rittiner said. "This year, if I throw a ball that's not a strike, they probably aren't going to swing at it. The big adjustment was that now I have to throw a lot more strikes." In some ways Rittiner's success has paralleled that of his team's this season. At one point, the Blue Jays were 10-9 and on the verge of a long season. But when Jesuit's play steadied, so did Rittiner's record. The Blue Jays enter today's game on a nine-game winning streak and have won 14 of the past 15 games. "In the first four to five weeks, we were in tournaments and putting guys in different positions to see what would work," Jesuit Coach Tim Parenton said. The Blue Jays also had some early season injuries as shortstop Manny Estrada missed one month with appendicitis and right fielder Scott Cronin missed one month with a broken jaw. "Early on, we had a new team, a new coach and everything was new," Parenton said. But even at his worst point, Rittiner's ERA remained low -- now at 1.52. "The best thing about him is that the kids have confidence when he is on the mound," Parenton said. Rittiner throws a fastball, slurve and changeup, and he can throw all of his breaking pitches for strikes. Parenton said Rittiner does a good job of moving his fastball in and out of the strike zone. Parenton added that the slurve has lateral movement and depth while the changeup moves down and away from right-handed batters. And that is something that Rittiner takes pride in as he and his teammates have recovered from a tough start. "At the beginning of the year we started kind of shaky," he said. "We've really come together." 
Seniors on the Jesuit varsity baseball team have led the team
throughout the 2008 season. Pictured above are (front row, left)
John Kippers, Scott Cronin, Chad Guidry, George Smith,
Cory Guidry,and Anthony Stovall; (back row, left) Nick James,
Dustin Stricker, Kyle Tortorich, Joe Morse, Manny Estrada,
Stephen Lukinovich, and David Hatfield.
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Ticket to Denham Springs! Jesuit's 8-2 Regional Win Over Central Wildcats Places Jays in State Baseball Tournament 
I've got it! I've got it! Senior second baseman Cory Guidry calls off junior first baseman Mason Katz and dives to catch a pop up in shallow right field.
Check out the photo gallery to see the final results of this play.
Great performances like the one pictured above secured a road victory for Jesuit against the Central High Wildcats, 8-2. The Jays will now face Acadiana in the
LHSAA State Baseball Tournament starting this Friday in Denham Springs. |
Jesuit-Central Regional Baseball Playoff Photo Gallery View the LHSAA Baseball Playoff Brackets. Visit LHSAA State Tournament Information. (The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.) Jesuit Tops Central in Regional Blue Jays Score Six in 1st Inning; Headed to State Tourney
Tuesday, May 06, 2008 By Lori Lyons
BATON ROUGE -- Central baseball coach Mitch Covington said he thought his team's tough schedule prepared him for Monday's Class 5A regional playoff game against defending state-champion Jesuit.
But the seventh-seeded Wildcats were caught off guard early.
Jesuit rocked Central for six runs off five hits in the top of the first inning en route to an 8-2 victory. The No. 10-seeded Blue Jays (24-10) are on their way to the Class 5A State Tournament at North Park in Denham Springs for the fifth consecutive year, where they will play Acadiana on Friday. The Rams defeated Rummel 6-1 Monday. Central (26-11) has not been to the tournament since 2001. "The last time I was there, it was in Alex Box Stadium," said first-year Jesuit coach Tim Parenton, who played on state championship teams at Jesuit in 1979 and 1980. "So it's going to be fun. It's a new team. We have three guys who have been there. But we've been on the road a bunch. And our guys play pretty good on the road." They certainly did Monday. Jesuit's Stephen Lukinovich (2-2) started for the third time this season and held the Wildcats to two runs on seven hits. He walked three and struck out three. Reliever David Hatfield walked two and hit one, but he gave up only one bad-hop single in the sixth inning. "I was a little nervous in the beginning," Lukinovich said. "Then I started feeling comfortable. I didn't have the greatest stuff but, you know, we found a way to win." The Blue Jays helped Lukinovich by scoring early against Kory Keowen (6-5). Cory Guidry beat out an infield single, Chad Guidry singled and Keowen hit Mason Katz with a pitch, loading the bases. Joe Morse then singled up the middle to score two. With one out, Lukinovich singled to left and stole second. With two out, Scott Cronin hit a check-swing home run over the left-center-field fence. It was his first of the season, and it gave the Blue Jays a 6-0 lead. "I was out for half the season with a broken jaw," Cronin said. "So it felt really good. I just saw it coming, and I just swing. I didn't even think it was gone. I thought it was a pop-up." Central got one run back in the bottom of the inning when Brett Brooks beat out an infield single. He went to third on an errant pick-off throw by Lukinovich and scored on a single by Justin Creel. Jesuit then got two runs back in the second. Cory Guidry's fly ball to left field was dropped, and Katz was hit by a pitch. After a double steal, Joe Morse was hit by a pitch, loading the bases. Joe Palmer doubled to right to score Guidry and Katz. 
Regional Playoff Heroes: Although Monday’s win over the Wildcats
was a team victory, the play of these three Jays stand out.
Congratulations to seniors pitcher David Hatfield (24)
for closing out the game for the Jays, outfielder Scott Cronin (33)
for his three run homerun, and starting pitcher
Stephen Lukinovich (12) for throwing a great game
and earning another win.
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Blue Jays Tame the Ouachita Lions, 4-3, in First Round of LHSAA Baseball Playoffs 
The Jays turn a double play during the first round playoff game Thursday afternoon
at Kirsch-Rooney. Here, with senior shortstop Manny Estrada (9) looking on,
senior second baseman Cory Guidry (7) gets the force out at second and heaves
the ball to the waiting first baseman, senior Stephen Lukinovich.
(Check out the photo gallery to see the second half of this double play.)
With the first round win over Ouachita, 4-3, the Jays will travel
to Central High School for the next round of the LHSAA playoffs.
Jesuit-Ouachita Baseball Photo Gallery View the LHSAA Baseball Playoff Brackets. |
Jesuit Baseball Closes Regular Season with Win Over Acadiana, 8-0 
In a game earlier this season, junior Mason Katz prepares to drive
another pitch into play. In Saturday’s 8-0 victory over Acadiana,
Mason had two hits, one being a two run homerun. Joining Mason
with two hits were senior Scott Cronin and junior Joe Palmer.
Junior Jordan Rittiner earned another win after pitching 3 1/3 innings.
Jesuit along with the rest of Class 5A waits until Wednesday to learn
who, where, and when they will play in the first round of the LHSAA playoffs.
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Jays Outlast Holy Cross Tigers, 10-7 
Sophomore short stop Ethan Oddo tags the Tiger base runner,
attempting to steal second. Jesuit won this non-district game, 10-7,
Monday afternoon at Kirsch-Rooney.
Jesuit-Holy Cross Baseball Photo Gallery |
Marathon Game: Jays Outrun Raiders in Extra Innings Win, 10-5 
Second baseman Cory Guidry scores the first run of the game
for the Jays before the sun had set at Mike Miley. The moon
would be high in the sky before this game can to an end.
Jesuit-Rummel Baseball Photo Gallery The final district game between the Jays and the Raiders proved to be a test of stamina and determination. This marathon game would take nine innings and run for three hours and thirty minutes before a winner was determined. During the game, pitchers suffered injuries, runners were left stranded, and errors plagued both squads. In the top of the ninth, Jesuit broke the 5-5 tie by scoring five runs, starting with a solo homerun by junior designated hitter Nico Caluda. Senior David Hatfield pitched an outstanding game after junior pitcher Jordan Rittiner left the field early with a minor ankle injury. Senior John Kippers closed the door on the Raiders in the bottom of the ninth to add a save to his record. Jesuit returns to the diamond Monday afternoon in a non-district game against Holy Cross at Kirsch-Rooney. The first pitch is slated for 4 PM. (The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.) Blue Jays Get Past Tival Raiders Caluda's Homer in 9th Sparks Jesuit Rally
Sunday, April 20, 2008 By Bill Bumgarner
Jesuit's Nico Caluda didn't start Saturday night.
But he helped the Blue Jays finish off Rummel.
Caluda, who entered the game in the seventh inning as a designated hitter, led off the ninth inning with a solo home run that ignited a five-run rally and carried the Blue Jays to a 10-5 victory in a battle for second place in District 10-5A. The Blue Jays (20-10) have completed Catholic League play at 9-3, one game behind first-place Brother Martin in the loss column. Rummel (17-16) is 6-4, with two games remaining against St. Augustine, including one in which the Raiders lead 15-0 in the fourth inning. The victory went to Jesuit reliever David Hatfield who entered the game with one out in the second. He struck out the first two batters he faced to end that threat. Hatfield went 6 2/3 innings, allowing one hit and striking out nine. The loss went to Rummel reliever Kyle Zara. After Caluda's homer gave Jesuit a 6-5 lead, Scott Cronin doubled and scored on an RBI single by Cory Guidry. Chad Guidry added an RBI double and Joe Morse completed the big inning with a two-run double. The teams combined for 10 runs in the first three innings, a span that was marked by wild pitches, walks and miscues. The Raiders committed four errors on three consecutive plays in the third when Jesuit scored three runs. Rummel finished with five errors, and Jesuit had three. Jesuit scored twice in the first on a single by Cory Guidry and an error by Rummel starter Ryan Pursell who fielded a potential double-play grounder and threw wildly into center field. Mason Katz then doubled home one run and Morse had the other RBI on a grounder. Chad Guidry had a double in the third and scored on an RBI grounder by Katz before the Rummel defense booted three grounders in succession. Rummel scored three runs in the first on a walk and stolen base by Mike Wisecarver who scored on an RBI single by Craig Murphy. A wild pitch and an RBI single by Pursell put Rummel ahead 3-2. The Raiders added two runs in the second on three walks, a balk and a Jesuit error for a 5-2 lead. Jesuit used four pitchers in the game, and Rummel used three. 
Marathon Jays: Junior Nico Caluda (25) with the game winning
homerun, senior pitcher David Hatfield (24) with the win,
and senior pitcher John Kippers (13) with the save
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Jesuit Defeats Chalmette, 11-3 
In a game earlier this season, junior Evan Schiavi gets back to first
before the Owl first baseman can tag him. Jesuit won the third and
final match against Chalmette on the road Friday night, 11-3.
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Blue Jays Dominate Purple Knights, 11-1 
You’re out! A great throw from senior catcher Joe Morse
ends with the Purple Knight runner tagged out at second
by senior second baseman Cory Guidry. Jesuit went on
to win Tuesday afternoon’s district game against St. Aug, 11-1.
Jesuit-St. Aug Baseball Photo Gallery |
Long Ball Gives Blue Jays Extra Inning Win Over the Crusaders, 2-1
Senior catcher Joe Morse gets all of this pitch for a solo homerun
in the bottom of the eighth inning to defeat the Crusaders, 2-1.
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Jesuit-Br. Martin Baseball Photo Gallery Jesuit’s varsity baseball team played one of their best games of the season Saturday afternoon at Kirsch-Rooney. On the mound, junior pitcher Jordan Rittiner kept the hot hitting Crusaders in check, while the Blue Jay defense rose to the occasion with one great play after another.
In the end, it took eight innings and two Jesuit solo homeruns from seniors Chad Guidry and Joe Morse to hand the talented Crusaders their first lost in district play. The scrappy and determined Jays have improved their district record to 6-3.
Jesuit will host their last district game this Tuesday afternoon against the St. Augustine Purple Knights at Kirsch-Rooney. The first pitch is slated for 4 PM.
(The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.)
Blue Jays Nip Crusaders Morse Settles Issue with Home Run in Bottom of Eighth Sunday, April 13, 2008 By William Dunn Jesuit senior catcher Joe Morse hit a home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Blue Jays to a 2-1 District 10-5A victory Saturday over Brother Martin at Delgado.
"It felt great," said Morse, who also had a single. "I was just trying to get on base. I saw the ball coming, and I had a decent shot at it so I swung. Brother Martin's a really tough team, and it was just a great feeling to hit the home run to beat them."
Senior outfielder Chad Guidry hit a home run in the third inning for the Blue Jays. Jesuit Coach Tim Parenton said big hitting made the difference. "I thought both teams played really well," Parenton said. "This was a really close game, and in games like this you just need to get the big hits sometimes. We were able to get the big hits today, and that won the game for us." It was the first district loss for Brother Martin (20-8, 8-1). Jesuit (17-10, 6-3) avoided a series sweep. "I am really proud of the way my team played out there today," Parenton said. "They weren't intimidated out there. They weren't perfect, we had some mistakes today, but what was important is that they didn't let anything get them down, and they never quit playing hard. That really paid off at the end." The game moved quickly with both teams struggling to get on base. Junior pitcher Jordan Rittiner went the distance for Jesuit. The lefty struck out four batters and allowed one run on five hits. "Jordan Rittiner had a great day on the mound for Jesuit," Crusaders Coach Mark Wisniewski said. "He has a good arm, and he knows where to put the ball. When he plays like that, it's tough for anybody to beat Jesuit." Senior second baseman Brandon Bartholomew scored Brother Martin's run in the sixth inning on a double by junior designated hitter Braeden Ford. "We've known all along that this is a tough district," Wisniewski said. "We're just going to have to brush this one off and go on to the next game. That's all we really can do right now." 
Jesuit’s homerun sluggers are all smiles after
the game: senior outfielder Chad Guidry (2)
and senior catcher Joe Morse (18).
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Blue Jays Turn Out the Lights on the Purple Knights, 14-0 
In the light of day, junior third baseman Mason Katz eyes a fast ball
down the middle during the first round district game against St. Aug.
The Jays, who played their first district night game this season
against St. Aug, went on to win the contest, 14-0. Game highlights
include a two run homer from junior Mason Katz, a 2 for 4 night from
seniors Nick James and Cory Guidry, a 2 for 2 night for Stephen Lukinovich,
and senior Scott Cronin’s return to the field after breaking his jaw
in the first game of the season. Scott went 2-2 Friday night.
The Jays open the third and final round of district play Saturday afternoon
when they host the Crusaders at Kirsch-Rooney for 3:30 PM.
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Baseball Jays Fall to Crusaders, 6-2 
Senior pitcher Stephen Lukinovich helped out the team’s cause
by scoring a run for the Jesuit; but when the dust settled,
the Jays found themselves on the short end of a 6-2 score.
Jesuit-Br. Martin Baseball Photo Gallery |
Baseball Jays Win Two Over the Weekend Jesuit Takes Care of Business Aganist the Owls, 8-2 
Senior second baseman Cory Guidry slides safely into second before the Owl’s tag.
The Jays went on to win this Sunday morning game, 8-2. Jesuit returns to the diamond
Monday afternoon when the Jays visit the Crusaders at Kirsch-Rooney at 4 PM.
Jesuit-Chalmette Baseball Photo Gallery |
Jesuit Evens District Record with Second Round Win Over Raiders, 3-1 
With starting pitcher junior Jordan Rittiner (20) looking on, senior second baseman
Cory Guidry (7) covers first base just in time to get the out. With a steady, solid performance from pitcher Jordan Rittiner and an offense making timely contact
with the ball, Jesuit secured a second round victory, 3-1,
over Rummel Friday afternoon at Kirsch-Rooney Stadium.
Jesuit-Rummel Baseball Photo Gallery (The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.) Blue Jays, Rittiner Turn Back Raiders Left-hander scatters six hits in 3-1 win
Saturday, April 05, 2008 By Mike Strom
The 107th baseball meeting between Jesuit and Rummel, unlike the 106th, proved more typical of a four-decade-old series that entered Friday's game at Kirsch-Rooney knotted at 53 wins apiece.
The host Blue Jays rode a complete game six-hitter by junior left-hander Jordan Rittiner and overcame a one-run deficit by scratching out three total runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 3-1 District 10-5A victory.
The Jays lasted just five innings against the Raiders in their March 22 outing two weeks ago before falling 13-3 via the 10-run-lead rule. But Rittiner was not among the four pitchers Rummel faced that day.
"Against him, every other phase of your game has to be almost perfect," Rummel Coach David Baudry said of Rittiner. "You have to drive in runs with two outs. You have to make every play (in the field). I thought we had nice at-bats against him, just not enough of them."
Friday's results leave Jesuit (14-9, 3-2) and Rummel (14-12-1, 3-2) tied for second in 10-5A, two games behind Brother Martin, with the Blue Jays scheduled to face the Crusaders at 4 p.m. Monday at Kirsch-Rooney. Jesuit also played without starting shortstop Manny Estrada, who has been out since Monday because of surgery to remove his appendix.
"I thought I threw pretty well," Rittiner, who allowed just one run to the Raiders in 14 innings as a sophomore. "I was throwing strikes, and my teammates just kept making plays behind me. We did remember (the last game). We knew we wanted to beat them. But we also tried to put it to the backs of our minds."
Rittiner allowed one earned run to the Raiders in the top of the second, then settled down during the middle innings. He retired eight of nine batters until losing pitcher Tyler Johns (3-2) and first baseman Jordan Manalla singled with one out in the seventh.
Rittiner (4-4) then struck out shortstop Tyler Hart and retired leadoff batter Matt Fury on a foul flyout to third.
Third baseman Mason Katz's RBI single and an ensuing sacrifice fly by clean-up hitter Joe Morse off reliever Nate Fury allowed Jesuit to break a 1-1 tie in the sixth. They scored second baseman Cory Guidry, who started the one-out rally with a single, and right fielder Chad Guidry, who had walked.
Jesuit tied the score at 1 against Johns in the fourth without hitting past the infield. Morse and Anthony Stovall led off with infield singles, left fielder Joe Palmer walked and Morse scored on a double-play grounder hit by Steven Lukinovich.
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Blue Jays Slam Five Homeruns in Their 12-2 District Win Over the Chalmette Owls 
Junior Mason Katz takes this Owl offering out of the park Saturday afternoon
to give the Jays an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Jesuit won this district game 12-2
with Mason hitting two homeruns and seniors Manny Estrada, Joe Morse, and
Anthony Stovall each adding a homerun to their stat sheets.
Jesuit - Chalmette Baseball Photo Gallery
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Blue Jays Dominate Purple Knights, 15-0 
Junior third baseman Mason Katz puts the ball in play Wednesday afternoon
against the St. Aug Purple Knights at Kirsch-Rooney.
The Jays’ bats came alive to rack up 13 hits to win the game, 15-0.
Jesuit-St. Aug Baseball Photo Gallery |
Blue Jays Shut Out Cavaliers, 3-0 
Junior pitcher Jordan Rittiner kept the DeLaSalle Cavaliers off balanced
throughout the game Monday afternoon at Kirsch-Rooney to earn a win
for Jesuit, 3-0, and a no-hitter for Rittiner’s record book. The Jays return
to district action Wednesday afternoon when they host St. Aug
at Kirsch-Rooney. The first pitch is slated for 4 PM.
Jesuit-DeLaSalle Baseball Photo Gallery
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Baseball Jays Drop District Game to Raiders, 13-3 
Senior Anthony Stovall’s solo homerun in the third inning put the Jays
on the scoreboard Saturday afternoon. However, generally silent bats
and an inconsistent performance for the Jesuit pitching staff left
the Jays on the short end of a 13-3 score against the Raiders.
The Jays return to the diamond Monday afternoon
in a non-district game against DeLaSalle at Kirsch-Rooney.
The first pitch is slated for 12:30 PM.
Jesuit-Rummel Baseball Photo Gallery |
Blue Jays Stumble in District Opener to Crusaders, 3-1 
Senior first baseman Stephen Lukinovich recovers from a tricky play to get the out.
Jesuit-Brother Martin Photo Gallery Jesuit opened their 2008 district season Wednesday afternoon at Kirsch-Rooney with a loss to Brother Martin, 3-1.
Although the Jays spread out seven hits, they failed to capitalize on opportunities to score runs. Jesuit resumes district play when they travel Saturday afternoon to Mike Miley Playground to face the Rummel Raiders. The first pitch is slated for 1:00 PM. (The following article is courtesy of The Times-Picayune and nola.com.) Brother Martin Duo Thwarts Jays in Opener Rodrigue, reliever Berry formidable pair in 3-1 triumph Thursday, March 20, 2008 By Bill Bumgarner Brother Martin's victory Wednesday in the District 10-5A baseball opener did not come easily or methodically. Needing just one hour and 35 minutes, the Crusaders edged Jesuit 3-1 at windy Kirsch-Rooney behind the pitching of right-handed starter Reece Rodrigue and senior reliever Kevin Berry Rodrigue (4-2) gave up one run in 5 2/3 innings, allowing six hits. Berry retired the final four Blue Jays, allowing one hit. At third base, Berry had four assists and a standout catch behind third, in addition to one hit and one run scored. Rodrigue was lifted with one runner on base in the sixth. "My curveball was my best pitch," said Rodrigue. "I was able to hit my spots. Kevin came in because he is a good reliever and I had a blister on my finger." "Reece got on top and threw strikes," said Crusaders Coach Mark Wisniewski. "He stayed in his zone, and we made no errors behind him. And, with the wind blowing out, he had to keep the ball low to get ground outs." Brother Martin (13-7, 1-0) received an immediate lift when leadoff batter Brandon Bartholomew homered on the second pitch from Jesuit ace Jordan Rittiner (1-4). "That shot got us going," said Wisniewski. The Crusaders took a 2-0 lead in the fourth with two outs when Mason Montney doubled and Matthew Stewart was hit by a pitch. Johnny Thomas hit a grounder to second baseman Corey Guidry, whose throw was wide of first base, allowing an unearned run to score. Jesuit plated its lone run in the bottom of the inning on a single by Mason Katz and an RBI-double off the center-field wall by Joe Morse. Jesuit had two singles in the first inning, one by Guidry, who was thrown out on a steal attempt of second base, before a single by Joe Thomas. An RBI bloop single just past second base in the fifth inning by Joel Gonzales followed a single by Kyle Maldonado and a hit batsman to account for the Crusaders' final run. "We battled," said Jesuit first-year Coach Tim Parenton. "But we needed to make the plays. We had one error and one fly drops in, and that is the difference when there is good pitching. If you score three or four runs in a game like this, you usually win." Jesuit's Stephen Lukinovich led off the final inning with a double, but Berry retired the next three batters in order to save the victory for Rodrigue. "We're excited about this season," said Rodrigue. "And we're confident." Jesuit (10-8) will try to avoid an 0-2 district start when it meets Rummel on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Mike Miley. |
Destrehan-Hahnville Tournament: Jesuit Takes Two Out of Three Games in Tournament Play Jays Leash Hahnville Tigers, 8-7 
Sophomore infielder Ethan Oddo throws a strike to his first baseman
for an out. The Jays wrapped up the Destrehan-Hahnville Tournament
with a Sunday afternoon win over the Hahnville Tigers, 8-7.
Junior pitcher Alex Roeling gets the win for the Jays,
while junior Jordan Rittiner chalks up a save.
Offensively, junior Mason Katz jacked another homerun Sunday;
and seniors Steven Lukinovich and Joe Morse each had two hits.
For the tournament, Jesuit won two out of three scheduled games.
The Jays close their pre-district schedule with a 10-7 record, and now
prepare to open district play against Brother Martin this Wednesday
afternoon at Kirsch-Rooney. The first pitch is slated for 4 PM.
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Jays Fall Short Against the Wildcats, 13-12, in Extra-Inning "Slug Fest" 
Picture above, junior Mason Katz, a long with seniors Cory Guidry and Joe Morse,
led the Jays with three hits each in Saturday’s game against Destrehan.
As a team, the Jays totaled 20 hits against the Wildcats; but
their effort fell short in extra innings (9) to Destrehan, 13-12.
Jesuit returns to tournament play Sunday afternoon
when they face the Hahnville Tigers at Hahnville.
The first pitch is scheduled for 3 PM.
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Jays' Bats Come Alive Against the Trojans to Win, 6-3 
Senior Joe Morse drives the ball into play Thursday afternoon against
the Central Lafourche Trojans. The Jays’ bats woke up against the Trojans
to score six runs. Jesuit returns to tournament play Saturday afternoon
at when they face Destrehan Wildcats at Destrehan High School.
The first pitch is slated for 3 PM.
Destrehan/Hahnville Tournament: Jesuit-Central Lafourche Photo Gallery
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Jays' Bats Silent Against Ponchatoula Green Wave, 3-0 
Junior Jordan Rittiner, pictured here in a game earlier this season,
pitched a complete game Tuesday night against the Ponchatoula Green Wave.
Of three runs scored against the Jays, one run was earned. Offensively, the Jays
collected a few hits but failed to score any runs in a 3-0 loss to Ponchatoula.
Jesuit returns to the diamond against Central Lafourche in the
Hahnville-Destrehan Tournament Thurday afternoon at Destrehan.
The first pitch is scheduled for 3:30 PM.
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Patterson Shootout: Baseball Jays Split Weekend of Play at Tournament
Jays Slip to East Ascension, 15-5, but Rebound Against Dutchtown, 8-7, in Sunday Tournament Play
In a game earlier this season, senior short stop Manny Estrada tags
a runner attempting to steal second.
At the Patterson Shootout this weekend, Jesuit’s varsity baseball team split the games they played this weekend with two victories over St. Amant (9-1) on Saturday and Dutchtown
(8-7) on Sunday and two losses to Destrehan (1-5) on Saturday and East Ascension
(5-15) on Sunday. The Jays (8-5) return to the diamond Tuesday, March 11 when they travel to Ponchatoula for a 6 PM game.
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Jays Split Doubleheader in Tournament Play Saturday 
Senior third baseman Stephen Lukinovich makes the long throw across
the diamond to first base. On Saturday at the Patterson Shootout, the Jays
won their first game against St. Amant, 9-1,
but they dropped their second game to Destrehan, 5-1.
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Baseball Jays Stumble to Slidell, 6-1 
Junior Joe Palmer, looking for a pitch to drive into play, stands tall at the plate. Wednesday afternoon, Jesuit dropped a game to Slidell, 6-1. Palmer led the Jays’ offensively with two hits against the Lions. Jesuit returns to the field in the Patterson Shootout on Friday afternoon when the Jays face Dutchtown at East Ascension.
The first pitch is scheduled for 4 PM.
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Southern Regional Umpires' Tournament Jays Wrap Up Umpires Tourney With 11-1 Victory Over Central Lafourche 
Senior outfielder Chad Guidry snags a fly ball in right field during Sunday afternoon’s game against Central Lafourche. The Jays won this game
in five innings, 11-1. With Sunday’s game in the books, Jesuit won three
out of four games in the Southern Regional Umpires Tournament.
Jesuit-Central Lafourche Photo Gallery! Jesuit returns to the diamond Tuesday afternoon when they travel
to Slidell High School. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 PM.
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Jays Clip Shaw Eagles, 13-3, in Umpires' Tournament
Senior Anthony Stovall looks for his pitch during the Fontainebleau game
Thursday afternoon. After opening the Umpires’ Tournament with a loss
to Fontainebleau, Jesuit has won the next two tournament games
with the Shaw Eagles the Jays’ latest win . Jesuit (5-2) is now
2-1 in tournament play and faces Central Lafourche Sunday afternoon
at Kirsch-Rooney. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:30 PM.
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Jays Cruise to an 8-1 Victory Over Northshore in Umpires' Tournament 
Senior Stephen Lukinovich looks to drive the ball during the Fontainebleau game Thursday afternoon. The Jays chalked up a W Friday afternoon defeating
the Northshore Panthers, 8-1, at Mike Miley. The Jays (4-2) are now 1-1
in tournament play and face the Shaw Eagles Saturday afternoon at Miley.
The first pitch is scheduled for 2 PM.
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Jays Drop Opening Game of Umpires' Tournament to Fontainebleau, 5-1 
Junior Evan Schiavi looks for his pitch Thursday afternoon in the Jays’ game
against the Fontainebleau Bulldawgs at Kirsch-Rooney. The Jays fell behind early
and failed to rally back in the late innings. Jesuit returns to the diamond tomorrow afternoon when they face Northshore at Mike Miley. The first pitch is slated for 4 PM.
Jesuit-Fontainebleau Photo Gallery |
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Baseball Jays Slam Northshore Panthers, 12-4 
Junior catcher Mason Katz looks for his pitch at recent game. In Monday afternoon’s
contest against Northshore, Katz had three RBIs and two doubles,
while senior Stephen Lukinovich had three RBIs off of two hits.
Senior pitcher Manny Estrada (1-0) recorded his first win
of the season for the Jays, who are now 3-1.
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Grand Slam Season Opener: Long Ball Brings Jays Victory Over Sterlington Panthers, 9-4, at St. Charles Tournament 
Jays celebrate with junior Mason Katz (5) as he touches home plate
after hitting a grand slam home run. The Jays went on to win
their first game of the season over the Sterlington Panthers, 9-4,
at the St. Charles Catholic Baseball Tournament.
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St. Charles Tournament
Box Score Sterlington 4 8 1
Jesuit 9 11 3 Jesuit
Winning Pitcher
Jordan Rittiner (1-0)
Leading Hitters
Mason Katz: 2/4, 5 RBI, 1 HR
Dustin Stricker: 2/3, 2 RBI
Cory Guidry: 2/4, 2 RBI
Anthony Stovall: 2/3, 1 RBI Jesuit-Sterlington Photo Gallery |
Seniors on the Jesuit varsity baseball team will lead the team through the 2008 season.
Pictured above are (front row, left) John Kippers, Scott Cronin, Chad Guidry,
George Smith, Cory Guidry, and Anthony Stovall; (back row, left) Nick James,
Dustin Stricker, Kyle Tortorich, Joe Morse, Manny Estrada,
Stephen Lukinovich, and David Hatfield.
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Tim Parenton '80 Returns to New Orleans and Jesuit to Pick Up the Mantle as Head Baseball Coach for the Blue Jays
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