COLLEGE BASEBALL | Southeastern's Woods, ULM's Dupont selected to All-Louisiana team

EUNICE – Southeastern Louisiana University’s Peyton Woods and Louisiana-Monroe’s Kade Dupont were selected to the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s All-Louisiana baseball team, which was released Saturday.

Woods, a former Doyle standout, was a first-team selection as an outfielder after hitting .358 with six home runs and 27 RBIs on his way to leading the Southland Conference in both batting average and on-base percentage (.465) this season. The junior from Albany, was previously named the conference Hitter of the Year, in addition to picking up All-Conference and All-Academic honors from the Southland.

Dupont, a former Live Oak standout, was a second-team selection as a utility player. He hit .359 while starting all 53 games for the Warhawks. He had 65 hits, including 15 doubles and three home runs while scoring 44 runs. He had 34 RBIs and seven stolen bases with a .982 fielding percentage.

LSU Eunice and Louisiana-Lafayette took home the top honors on the team, which was selected through a vote conducted by the state’s baseball athletic communicators and a statewide media panel. 

 The major awards for the All-Louisiana team went to LSU Eunice’s Aidan Mouton (Hitter of the Year), Lane Fenske (Pitcher and Freshman of the Year), Jeff Willis (Co-Coach of the Year) and Louisiana’s Cody Brasch (Newcomer of the Year) and Matt Deggs (Co-Coach of the Year).  The Bengals produced a team-high six selections among the two squads and honorable mentions.

The Ragin’ Cajuns tie with LSU for the second most All-Louisiana team members with four.  In total, 15 of the state’s universities and colleges across all collegiate athletic affiliations were represented on the team.

 Aidan Mouton, a second-team selection one year ago, capped off the most prolific offensive career in LSU Eunice history to help lead the Bengals to the NJCAA JUCO World Series.  The Region 23 Most Valuable Player and third-team All-American was ranked top 15 nationally in on-base percentage, runs scored and walks.  Mouton etched his name throughout the LSUE single-season record books in batting average (3rd), runs scored (2nd), home runs (6th), runs batted in (6th), slugging percentage (6th), walks (3rd), and on-base percentage (1st).  The Kansas University signee leaves the Bengals as the career leader in batting average, runs scored, home runs, total bases, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage.

 Lane Fenske becomes the first dual major award winner since LSU’s Luke Holman in 2024.  Fenske served as LSU Eunice’s ace, finishing his freshman campaign with a 15-0 record and 3.19 earned run average.  His 15 wins were tied for second nationally and tied the LSU Eunice single season record.  Fenske also finished Top 20 in the NJCAA in strikeouts (98), WHIP (1.19), and innings pitched (93.0).  Just the sixth freshman in LSU Eunice history to earn first-team All-American honors, Fenske was the first junior college athlete to be named a finalist for the James J. Corbett Award, given to Louisiana’s top amateur male athlete.

Cody Brasch was a key piece to the Ragin’ Cajuns NCAA Tournament run, the lone Bayou State team to qualify for the NCAA Division I postseason.  The junior college transfer began the season in the bullpen before ascending to the Friday night role, leading the Sun Belt Conference with a 2.77 earned run average to go along with his 6-3 record and six saves.  A second-team All-Sun Belt selection, Brasch added 82 strikeouts in 74.2 innings of action, leading the conference in WHIP (0.99).

 Louisiana-Lafayette’s Matt Deggs and LSU Eunice’s Jeff Willis tied for Coach of the Year, each receiving 12 votes.  Deggs led the Ragin’ Cajuns to a red-hot end of the season, reaching the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship as well as the Starkville Regional final.  Louisiana earned series wins over a pair of nationally ranked teams and made two separate appearances during the season in Top 25 rankings. 

 Willis guided LSU Eunice to its 12th NJCAA National Tournament appearance in program history and its first as a Division I member, finishing fifth in the tournament.  The two-time LSWA Coach of the Year eclipsed 1,150 wins in his 24th season atop the helm at LSUE, ranking 22nd all-time in NJCAA history.  LSUE produced a 40-win season for the 20th straight campaign under Willis, who was also one of four finalist for the AllState Sugar Bowl Sports Awards Outstanding Coach of the Year.

 The first-team consists of four pitchers – Fenske, Brasch, LSU Shreveport’s Brock Lucas, and McNeese State’s Eric Nachtsheim.  Mouton is joined by fellow Bengal Andrew Clapinski, Louisiana Tech’s Trey Hawsey, Southeastern’s Alex Perry and three-time first team selection Steven Milam of LSU in the infield.

The outfield is made up of Derek Curiel (LSU), Woods, and Jason Wachs (Tulane).  The first-team is rounded out by designated hitter Nico Rijo-Berger (Nicholls State) and utility Carlos Sanchez (LSU Shreveport).

 Second-team pitchers are Kade Linn (Louisiana College), Declan Dahl (Louisiana Tech), Brody Trosclair (Northwestern State), and Dylan Marionneaux (Northwestern State).  The infield is comprised of Cade Arrambide (LSU), Lee Amedee (Louisiana-Lafayette), Marshall Louque (LSU Eunice), KJ White (Southern), Jaxon Buratt (Loyola-New Orleans), and Connor Cuff (Southeastern).

LSU’s Jake Brown is joined by LSU Eunice’s Mason Bordelon and Louisiana Christian’s Matthew Cody in the outfield, while Delgado’s Frank Randol (DH) and ULM’s Kade Dupont (Utility) complete the squad.

 There are ten overall honorable mentions on this year’s team.

 2026 Louisiana Sportswriters Association (LSWA) All-Louisiana Baseball Team

First Team

HITTER OF THE YEAR: Aidan Mouton, LSU Eunice

PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Lane Fenske, LSU Eunice

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Cody Brasch, Louisiana

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Lane Fenske, LSU Eunice

COACH OF THE YEAR: Matt Deggs, Louisiana and Jeff Willis, LSU Eunice (tie)

Second Team

Honorable Mention

P             Jake Cohen, Loyola-New Orleans; Andrew Herrmann, Louisiana

C             Colt Brown, Louisiana

3B          Colby Lunsford, Louisiana Tech

SS           Quaterrion Walton, LSU Shreveport

OF          Danny Barbero, McNeese State; Nathan McDonald, Loyola-New Orleans; Milan Obradovich, LSU Eunice; Davis Mauzy, ULM

DH         Hayden Stringfellow, McNeese State