Blue Jays Leave Their Hearts, and a Few Tears, on a Baseball Field in Sulphur

Posted May 17, 2014 / Last updated November 13, 2014

Christian Latino and the rest of the Jays react when Nathan Zimmer is given a free pass to 1st base after being hit by a pitch in the bottom of the 7th inning.

View the Photo Gallery of the Jesuit – Live Oak Game

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Four Blue Jays, Coach Latino Recognized by the Clarion Herald

Five Blue Jays Named to Nola.com’s 9-5A District Team

Jesuit’s appearance at the LHSAA State Baseball Tournament in Sulphur turned out to be an abbreviated one. The Jays’ plan was to throttle the Eagles of Live Oak, their opponent in the semifinal game, stick around on Saturday to play in the championship game, and return home with their 21st state baseball title.

But the best laid plans sometimes go awry. The Jesuit baseball train that steadily glided forward the entire season, save for a few hiccups here and there, derailed Friday afternoon in Sulphur. In inflicting defeat upon the 3rd seeded Blue Jays, 6-5, the 10th seeded Eagles showed everyone (again) that they are the brash upstart team of Class 5A. (The Eagles will play the Barbe Bucs for the state title on Saturday.)

The Eagles nicked Jesuit senior pitcher C.J. Avrard for eight hits and all six runs. Avrard, who typically takes two or three innings to find his groove, had an inauspicious start — his very first pitch was a bullseye on the back of the Eagles’ leadoff batter. Avrard then threw four straight balls and walked the second Eagle batter. Coach Joey Latino wisely called a mound conference in an effort to calm some nerves.

Live Oak managed to score two runs in the 1st inning and added two more in the 2nd. Before Blue Jay fans could finish a bag of popcorn, Jesuit was in a 4-0 hole from which the team never recovered. In the bottom of the 2nd, the Jays narrowed the gap to 4-3. Catcher Trent Forshag walked and courtesy runner Nick Ray was sent to first. Left fielder Spencer Miller singled, then designated hitter Stephen Sigle laid down a perfect bunt. The throw from the Eagle catcher was off the mark and Ray and Miller scored while Sigle ended up at 3rd base. (Ray was ejected from the game by the home plate umpire who cited the freshman for elbowing the Eagles’ catcher.) Center fielder Nathan Zimmer singled to score Sigle for the third run..

The Eagles were up and down in the 3rd inning. In the bottom, Jesuit tied the game, 4-4, and loaded the bases with no outs. It was the first of two rare opportunities that the Jays squandered. The Eagles came back and scored one run in the 4th to retake the lead and another run in the 5th inning. With two outs in the 5th, Avrard was relieved by senior Glynn Hyer, who gave up only one hit but otherwise grounded the Eagles for the rest of the game. The Jays could muster only six hits and it looked as if the engine pulling the train was running on empty. The Jays were striking out, and worse, were not swinging their bats at balls that had “hit me” written all over the stitches. A total of 11 Blue Jays were left stranded on bases and that doesn’t count the 1st inning when it was 3-up and down. Twice the Jays loaded the bases, but each time could not push any runs across the plate. Talk about failure to launch.

“We could not get the lead and that’s important,” said Coach Latino. “We no sooner tie the game in the 3rd inning when Live Oak comes back and scores a run to take the lead again.”

Coach Latino and his son, senior pitcher Christian Latino, in an emotional moment following the Jays’ 6-5 loss to Live Oak.

But the Blue Jays never gave up. Until the last out in the bottom of the 7th inning, the Jays kept alive their hopes and dreams for another state championship (the last one was 2011).

Instead, the Jays’ 2014 season ended with an enviable 32-6 record, marking the first time a Jesuit baseball team racked up more than 30 wins.

“It’s hard to get the right words,” Coach Latino told his Blue Jays in an emotional gut-check impromptu gathering under the bleachers that overlook Field #41 where the team played their hearts out. “This hurts but I’m glad we are going to hurt together. That’s part of growing up, being a family, part of the love you give to each other, and part of the educational program you’re in. It’s ok to hurt, it’s ok.You made this season enjoyable. We had 32 wins and you should be proud of that. When we break from here, I want you to go to your parents and thank them, thank them for giving you the opportunity to get a Jesuit education and for helping you build your character. I love every last one of you, every last one.”

In hushed tones, the Blue Jays said a prayer, then went to hug their parents. Fifteen minutes later, the Jays and their coaches climbed aboard their chartered bus for the three and a half hour ride back home.

They say that winning is easy, it builds confidence, sells tickets, and makes everyone happy. Everyone likes a winner. How players and teams handle defeat is the real test of character, courage, and resilience. And that puts Jesuit’s 2014 varsity baseball team in a league of its own.

Galleries

Baseball vs. Live Oak (Semifinals, Class 5A, LHSAA State Tournament), Friday, May 16, 2014

The Eagles call time out and the Jays huddle on the sideline with Coach Latino. Clay Deron (left) is on 3rd base and Nathan Zimmer is on 1st. Getting ready to bat is Blake Baker, who is already 2-for-3 with two singles and an RBI.
Glynn Hyer pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief, giving up one hit and no runs.
This Eagle tries to steal 2nd base, but Blake Baker takes a perfect throw from Trent Forshag to tag him for the third out.
In the bottom of the 5th inning, Spencer Miller leads off with a single, but gets caught trying to steal 2nd base. It is a scoreless inning for the Jays. Likewise for Live Oak in the top of the 6th.
Brandon Sequeira, playing 3rd base in this game, hits a double to leadoff the bottom of the 6th inning.
Nathan Zimmer sacrifice bunts.
Brandon Sequeira moves to 3rd base on Nathan Zimmer's sacrifice and looks to the Blue Jay dugout to make some noise.
Blake Baker comes through with a single that scores Brandon Sequeira, cutting the Eagles' lead down to one run, 6-5.
Brandon Sequeira trots to the dugout where Spencer Miller is one of the first to greet him.
Still in the bottom of the 6th with two outs and the bases are loaded with Blue Jays. Spencer Miller lingers at the plate after being called out on strikes. This was the second time the Jays left runners stranded on all the bases.
The Jays have one last opportunity to either win the game outright or push it to extra innings. Clay Deron, courtesy runner for Trent Forshag, ends up at 3rd base on a wild pitch. The Jays are down to their final out.
Christian Latino and the rest of the Jays react when Nathan Zimmer is given a free pass to 1st base after being hit by a pitch.
With two out in the top of the 5th, Coach Latino decides it's time to relieve the Jays' starting pitcher. By this time the Eagles have six runs on nine hits. Coach Latino later told a reporter, "It just looked like (C.J.) couldn’t get into a rhythm."
The game is on the line and Alex Galy and Blake Baker know it.
The count is 2-2 and Blake Baker swings for the fence. For a second, it looks as if Baker might have hit a home run. But a stiff breeze messes with the ball's flight and the fly is caught deep in right field. Game over. Jays lose a tough one, 6-5.
As the Eagles pour out on the field, Coach Latino walks over to his players.
From left, Spencer Miller, Christian Latino, Trent Forshag, and Brandon Sequeira can only wonder "if only..."
The Blue Jays congratulate the Eagles and return to gather their equipment.
Coach Latino has a brief conversation with Ron Brocato, sports editor of the Clarion-Herald.
The Jays are stunned by the game's outcome. “It hurts a great deal,’’ Coach Latino tells Mike Strom, who covered the game for Nola.com/Times-Picayune. "This was a great group of seniors. You know you go along in a season and you trudge along and then when the end comes and you look back that’s when the impact hits you. This hurts. We had a ton of opportunities. I don’t know how many men we left on. We just couldn’t get that impact hit.’’
It was an emotional post-game meeting with the players surrounding the coaches. In a hushed voice, Coach Latino told his players: “This hurts but I’m glad we are going to hurt together. That’s part of growing up, being a family, part of the love you give to each other, and part of the educational program you’re in. It’s ok to hurt, it’s ok.You made this season enjoyable. We had 32 wins and you should be proud of that. When we break from here, I want you to go to your parents and thank them, thank them for giving you the opportunity to get a Jesuit education and for helping you build your character. I love every last one of you, every last one.”
Jeff Chappuis (far left), who is Jesuit's baseball statistician, thanks Stephen Sigle for a great season while Spencer Miller and Coach Latino share a warm embrace.
Coach Latino and his son, senior pitcher Christian Latino, share a moment before boarding the team bus for an early departure from Sulphur.
Alex Galy scores on a throwing error to tie the game, 4-4, in the bottom of the 3rd inning.
The game actually starts five minutes before the scheduled first pitch at 4 p.m. C.J. Avrard, who brought a 9-1 record coming into the game, starts on the mound for the Blue Jays. but the senior immediately runs into trouble. His very first pitch hits the Eagles' leadoff batter and he walks the second batter,
Coach Joey Latino calls time out and pays a visit to the mound where he calmly tells Avrard and the infield to relax and stay focused.
Avrard strikes out two Eagle batters to end the 1st inning, but Live Oak has already inflicted damage, notching two hits and jumping out to a 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the 1st, the Jays strike out twice and go 3-up, 3-down.
In the top of the 2nd inning, shortstop Alex Galy fields a grounder, but as he throws to Dan Edmund at 1st base, the ball squirts out of his right hand and sails about 6 feet over his outstretched glove. The error results in the second run of the inning for Live Oak.The Jays suddenly find themselves in a 4-0 hole.
In the bottom of the 2nd inning, the Jays show signs of life. Catcher Trent Forshag walks and courtesy runner Nick Ray is sent in. Then outfielder Spencer Miller (above) singles.
With Nick Ray on 2nd base and Spencer Miller on 1st, designated hitter Stephen Sigle lays down a nice bunt along the 1st base line...
... but a throwing error by the Eagles' catcher sends the ball down the right field line. Nick Ray and Spencer Miller score standing up while Sigle lands on 3rd base.
Nathan Zimmer singles to drive in Stephen Sigle from 3rd base. The Jays are down one run, 4-3. Looking up from the depths of the hole, there is some light.
The Eagles go up and down in the top of the 3rd and in the bottom, the Jays are off to a promising start. Alex Galy and Scott Crabtree (above) lead off with walks.Catcher Trent Forshag singles and Crabtree ends up on 2nd while Galy is on 3rd..
The first of two Class 5A semifinal games at the 2014 LHSAA State Tournament featured 3rd seed Jesuit and 10th seed Live Oak playing on Field 41 at McMurry Park in Sulphur. After starting lineups for both teams were announced, the players face the American flag for the National Anthem. As the designated home team, Jesuit takes the field first.
Assistant coach Nick Nolfe elicits a big grin frpm Alex Galy, who is on his way back to the dugout after scoring Jesuit's 4th run. It's still the bottom of the 3rd inning and the bases are loaded for the Jays with no outs. But the Eagles pull off three straight outs - a strikeout, a pop-up and another strikeout - and the Jays leave three runners stranded. Later, Coach Latino says the turning point in the game was the bottom of the 3rd inning.
In the top of the 4th inning, leftfielder Scott Crabtree and centerfielder Nathan Zimmer chase down a ball hit in the gap for a double.
A pop-fly in shallow center field is misplayed as Nathan Zimmer tumbles at the feet of second baseman Blake Baker...
... As Blake Baker dances over Nathan Zimmer, Scott Crabtree goes after the ball. The Eagles score a run to break the short-lived tie.
Blake Baker singles to lead off the bottom of the 4th inning.
Blake Baker steals 2nd base with plenty of time to spare.
Alex Galy draws a walk behind Blake Baker's single and steal.
As the pitch gets away from the Eagles' catcher, Trent Forshag gives the "go" signal to Blake Baker and Alex Galy who have already advanced to 3rd and 2nd bases, respectively.
Alex Galy is not the only Blue Jay biting his nails. With two out and Trent Forshag at the plate, the catcher hits a ball deep to right field, The Eagles' outfielder makes the over-the-head catch on a full-out sprint. Blake Baker and Galy are left stranded.
In the top of the 5th, Spencer Miller catches a fly ball in right field and fires to Blake Baker at 2nd base. Later, with two outs, the Eagles score their sixth run when a single to centerfielder Nathan Zimmer brings home a runner on 2nd base.

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