2026 CENLA Baseball Season Previews
by Marshall Loeffler
ALEXANDRIA – The ASH Trojans are gearing up for what head coach Greg Briggs hopes will be a breakthrough 2026 high school baseball season. In a recent conversation, Briggs reflected candidly on last year’s campaign—an 18-win season that ended with a regional playoff exit against Jesuit—and outlined his optimism for a veteran-laden roster ready to push deeper into the postseason. “Last year was, as a head coach, a struggle to be quite honest with you,” Briggs said. “We had a bunch of good guys, but it just seems like we had trouble executing in key situations.”
Fortunately, the Trojans return a strong experienced core, bolstered by 11 seniors who have played together through travel ball, JV, and Varsity, and developed chemistry on and off the field. Coach Briggs emphasized the intangibles—team unity, mutual support, and resilience—will be just as crucial as raw talent this year. Both players and coaches are aiming to “get over that hump” in 2026 and advance past the second round. “We have guys with experience coming back on the mound. We have guys that are coming back on defense that have a lot of experience,” Briggs noted. “This group really likes each other, they pull for each other, they’ve played together, and they hang out with each other off the field, and all of that stuff matters.”
Among the players expected to lead the way for ASH in 2026:
- Third baseman Caden Extine, a three-year starter who Coach Briggs described as “steady as can be”
- Shortstop Jaxon Ross (LSUA commit), made big strides in the summer strength program
- Pitcher Clayton Doyal started in last year’s Jesuit playoff game and was an All-District football player in 2025
- Outfielder Jacob Dean “can fly” and will be key for controlling the deep parts of the park
- First baseman Grayson Thibodeaux is another All-District football player who gets his share of extra base hits
- Catcher Cooper Robinson added strength in the offseason and has experience with his top arms
- Jack Lee is viewed as one of LA’s best pitchers by multiple outlets
Melvin Burns will see a lot of action, as will Ian Hunter, Collin Lacaze, KJ Wright, Tyler Robinson, Matthew Crenshaw, and Bryson Phoenix.
The ASH skipper feels his lineup is strong in all phases, and won’t have to rely on one dimension early on. But the schedule offers no easy path; District 2-5A features perennial powers West Monroe, Ruston, Pineville and Neville. Non-district tilts include heavy hitters like Central-BR, Jesuit, Catholic-BR, state champs like Tioga, Hicks, and Pitkin, and a three-game series with Acadiana. Briggs views the gauntlet as a positive: “Our district is really tough and really, so is our non-district… We’re looking forward to it. It’s going to be some good baseball played here in central Louisiana.”
When asked what defines early-season success beyond the win-loss column, Briggs pointed to fundamentals and culture. “Early on, I’m looking for us to play the game the right way and play the game together. Respect the game, be fundamentally sound and pull for each other,” he said. He stressed coachability, effort, handling adversity, and being good teammates above all. With returning all-district talent in both pitching and hitting, plus a senior class poised to lead, the Trojans believe they have the pieces to make noise in 5A. Execution and togetherness, Briggs insists, will determine if 2026 becomes a year these seniors find themselves leading a deep playoff run. “We aren’t looking too far ahead, but hopefully with this group, and the experience we have, will help us get there.”
