'It's win or bust': Claiborne Christian baseball back in LHSAA championship game
Claiborne Christian baseball is on the hunt for back-to-back state titles. And senior Logan Wedrall is making sure it happens.
The No. 1 Crusaders beat No. 5 Northside Christian 11-7 to advance to the LHSAA Division V state championship for the second year in a row.
Claiborne Christian plays for its seventh state title on Friday in Hammond. The Crusaders play No. 2 Grace Christian at 2 p.m. Friday in the Division V championship.
The Crusaders (9-16) barely celebrated after the game, focusing on the unfinished work ahead of them. Coach Chad Olinde said they wont be able to celebrate until they've completed the repeat.
"For here it's win or bust and these guys are happy, of course, but they're ready to get on the bus and go practice down south," Olinde said.
Wedrall feels the same way. After being on the 2021 Division V championship team, he said it would be great to wrap up his time at Claiborne Christian with another title.
"It would mean everything," Wedrall said. "We've worked so hard, these guys have worked so hard all year long and to just have that, have back-to-back, it would mean the world to us."
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On Wednesday Wedrall threw 6 ⅔ innings, allowing four runs, one walk and striking out six. He went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
"Logan Wedrall threw one heck of a game," Olinde said.
He was taken out late in the seventh after the Warriors (15-15) went on a two-out rally and scored two more runs on Wedrall. They finished the game scoring five runs in the seventh.
Olinde said Wedrall has been their "go-to guy" all season long, but Wedrall said that is only possible due to the confidence he has in his teammates on the field.
"Here recently, they've been really, really solid," Wedrall said. "Just knowing that they've got my back and hitting wise, they scored 11 runs today, knowing I have that behind me it's alway easy."
Josh Vaughn went 3-for-4 with three runs scored, two stolen bases and an RBI. Holden Aultman went 2-for-3 with four stolen bases two runs and a walk.
"The team's mentality is to fight, " Olinde said. " They fight every pitch, these guys they believe in each other, it's been a long season for them but man they've improved so much. These guys are good. Im excited for them and I'm so proud of them."
Emely Hernandez covers University of Louisiana-Monroe athletics and high school sports. Email her at ehernandez@thenewsstar.com and follow her on Twitter @emhernandeznews.
This article originally appeared on Monroe News-Star: Claiborne Christian baseball returns to LHSAA state championship game
